INTRODUCTION

In 2001, before the start of the mobile revolution, Nick Woodman – a surfer, skier,
and motorsport enthusiast – grew frustrated by the lack of durable photography
tools.

With ambitions of becoming a surfing pro, he wanted to capture the “hero” action
shots, but no product on the market stood capable.

After a surfing trip cemented a need for such a product to exist, Woodman attempted
to create a solution.

And at first, the vision was simple: turn an old wetsuit into a DIY camera wrist strap.
The design, however, tremendously failed.

Woodman realized the straps alone were not a revolutionary product. For his design
to work, he would need to find a durable camera and build a waterproof house
around it.

Developing the next prototype took two years.

By 2004, GoPro was ready to launch its first camera: A 35mm waterproof device
made in China for approximately $3. Selling each unit for $30, GoPro closed
$350,000 in sales within the year.

Over time, GoPro continued perfecting its product while introducing many
incredible technological advancements.

As of 2022, GoPro remains a top brand with a global footprint, beloved by millions
worldwide – and, at least so far, standing up to stiff competition and fast-paced
technological change.

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MARKETING CAMPAIGN

“GoPro frees people to celebrate the moment, inspiring others to do the same. From
cameras to apps and accessories, everything we do is geared to help you capture life
as you live it, share the experience and pass on the stoke. We believe that sharing
our experiences makes them more meaningful and way more fun.” –GoPro’s About
Us page.

GoPro’s be a hero campaign includes consistent marketing direction across multiple

platforms. The most notable channel for GoPro would be their YouTube account.
This account boasts 10.5 million subscribers, and frequently posts organic and paid
content of users ‘capturing life as they live it’, whether it is catching some waves,
shredding the powder on a ski slope, flying over a volcano, or diving into coral reefs.
This has allowed GoPro to become one of the biggest brands on YouTube, with
almost 6000 videos a day being posted to YouTube with GoPro in the title. Organic
content posted by users makes the brand feel genuine, and its live demonstrations of
the product, which is one of the perks of being a camera company.

How did GoPro encourage customer engagement?

Customers who buy cameras as a result of GoPro’s initial campaigns then capture
and share their own adventures, continuing the cycle of UGC.

To ensure that the brand was benefitting directly from UGC, GoPro developed its
own system onto which customers could upload their footage, thus qualifying for
the GoPro Awards. This rewards customers for the value they provide to GoPro,
incentivising them to create better content, and thus earn better rewards.

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GoPro is able to measure the benefits it receives from UGC by analysing
engagement statistics and the amount of traffic and number of sales this results in.
Meanwhile, the sales record speaks for itself as in both 2011 and 2014 the company
increased its yearly revenue by upwards of $25 million.

Up to 6,000 videos with the GoPro tag are uploaded to social media each day, and
no doubt many more hours of untagged footage are uploaded also. This is key to the
company’s ability to consistently increase revenue while adding only $50,000 to its
total marketing budget over this period.

The GoPro media team curates the co-creation process, exploring the footage
uploaded by customers and finding the freshest and most exciting content. By
treating them as collaborators, GoPro instils a sense of ownership in its customers,
inspiring loyalty to the brand while simultaneously keeping marketing costs stable.

What’s fun about our content is that there’s something new online for us to consider
every day that we walk into the building.

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BRAND IMAGE
GoPro's brand image and customer engagement strategy are complex and
multifaceted, but here are some more details about how the company uses
these two factors to achieve success:

Authenticity: GoPro's brand image is built on authenticity. The company's

products are known for their durability and ease of use, which makes them
ideal for capturing real-life adventures. GoPro also encourages its users to
share their unedited footage, which gives the brand a sense of authenticity
and relatability.

Community: GoPro has built a strong community around its brand. This
community is made up of passionate users who love to share their
experiences with others. GoPro fosters this community through social media,
events, and other initiatives.

Excitement: GoPro's brand image is also associated with excitement and

adventure. The company's products are often used to capture extreme sports
and other high-adrenaline activities. GoPro also creates and shares content
that showcases the excitement and adventure that its products can help users
to capture.

User-generated content: GoPro is a master of user-generated content

(UGC). The company encourages its users to share their footage on social
media and other online channels. GoPro then features this UGC on its own
channels and website. This is a great way for GoPro to reach a wider audience
and promote its products without having to spend a lot of money on
traditional advertising.

Partnerships: GoPro partners with a variety of other brands, such as Red

Bull and National Geographic, to create co-branded content and events. This

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gives GoPro access to new audiences and helps to further establish its brand
as the go-to camera for adventure seekers.

Product development: GoPro is constantly innovating and developing new

products to meet the needs of its customers. For example, in 2019, GoPro
released the HERO8 Black, which features improved image stabilization and
low-light performance. This commitment to product innovation has helped
GoPro to stay ahead of the competition and maintain its market dominance.

Here are some specific examples of how GoPro uses its brand image and
customer engagement strategy to achieve success:

The GoPro Million Dollar Challenge: This annual contest invites GoPro
users to submit their best footage for a chance to win a share of $1 million.
This contest generates a lot of excitement and buzz around the GoPro brand,
and it also helps GoPro to collect a large library of high-quality UGC.

The GoPro Awards: This program rewards GoPro users for creating and
sharing engaging content. Users can submit their footage for consideration
in a variety of categories, such as Best Action Clip and Best Edit. The winners
are featured on GoPro's social media channels and website, and they also
receive prizes such as GoPro cameras and accessories.

The GoPro Creator Network: This is a community of over 10,000 talented

videographers and filmmakers who use GoPro cameras to create their work.
GoPro provides these creators with access to its latest products and
technologies, and it also helps them to promote their work on GoPro's
channels.

The GoPro channel on YouTube: The GoPro channel on YouTube has over
18 million subscribers and over 9 billion views. The channel features a
variety of content, including user-generated footage, GoPro-produced
videos, and behind-the-scenes looks at GoPro events and products.

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GoPro's success is a testament to the power of leveraging a strong brand and
innovative products. By focusing on authenticity, community, excitement,
UGC, partnerships, and product development, GoPro has been able to build
a loyal customer base and become the leader in the action camera market.

CONCLUSION
In the very crowded camera industry, GoPro saw an opportunity in the market that
no one else had cornered.

By integrating Yotpo into their online platform, GoPro was able to build a customer
community and reach an entirely new online audience with the incredible amount of
reviews they were able to generate.

Reaching this wider audience allowed the company to significantly increase their
online sales and solidify their status as the go-to camera for capturing and sharing
life experiences.