Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes as one our our idols David Bowie famously once sang here at ​ActivelyOutdoors as we head out the door of what has been a successful 2019.

As we head and into 2020 with energy and swagger it is nice to be able to release our new logo with iconic mark as we plan some expansion into new areas. Tell us what you think in the comments below...

AO x

ActivelyOutdoors client Bianchi UK has launched a brand new magazine for 2020 - and it's a beauty!

Packed full of interesting cycling stories from around the globe, amazing photographs, detailed overview of the Bianchi bike range and you'll be able to go closer than your riding buddy to a big race win with an exclusive behind-the-scenes look inside the Grand Tour winning Jumbo-Visma team! 

The new coffee-table magazine is available in all official Bianchi UK dealers from October - be sure to head in to your local dealership for a copy.

AO x

ActivelyOutdoors' daily in-house media content, which is consumed by affluent wildlife observers and photographers - reached over 150,000 UK screens in July, a new record for the business. 🙌 😲

With events like Birdfair and shows such as Springwatch proving ever popular with UK viewers and people who are active outdoors, the need for digital content to engage with these audiences has grown significantly.

ActivelyOutdoors' core audience of digitally aware consumers aged 45-54 has helped brands such as Kowa, Swarovski Optik and ZEISS reach new customers in a much shorter time frame with time sensitive releases as opposed to traditional media methods.

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Chicken Cyclekit have announced they will use specialist media company ActivelyOutdoors for digital advertising services after being impressed with the companies growing reputation and body of work for cycling and lifestyle brands.

ActivelyOutdoors works with leading cycle publishers such as TI Media, F-At and Dennis on behalf of its growing client roster to maximise ad efficiency, value and creativity with the use of cutting-edge ad technology.

Alex Rowling, Chicken CycleKit’s Marketing Manager commented: “We are excited to be working with ActivelyOutdoors for 2019. Partnering with ActivelyOutdoors was an easy choice, their ad technology is second to none and they have an excellent knowledge of the bicycle industry and truly understand the needs of distributors and brands”.

James Hamilton, ActivelyOutdoors Owner said: “Delighted to be working with Chicken CycleKit - a progressive and forward-thinking distributor here in the UK. We look forward to helping them show off their range of products and brands through interesting ad creatives across the major cycle media and having an impact on these audience’ buying decisions.”

https://www.chickencyclekit.co.uk/
http://www.activelyoutdoors.co.uk

By James Hamilton, founder and director of ActivelyOutdoors.

Loyalty programmes are nothing new, from the punch cards at your local small business, the discount cards at your favourite supermarket and the vaunted success of Starbucks rewards.

Giving consumers an extra incentive to spend their money with you can not only get you a quick impulse sale, but also has the potential to gain lifelong loyalty with a growing base of consumers interacting with your brand.

As the way consumers pay for goods and services changes, so do the opportunities cycle marketers have to connect with them in a meaningful way. Yes, I’m talking about mobile wallets. Your smartphone is likely in your pocket (or in your hand) right now, but you probably haven’t fully leveraged its potential as either a consumer or a marketer.

The last five years have seen mobile payments launch in fits and starts, but digital wallets are finally gaining huge traction among consumers. According to a report by Zion Market Research, the global mobile wallet market value will reach $3.1 billion by 2022 with an annual growth rate of 32%, year over year. Last year, 54% of consumers used mobile wallets embedded in their smartphones through apps such as Apple Wallet, Android and Samsung Pay, and that number will only grow.

But what’s even more interesting is that more than half of those consumers expressed a desire to use their mobile wallets for functions other than payment. Things like digital loyalty cards, coupons, order delivery updates, boarding passes, ID cards, event tickets and even reminders about coupon expiration and loyalty card balances are all native elements of the mobile wallet ecosystem.

