Sports & Outdoors Newsletter | From Trails to TikTok: Salomon’s Glow-Up 👟

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Editor’s Pick 🌟

At POSSIBLE Miami, Everyone Was Talking About Interest Media—Here’s Why

ClickZ was on the ground at POSSIBLE Miami, and here were our top takeaways:

1. More than ever, consumer discovery is shifting to "interest media" platforms (like TikTok, Snap & Pinterest). Gary Vaynerchuk highlighted this evolution from a "social media era" to interest media, emphasizing that brands must now prioritize creating relevant content aligned with user interests to capture attention at the crucial initial stages of the customer journey.

2. Measuring the ROI of top-of-funnel engagement on "interest media" channels is becoming a crucial differentiator. Despite recognizing the importance of reaching consumers earlier, many brands struggle to effectively track how content on interest media channels translated to bottom-line results. Those adopting full-funnel measurement solutions increasingly hold a competitive advantage.

3. Commerce is increasingly integrated into content (e.g., TikTok Shop) demanding strategies that blend engagement and direct purchase. The growing impact of viral content driving sales, particularly through platforms like TikTok Shop, highlights the need for brands to embrace shoppable content experiences to capitalize on this evolution.

Turning these insights into actionable strategies is essential. For a free resource on strategically investing in and measuring the performance of upper-funnel 'interest media' channels, check out Fospha's Growth Accelerator Guide here.

Expert Insights 🙌🏻

How community-Driven Commerce Unlocks Richer Marketing Attribution  

In our recent exploration of standout examples in community-led marketing, one brand quietly stood out: Title Nine. Known for championing women's empowerment through sport and active living, Title Nine’s annual Pitchfest is more than a feel-good competition—it’s a sophisticated growth engine hiding in plain sight.

Pitchfest invites female entrepreneurs to showcase products built specifically for active women. On the surface, it’s a vibrant celebration of innovation. Dig deeper, though, and you'll see a rich layer of untapped attribution potential. Each entrepreneur who steps onto the Pitchfest stage doesn’t just introduce a new product—they become a natural amplifier, generating organic content, authentic referrals, and uniquely trackable interactions across multiple channels.

Yet, for many senior marketers, such community-driven initiatives remain challenging to measure beyond vanity metrics. How do you confidently attribute revenue to a story, a social share, or a subtle endorsement? The answer lies in enhancing traditional attribution methods to better capture community-generated signals.

For example, brands like Title Nine can deploy tailored, event-specific identifiers across each touchpoint—QR-coded voting pages, personalised landing pages per participant, and custom promotional codes. When combined with sophisticated multi-touch attribution, marketers can clearly map each interaction—right down to the entrepreneur whose story turned a casual observer into a loyal customer.

- This approach does more than clarify ROI—it unlocks entirely new strategic insights:

- Pinpoint which community voices most effectively drive conversion

- Adjust media spend dynamically based on authentic, earned engagement

- Reveal which products resonate deeply enough to become future hero lines

- Precisely measure and optimise the lifetime value of community-engaged customers

Specialty Bites 🍪

LUXURY MARINE DESIGN

Highfield Velox 420 Delivers Sleek Jet Performance and Style for Modern Boaters

INVESTOR PERFORMANCE INSIGHTS

Academy Sports and Outdoors Delivers Strong Returns with Enhanced Capital Efficiency

Academy Sports and Outdoors demonstrates a robust trajectory in return on capital employed (ROCE), increasing 164% over five years while keeping capital steady—a clear indicator of capital efficiency and operational effectiveness. This trend suggests strong compounding potential, which marketers can leverage for long-term brand partnership strategies.

SEASONAL PRODUCT LAUNCH

ALDI Unveils 2025 Snow Gear Collection with Chic Styles and Unbeatable Prices

ALDI’s 2025 Snow Gear Special Buys kicks off May 17, featuring over 65 competitively priced winter apparel products and marking the sale’s 20th anniversary. Marketers should note ALDI’s effective use of limited availability, trend-driven design, and first-come-first-served urgency to drive consumer engagement and store traffic.

INNOVATIVE PRODUCT LAUNCHES

April 2025 Showcases Premium Outdoor Gear and Dynamic Travel Essentials for Modern Lifestyles

April 2025’s standout gear launches include modular travel backpacks, eco-conscious apparel, and multi-functional EDC tools, each engineered for utility, style, and sustainability. Marketers should note the emphasis on material innovation, brand collaborations, and limited releases, all driving consumer engagement and premium positioning in the eCommerce space.

BRAND POSITIONING

Salomon XT-6 Transitions from Trail Performance to Global Streetwear Icon

Influencer Corner 📢

Optimization Hub ⚙️

CUSTOMER INSIGHTS MASTERY

Top Session Replay Tools for Capturing and Analyzing Real User Behavior

Session replay tools enable marketing teams to observe real customer behaviors on websites, uncover usability issues, and make data-driven enhancements to user experiences, especially as traditional tracking methods decline. Evaluating platforms like Hotjar, FullStory, and Microsoft Clarity prioritizes session quality, user reviews, and clear pricing. Marketers gain actionable insights for optimizing eCommerce journeys and conversion funnels.

INNOVATIVE MARKETING TECHNOLOGIES

Amplify Email Marketing with Seamless API Integration for Personalized Customer Engagement

Integrating APIs into email marketing enables automation, advanced personalization, and real-time analytics by seamlessly connecting platforms and leveraging customer data. Marketers can automate trigger emails, segment audiences, and access campaign performance metrics to drive engagement and optimize results. Reliable API selection ensures scalability, security, and regulatory compliance.

PERFORMANCE MARKETING EXCELLENCE

Inside a High-Performance Google Ads Account Delivering 700 ROAS Success

A 700 ROAS eCommerce Google Ads account was achieved by allocating over $100,000 a month to a mix of Performance Max, Standard Shopping, and segmented search campaigns, with non-branded search delivering the highest returns. Key performance drivers included campaign segmentation by product type and customer acquisition goal, creative asset management in Performance Max, and regional and product expansion. Marketers can apply these tactics for measurable, scalable growth when product-market fit and disciplined optimization are present.

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