Introduction
Bear Grylls is known around the world as one of the most recognized faces of survival and outdoor adventure and we were we were thrilled to be asked to translate his brand values of inspire, educate and equip into a full digital strategy that pulled together these values under one umbrella. Coming up we detail the design process behind the Site of the Day winning site Bear Grylls.
The Challenge
With a huge demographic ranging from 16 to 55 and over 7 million followers worldwide, the digital strategy would have to appeal to all in an engaging and immersive manner. The Bear Grylls website had to be as inclusive and universal as possible, simple to use and intuitive whilst conveying a sense of adventure and fun.However, with a number of different business operations under the Bear Grylls name, our recommendation was to pull these together as a family under one digital umbrella. This would help the business have greater scope for growth, build trust and confidence in the brand, give a common point of contact through a digital ‘hub’ and be more attractive to followers and fans. To achieve this we also proposed an extensive social and content marketing strategy to support the launch of the website – really driving traffic, incentivising visitor sign up and creating an authentic buzz of brand advocacy.
We also had to take into account that Bear Grylls is a brand, not just a man. So we needed to align our goals with the different stakeholders and partners involved in the Bear Grylls brand goals to create a seamless digital strategy. So, we organised a workshop session with the Bear Grylls team and mapped out the user experience from start to finish, identifying every point along their journey of how a visitor finds information about the Bear Grylls brand.
Indeed to live up to the new brand vision and values and embody the ‘adventure brand’ we needed to take people on a journey online. Making the user experience as rich and dynamic as possible through state of the art interactive functionality, thought provoking imagery and emotive narrative.
Here was an opportunity to really take the visitor on an amazing, unique experience: literally an outdoor adventure brought to life online. Truly emotionalising the experience of the individual through the theatre of outdoor adventure with Bear acting as the guide to the consumer’s journey. Whilst known for his popular TV series such as Running Wild and The Island, we wanted to educate the fans and followers of Bear's life in an informative and engaging way. To do this we created an extensive timeline of exciting information to feed his fan's appetite on all his different life adventures.
Technologies behind the build
The digital platform needed to embody smart phone, desktop and tablet operation with the user having a seamless experience across all devices. We used HTML5, CSS3, PHP, Javascript and SVG. For website development we used Node JS, Docker, PostCSS, Css Nano, Rollup and Uglify JS 3. We also used plug-in, StorySteam API for the user generated campaign. The site is totally scalable for future brand growth and extension.
The Adventurers
We also proposed an extensive social and content marketing strategy to support the launch of the website to really emphasise the sense of community we were creating through the site. So, welcome #TheAdventurers, a supporting user generated content campaign running alongside the website. The campaign was devised to connect those who love all things adventure, from trekking through forests to cycling through the hills or simply overcoming an everyday obstacle. The campaign invites people to celebrate their achievements with Bear Grylls by sharing their own stories to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. These stories are then pulled across to the social wall on the new website for everyone to see, creating a community of like-minded individuals truly engaged with the Bear Grylls experience.
“Selecting the right agency for this project was a vitally important task - it’s a huge piece of work and we really wanted to see some fresh thinking. We were very impressed with the quality of thought and the creative ideas which Outpost presented, and we’re delighted that we’ll be working with them.” Lizzie Webb, Head of Communications of Bear Grylls Ventures.
Who we are
Outpost is an independent creative marketing agency. We develop smarter strategies and execute them in exciting, persuasive integrated campaigns which make brands stand out from the crowd. Our specialities: Digital and brand strategy, advertising, campaign strategy, content strategy, creative copywriting, design, film and video, print, social media and photography.
It’s about searching for a real commercial difference; exploring its full potential, and discovering new, inspirational ways to talk to your customers. It’s a journey we take together – every step of the way. We are happy to lead – to guide – giving you the confidence to be truly adventurous and, ultimately, expect more from your marketing communications