This means that in addition to building a lasting bond with your customers through a digital loyalty programme, you can now send them meaningful lock-screen reminders – say, before a discount coupon expires or if they are due a bike service, or even to just stop by the bike shop for a free coffee after a ride – while incentivising them to make a purchase decision. Think of it as mobile content marketing that’s always in the customer’s hand.

Because digital loyalty programmes can be stored within the mobile wallet and don’t require a physical card for consumers to lose or an account number to remember, they overcome the two biggest hurdles of loyalty programme longevity: consumers forgetting their cards or forgetting that they even signed up in the first place. Marketers can now remind consumers that they have a payment system embedded in the one item they never forget. With mobile payment technology, you’re a single push notification away from creating the next digital touchstone directly with consumers.

As mobile payments evolve and accelerate, so do the possibilities for marketing strategies and partnerships. Through location services, for example, retailers and brands/distributors are able to team up so that a purchase at a given shop location might generate a coupon for 10% the next time they pass by said shop.

As our everyday lives have become increasingly digitised and automated, mobile wallets and loyalty programmes
have become more relevant for cycle marketers and the consumers you’re trying to reach.

So if you haven’t yet, next time you reach to make a payment, check out the mobile wallet on your phone. Chances are, there’s a whole universe of opportunity waiting for you, and it’s sitting right there in your pocket.

Published in BikeBiz Magazine > https://www.bikebiz.com/the-evolution-of-mobile-wallets/

I-Ride have chosen ActivelyOutdoors to design, build and manage all the distributors digital advertising after being impressed with the companies portfolio of work for cycling and lifestyle brands.

Launched at the beginning of 2018 the creative business has overseen campaigns with leading publishers such as TI Media, F-At and Dennis for clients including Bianchi with the ambition of bringing premium brands to life through the use of cutting-edge ad technology and creativity.

With 24/7 digital engagement becoming more and more important to people who consume media researching their next purchase at any time of day or night, ActivelyOutdoors will use their know-how to better engage with I-Ride’s customers. Their work will see all brands from the distributor receive time and attention in order to deliver a great customer experience.

Adam Glew, I-Ride Marketing Manager commented: “We are excited to have ActivelyOutdoors on board, we really want to showcase our prestigious brands in the best way possible and this will help us achieve that. They have some great ideas already and we look forward to running some interesting and successful campaigns this year.”

James Hamilton, ActivelyOutdoors Owner commented: “I-Ride commit to huge sums of advertising activity each year with all the right publishing brands and we hope to just enhance these relationships by maximising the potential of advertising space for their brand portfolio and giving their customers the best experience and choice. Our work is hugely satisfying and bringing a brand and products to life via digital advertising is something we love doing.”
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https://www.i-ride.co.uk/

ActivelyOutdoors will launch two new competitions in January 2019. The ‘Wall Of Fame Bird Photography Competition’ and the ‘Wall Of Fame Wildlife Photography Competition’ will be open for entries from 10th January 2019 and will be hosted on Birding247.co.uk and Wildlife247.co.uk respectively.
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The innovative bird and wildlife competitions will be sponsored by leading optical instruments manufacturer, SWAROVSKI OPTIK and will be open to all UK residents, aged 18 years and above.
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Entrants will submit images featuring birds and wildlife in their natural habitats via social media with the aim of encouraging others to engage with the natural world around them. The winners will receive new binoculars from SWAROVSKI OPTIK and the Wall Of Fame awards 2019.
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James Hamilton, Founder of ActivelyOutdoors, said: ‘What a great way for everyone to start 2019! Taking part in a competition that encourages a healthy lifestyle, to walk outside in the fresh-air and to enjoy and observe all that nature has to offer. Photo sharing on popular social media platforms is inspiring young and old to get more active outdoors and to enjoy the natural world around them, that is why we wanted to create something that people of all amateur photographic abilities could partake in. We will be displaying the best images on our websites for all to see - in the Wall of Fame. I must say a BIG thank you to SWAROVSKI OPTIK for tagging along for the ride and providing some tremendous prizes worth nearly £3,000 - wow!’

