See on Scoop.it – RootsRated
I recently wrote this article for Grassroots Outdoor Alliance retailer Rock/Creek in Chattanooga, TN.
RootsRated works with awesome outdoor retailers around the country to provide people a better way to access the very best outdoor experiences.
Take a look for some best-in-class outdoor desintations this spring!
See on blog.rockcreek.com
RootsRated was mentioned today in an article in Lafayette, Louisiana’s Acadiana Times. Why? Because spring is in the air.
In RootsRated world, a world of trails and rivers, mountains and cliffs, specialty retailers and enthused outdoor enthusiasts, oh and of course metadata, guerilla marketing, social media strategy, and copy writing, the approach of Spring is a welcome event. It’s not just because of the warmer weather, budding flowers, and and bluer skies…Well, yes, actually it is.
We can’t wait, and throughout the spring, we’ll be launching a ton of great new content on some of the best places to get outside around the country. We’re currently hard at work providing the best outdoor experiences in San Francisco, Minneapolis, and Atlanta, so stay tuned, exciting stuff is on the way.
Over the last few weeks we’ve been working with some of the finest specialty outdoor retailers in the nation, and we wanted to give a shout out to just a few.
Lafayette, LA may not be on your register of amazing outdoor destination towns. It doesn’t usually make it into Outdoor Magazine’s top outdoor town rankings, and it certainly isn’t known for dramatic peaks. But what Acadiana’s cultural capital lacks in size and mountains, it more than makes up for in uniquely beautiful paddling opportunities and some of the best cajun cuisine around. No wonder Paul Simon wrote a song about this fascinating city in his amazing album Graceland. If you’re headed to the Bayou sometime, be sure to check out our good friends at Pack and Paddle and incredible paddling at Buffalo Cove.
Buffalo Cove
A little different, but no less drenched in southern culture, is Hilton Head Island. We’ve been working with an amazing outdoor retailer, fittingly called Outside Hilton Head. Everyone knows of Hilton Head for its beaches and golf, but you’ve got to check out Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Pinckney Island National Wildlife Refuge
And, last, but certainly not least, in Wilmington, NC, we’ve been working with North Carolina’s premier outdoor retailer, Great Outdoor Provision Company. If you’re heading toward southeastern Carolina, be sure to check out Town Creek for an intimate Palmetto paddle.
Town Creek
Anyway, thanks for reading. More on the way. Here’s a sneak peak of one of San Francisco’s most amazing hikes, with an interesting southern name.
The weather is getting warmer. Keep in touch.
Last week, I was fortunate enough to join the Smartwool team and a group of awesome Smartwool fans in beautiful San Francisco for the first Fan Field Tester program.
What is a Fan Field Tester Program you might ask?
The Fan Field Tester Program is actually comprised of SmartWool fans who have interacted with the brand. Smartwool puts a call out on Facebook to recruit Fan Field Testers for the run shoot, and that’s where some of the folks came from. As I understand it, Smartwool will continue to host this program, so it’s a great opportunity for Smartwool fans in the future.
Triathlete and super Smartwool tester Kendra Goffredo
Put differently, it’s basically an incredible two days of running in beautiful Marin County, eating avocado-laden Spanish fare, learning about interesting people (like the soon-to-be professional triathlete Kendra Goffredo), and last, but certainly not least, wool wearing on en epic level.
Stretch of Highway near Mount Tam
The Crew (Thanks to Kendra Goffredo) for her very comprehensive blog post.
Views of the Bay
In our two days, the Smartwool crew had us run amidst the cool, dense Redwood forests of Mount Tam, the sun-strewn rocky trails of Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and the golden-grassed Tennessee Valley. To summarize as invigorating would be to understate. The crew was a joy to work with, and the gear (which I’m happy to report I came home with) is fantastic.
Kendra striding it out
Credit: Jen
We ran in SmartWool’s new line of PHD Running shirts and shorts, which I tested last summer. I typically run shirtless in the Southeast’s boiling summers, but training in this shirt in 100-degree heat and 100% humidity was a fantastic surprise, and I continue to wear it in the hottest of training runs.
Christine and Jonathan
Credit: Jen
Back at work on RootsRated, we’re in the process of building out the best places to get outdoors in San Francisco, and the good folks at Marin Running Company have started curating the best trail runs throughout this spectacular region.
‘Till next time…a quote for runners to remember from the legendary Steve Prefontaine, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”
Cheers,
See on Scoop.it – RootsRated
RootsRated.com is the local recreation guide, curated by the outdoor industry. Learn more by contacting Fynn Glover at fynn@rootsrated.com Enjoy!
See on vimeo.com
See on Scoop.it – RootsRated
The Mobile Playbook is a resource guide from Google to help businesses win with mobile. It features insights, case studies and recommendations on how any business can operationalize mobile.
Really interesting reading for specialty retailers, as they approach mobile strategy.
See on www.themobileplaybook.com
See on Scoop.it – RootsRated
RT @RootsRated: Check out what @rockcreek is doing to promote @RootsRated and @grassrootsoa http://t.co/Pm36cQ0z
See on twitter.com
See on Scoop.it – RootsRated
Thanks to the ease of self-publishing online, marketing has looked increasingly like publishing with each year, and it’s only going to continue moving in that direction.
Outdoor specialty retailers and outdoor manufacturers are constantly looking for content to share with their customers. The problem for everyone, is how to find and distribute compelling, useful content in a branded, relevant, and consistent way.
As this excellent article points out, marketing looks increasingly like publishing. We created RootsRated to provide outdoor specialty retailers and their brands with a content curation tool that informs their customers of the best local places to get outside.
See on www.adweek.com
See on Scoop.it – RootsRated
Here’s a little piece of SEO nerdery that affects us all: Google is using Google+ to influence search results in a big way, and brands and media organizations alike have yet to wake up to the…
"Brands know they must create content, not just to stay fresh and relevant in organic search results, but to engage their customers and maybe even act as thought leaders in their industries(…)No one cares who those writers are as long as the content they produce is viewed as legit to the almighty Google. Until now, that is, when Google wants those writers to have identities," writes Erin Griffith
See on pandodaily.com
See on Scoop.it – RootsRated
Specialty retailers are the town centers of their communities. More than premier shopping experiences, they are also informational hubs that are rich in the most authentic local knowledge.
Visit www.rootsrated.com to get a sense of the wealth of knowledge possessed by locally owned outdoor retailers.
See on themanngroup.blogspot.fr
See on Scoop.it – RootsRated
The term ‘native advertising’ is taking off across the industry, but what does it really mean? Federated Media’s Mary Gail Pezzimenti explains
“Native advertising must meet four basic tactics: it is sponsored content that runs in the content well of a blog; it takes on the look and feel of the blog; it can take any format (photo, video, post); and the user can engage with the content if he so chooses.”
As specialty retailers consider the power of the authentic local knowledge possessed by their staff, their principals, and their deep networks of enthusiasts, sales reps, and conservationists, they are recognizing how well situated they are to grow their businesses through the type of advertising that tells stories and inspires customers to pursue the outdoor lifestyle.
See on www.digiday.com
