Open up any outdoor magazine and you will more than likely
find ads and stories from the same 10 powerhouse companies. The product reviews
always reflect the companies who pay for full page ads, and the biased is found
between the lines. It works, successful companies don’t make it to the top
without marketing strategies and everyone has to tip their hat to what they
have accomplished…Or do they?
Over
the last 10 years there has been a secret uprising, a bunch of small town
companies have started popping up all over the country. They sell fishing
supplies which include any kind of baits, tee shirts, hats, rods, reels, and
there is even a company who sells homemade bobbers. The power of the internet
deserves most of the credit for this uprising. Social media giants such as
Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and my personal favorite GoWild have given
ambitious anglers the power to market their ideas for free. There are free web
builders such as Wix and Godaddy, and free blog sites such as wordpress and
blogger (the site you are on now). Anyone with the passion to be successful can
be, but it also takes vision. A vision to be different than any other business out
there. And not just the big companies, you need to be able to compete with the
little guys as well. So how can this happen? After talking with three great
guys who took a vision and made it successful, I found that it actually takes
more than a vision, it takes a rebellion.
TND Lures
TND lures is a rising soft
plastic company that has been getting a lot of attention on social media. Tyler
and Nick are brother in laws who reside in a small town where the local Walmart
is the only fishing store for miles. I asked the guys what sparked their interest
in starting a line of soft plastics.
“We wanted to be able to make different colors that you could not find any
more or colors you haven't seen before…. We have tested many different
variations out and are finding what truly works for us”.
Their brand consists of bright, vibrant colors and glitter
to attract the attention of fish. The extra time and effort spent in
handcrafting these lures isn’t something you will find on Walmart shelves.
Tyler and Nick take pride in their work. Besides hand crafting every bait, they
inspect every bait before they sell it. Big companies that either purchase their
baits overseas or mass produce lures in a factory don’t put any time or effort
into the quality of the product. According to Nick,
“It may be time
consuming but once you start making your own plastic baits, you realize the
small defects you may look over when you buy them. Once we started making our
own, we went back and looked over some baits from other companies and bigger
companies still have small defects. No, it may not affect how they work or you
may not notice them if you don't make your own, but they are still there”.
The
Ohio natives hope to expand their business into new and used fishing gear and
open a store in their hometown of Washington court house. Like many small businesses,
TND started out as a hobby, a part time gig with a dream of being a full time success.
Every week it seems as though the company is putting out new products. Stick baits,
crawfish, ribbed grubs, etc. The amount of color they put in their products is
something to behold. The guys wanted something new and fresh, and that’s what
they did. Their Instagram account has 20k followers, compared to the 2k that
they had when I met them 2 months ago. The prostaffers are very loyal and
active on social media. That is a huge marketing factor, having everyday
anglers and pros backing a company that relates to their brand and vision.
NWEO
North West Extreme
Outfitters may sound familiar if you follow my blog. Steve Lamb founded the
company, a retired Veteran from Boise ID. The company specializes in
spinnerbaits, called tactical tackle. His brand is unique compared to others in
that tactical tackle fixes everything that is wrong on the big name market. As
a veteran he understands the importance of USA made, and USA quality.
“For me starting a tackle company was about
offering something that was USA made at an affordable price. I was tired of
seeing the “made in China” stamp on everything year after year as prices kept
going through the roof”.
I own five of these spinners and what I have
learned about spinner baits through reviewing his products is astonishing. Any
lure in any size is heavier, made with better materials, and is crafted better
than any other spinner I’ve owned. The NWEO brand is known for this quality and
for its willingness to give back. Some products offered support large
charities, something that is very appealing to the American market.
Being
able to relate to a market with limited resources is tough. Looking at small businesses
online can become confusing. Just as a career resume only gives you 4 seconds
to impress a company, small businesses have a small window to capture the
computer shoppers. When you visit the NWEO site you know exactly what they are
selling. Steve offers a down home product that is made with the consumer in
mind.
“When my wife and I started NWEO the goal was
to make the highest quality lure that ANYONE could afford. We build everything
by hand one piece at a time and could easily charge a premium for our work. The
problem with that is that you lose the guys who are just trying to enjoy a day,
or even a couple hours on the water when they get a break from their hectic
lives”.
These businesses
and others are all trying to get away from foreign made products that have lost
touch with its consumer base. While TND and NWEO specialize in different
products, they are both Veteran owned, focus on quality, American made, and you
know what the brand means. These small companies that we see don’t have board
rooms or stocks, they have you in mind and the same passion that you have for
the outdoors. Staying active on social media allows these businesses to remain
connected to the fans. You can see the owners taking photos with their families
out on the water, and if you reach out to them they respond with a personal
message, not an automatic reply. These big companies need to take notice, in
2010 99.7 percent of the economy was made up of small companies. With big names
like YETI shooting themselves in the foot there is less and less room for
error. The small companies will be right there doing what they do best.
Reaching out to you.
“We are both blessed
and honored to be able to do what we do each day. Getting to hear the stories,
see the pictures, and share the smiles from clients everywhere means more than
anything to us”
Steve Lamb
Check out these two amazing companies and help support small
fishing businesses…tell them Derrick Sent you.
If there is anything you would like me to write about please
contact me via email, I would love to share your ideas.
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