Peter Antoniou, Country Manager UK & Rep of Ireland, SWAROVSKI OPTIK said: “I am really pleased to announce the sponsorship of the Wall of fame on Birding247.co.uk and Wildlife247.co.uk. This competition I hope will encourage people of all abilities to pick up their camera and be inspired by the wonderful British countryside. We sometimes take for granted the diversity of the wildlife we have in the UK, so I am really looking forward to seeing the variety of the images submitted. I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best of luck, but more importantly to encourage you to get out and enjoy the British Countryside.”

bit.ly/WOF2019_Birding247
bit.ly/WOF2019_Wildlife247

Oculus - Facebooks VR hardwear and software - is gearing up for the festive season by debuting a new ad campaign starring Jonah Hill, Wiz Khalifa, Adam Levine, Behati Prinsloo, Leslie Jones, and Awkwafina.

Dubbed “See It in VR”, the series of TV spots shows how each entertainer prefers to experience VR as they’re taking in their favourite movies, shows, concerts, and live sporting events.

We see Jonah Hill and Adam Levine court-side at an NBA game, Wiz Khalifa watching himself in concert, Awkwafina diving into The Handmaid’s Tale, and Leslie Jones enjoying a love scene from The Shape of Water.

In addition, the new Oculus Go campaign delves into the co-watching feature which allows viewers/friends/loved ones to experience VR together like never before, even when they’re not in the same room! Begging the question, how quickly will features like this spread to other forms of hobbies and interests, such as watching wildlife or cycling in a grand tour?

As Bianchi UK's exclusive digital ad agency - we recently made and launched a new rich media ad campaign using AO's MarTech to raise new product awareness, promote social accounts and drive test ride requests of Bianchi's astonishing new disc bike range across desktop and mobile devices.

Using rich ad media has enabled Bianchi UK to promote four new bikes in the same ad unit - each with their own unique URL embedded into the creative while allowing potential customers to watch and enjoy a teaser video with leading pro rider Primož Roglič. Very cool stuff. We suppose this is the equivalent to an inside front cover, back cover and fancy pullout thing in paper form, all in the same issue - but without all that cost!

If you would like to discuss how AO can help your brand, feel free to drop us a line.

AO can confirm we will be at the Cycle Show 2018 and look forward to meeting old and new friends on the trade day (Thursday 27th). 

If your brand are attending and would like to hear more about our growing reputation in the MarTech space for premium advertising experiences alongside high quality content from publishing partners - please feel free to drop us a line for a meeting slot.

Ciao! 👌 

Last friday (17 August 2018), we saddled the horses (packed the car up, basically) and made the trip to England's smallest historic county of Rutland for Birdfair 2018.

We where there to help our various customers with their marketing strategies and produce more branded content for their respected product blogs and web pages.

A well run and enjoyable show it was too, and along the way we met some great people/staff from leading brands, fellow publishers and tour operators. We even managed to consume one of the largest and best full-english breakfasts known to man at Hungry Birds cafe in Oakham. If you haven't been to either, we would highly recommend!

Until next year Birdfair - adieu.

It was nice to be asked by our friends at trade cycle mag, Cy​cling Industry News to contribute to their myth busting feature on affiliate marketing this week. ?? Along with industry leading figures in consumer special interest mags / publishers such as Immediate Media, daily deals and Singletrack, ActivelyOutdoors was asked to contribute: How to succeed in affiliate marketing if you’re an IBD: 6 tips ?

Follow the link below to read the full feature... oooh yes!

