Cobra Bow Sports
Strike Fast. Strike True.
Strike Fast. Strike True.
Over the last decade, I’ve had the chance to work on a number of branding projects for Cobra -- a made-in-the-USA manufacturer of archery and bow hunting accessories. Their distribution model covers a range of retailers, from top tier specialty brands like Cabela’s, Gander Mountain and Bass Pro Shops, to larger chain retailers like Dick’s and Academy Sports. As the outdoor sports industry has grown over the last ten years, it’s been important to adapt to emerging trends and technology, but also to reach out to customers in new an inventive ways. In an effort to find the right customers, the projects below showcase some of our “hunting” trips, as well as our ability to hit a few marketing bullseyes.
COBRA MANUFACTURING - Brand Logo Trio. A majority of Cobra’s products are developed to support three primary accessory divisions -- Sights, Arrow Rest and Releases. I was asked to help develop a set of core brands to help promote each of these areas.
COBRA MANUFACTURING - Sidewinder Brand Rollout. One of the best parts of launching a new brand comes in the rollout, and one of the favorite components for the new sidewinder line involved a unique bright spot. Cobra sight technology is built around a fiber optics system that gathers light, glowing in a variety of soft, neon colors. After passing out T-shirts in the crowd and asking tradeshow participants to put them on, lights were turned off. The snake graphic in the logo, designed to form an “S” and imprinted in glow-in-the-dark inks, both mirrored the action of the SIdewinder sight and gave booth visitors a new brand to talk about.
COBRA MANUFACTURING - Teaser Ad Campaign. Cobra Manufacturing provides a huge selection of archery supplies and accessories, all made right here in the United States. But, since nothing ever goes as planned, we found ourselves faced with launching two new product lines and promoting them at their national convention. THe only problem was, both products were still in the R&D stage. Taking a page from the movie and video industry, I talked them into running ads with no product photos -- in effect a Hollywood-style teaser campaign. The results were amazing. And even though they didn’t show their new product, orders and inquiries from national retailers were better than the year before. FOr once we can say it and mean it... Hooray for Hollywood.
COBRA MANUFACTURING - Teaser Ad Campaign. From a strategic standpoint, the brand logos and teaser ads were developed and presented like blockbuster movie posters. Good copy and dramatic logos made for some striking visuals across the ATA trade show floor.
COBRA MANUFACTURING - Direct Mail Marketing. When Cobra announced its new flagship brands Mamba and Diamondback, products were still in the final stages of R&D. With no actual product to show beyond wireframes and prototypes, we created a set of direct mailers to announce the arrival of the new brands and to create buzz with retailers prior to the annual tradeshow. As with the trade ads and posters, the mailers were designed as teaser pieces, giving retail buyers just enough information to pique their interest and drive traffic to Cobra’s tradeshow booth.
COBRA MANUFACTURING - Product Ads. 2005 marked the first year Cobra offered products will all three of its flagship brands in place. Using terms like “Triple Threat” and “Double Trouble”, advertising was built around offering hunters a collection of accessories as dangerous as their names implied.
COBRA MANUFACTURING - Signature Brands. Part of Cobra’s success can be attributed to strong relationships and ongoing partnerships. The C.S. Gibbs Signature Series of sights was just one way Cobra was able to offer hunters a high-end Cobra product, field-tested, approved and endorsed by a name they could trust.
COBRA MANUFACTURING - “Gear” Ad Series. Trade publication advertising and promotional materials has always been an important part of Cobra’s marketing strategy to its wholesalers. Once all three primary brands were in full production, Cobra asked me to redesign the materials to give them a fresh look. Bold headlines, some interesting new graphics and products with attitude made for a great year.
COBRA MANUFACTURING - “Gear” Promotional Materials. In addition to print advertisements, I developed a series of printed promotional materials to help wholesalers promote and sell their new product lines.
COBRA MANUFACTURING - New branding. In 2012 I was asked to begin work on a new line of brands for Cobra, to include The Cage and BuckHead. Work is ongoing but for now, it seems Cobra is well-positioned to keep its place as one of the leaders in the bowhunting accessories industry. Good things are on the way...