ActivelyOutdoors have created and launched the new Country Innovation social media ad campaign aimed at scaling the companies reach and engagement with a HNW specialist audience of outdoor hobbyists, such as birdwatchers, bushcraft enthusiasts, wildlife photographers and people who enjoy wildlife viewing on safari/travel. A

The Spring campaign is part of a long-term plan to scale Country Innovation's market leading products such as their Linnet Jacket - which has been acclaimed by TV's Simon King as one of the best outdoor jackets available to maximise reach and performance across key social platforms with an older demographic such as Facebook and Twitter. Well done to all involved, early results look phenomenal! 🤓 🐾 🦅🦁

Widely respected cycle trade publications BikeBiz and Cycling Industry News have published stories on ActivelyOutdoors over the past week 👍✊ with our web design and marketing work alongside cycling client Bianchi UK in particular being highlighted. Which is awesome stuff! Have a read through the links below and see what you think... 🥇

https://www.bikebiz.com/news/activelyoutdoors-opens-for-biz
https://cyclingindustry.news/james-hamilton-launches-actively-outdoors-digital-marketing-business/

Some might say perfect timing with London Cycle Show just around the corner... 

Opening up your laptop to begin your content marketing strategy can be a daunting task - but don't worry, it needn't be as headache-inducing as you think. All you need is a solid content plan to follow and as we're a nice bunch at ActivelyOutdoors, here are six top tips to follow in order to make your life that little bit easier.

Tip #1: Do a quick audit
Before you start your content plan, it is well worth doing a content audit of your current assets. Does your current content include the following: Product brochures? Blogs? E-newsletters? Website copy? Podcasts? Infographics? You may only have a little content to audit, but do spend some time looking over what you have. This will include your tone of voice (are you pitching to the right audience?  Birdwatchers, not cyclists for instance - are you meeting their expectations?). Also take a look at keywords you are being found by and the audience reaction. Then look at where you want to be, whom you are trying to reach (which platforms are those people using and how to reach them), what are your key messages and what are your overall objectives? Once you have done this, you are ready to get started.

Tip #2: Be sure to add value for your target customer
Its imperative that your content should be relevant to your target customer - otherwise you may as-well just pack up and go home. This is even more relevant when talking to people who are looking to invest in a new product or trip away for their chosen hobby or special interest. You need to make it interesting and add value – is it something your customer will be interested in or learn from? “Open” content is becoming increasingly popular; this is content that gives away knowledge or showcases the credibility of the company in question. What can potential customers learn from you and your brand? In the long term, is this going to be profitable and build sustainable relationships with your customers? This will help you build solid and lasting marketing foundations.

Tip #3: Use online tools to help you manage and plan
If you had to manage it all in real-time yourself, you would likely never leave your laptop. Several online tools are out there and widely available to help you pull together a piece of written content and turn it into audio, publish a video, change images, add effects and create seamless presentations or e-marketing campaigns. Make sure you check out software such as Trello for helping you to plan your content and Hootsuite for scheduling social updates across multiple platforms at times when your customers are most likely to be active.

Tip #4: Don’t do it alone - share tasks
If you don’t have the luxury of an appointed content position within your company or an external agency like ActivelyOutdoors to take away the strain, make sure your plan outlines roles and responsibilities with the resource you have available. Content can be very time-consuming: you have to take into account time for planning, research, curating, creating, editing, distributing/promoting, interacting and reporting across several pieces of content – that’s a full-time job so be sure to share the tasks with others to make it more manageable and therefore less likely to go wrong when somebody takes annual leave or is off sick.

Tip #5: Work around your calendar
Work into your plan events that are specific to your industry. Is the UK summer trade important for you? If so, you should be preparing summer content a good few months in advance. When are your industry events? Build up to these and highlight them in your plan. If you know something is happening or you have a new product or service launching, include these in your plan.

Tip #6: Analyse your audience
Reporting is absolutely crucial and you should set aside time for this as often as you can. Analysing what content your audience are spending time consuming or interacting with and responding to this by adding more of this content into your plan - will see you go a long way in marketing terms. Even before you start your plan, look at any content you have had as part of your audit and analyse the response to this, which will help inform you of customer preferences or popular topics to work into your strategy. The best tool for this is Google Analytics and be sure to pay attention to your social metrics (what people liked, favourited, retweeted or talked about).