Outdoor Insight

6 • Outdoor Insight • February 2018 outdoorinsightmag.com Q&A OUTDOOR EYE By Jennifer Ernst Beaudry S ue Rechner is ready for a shakeup at Merrell. "The company is going through a lot of transitions. It's clear, and it comes with some aches and pains, [but] that's ultimately why I joined," she tells Outdoor Insight in an interview in the lead-up to this month's Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show in Denver. Rechner joined Merrell last June after almost a decade at Confluence Outdoor as CEO, and a prior seven years as CEO and chairman of Victorinox Swiss Army. At Merrell, she reports to fellow Wolverine World Wide newcomer Todd Spaletto, former global president of The North Face, who assumed the president role for the Outdoor and Lifestyle Group at Wolverine last February. Rechner takes her place as the Wolverine organization as a whole seeks to transform itself into a faster, consumer-focused organization, aims that Rechner fully embraces. "Consumers want relationships with [companies]. They want emotional, soulful relationships. They want to understand who's running a brand and what your stance is," she says. And while she acknowledges the difficulty of the work ahead, Rechner says her team is fully engaged. "There's a lot of positive energy around." Here, Rechner sounds off on what consumers want from brands today, brand identity and what she's expecting from Outdoor Retailer's inaugural Colorado edition. You joined the Merrell brand six months ago — what's been your priority as you've taken the reigns? "Merrell's doing a lot of things right, [but] I'm a change agent by nature, and we've articulated a very clear vision on how to sustainably build this brand for future growth. That's job one. To embrace moving from a wholesaler model to a consumer- facing model is the price of entry today. And today, as you know, consumers want relationships with [companies]. They want emotional, soulful relationships. They want to understand who's running a brand and what your stance is. They need to know all that stuff. We need to open the kimono and share that this is who we are. We have the people and the passion, but we haven't had that two-way consumer conversation as much as we needed to." What challenges do you see? "There are a lot of brands out there who you, personally, would come up immediately with what they stand for. Merrell is chal- lenged to have that [identity] be as prevalent out there. We've probably been a little been disparate in what we approach the market with, and there needs to be focus: We need to pick our spots where we want to win and stay focused." What does that focus look like from the consumer's point of view? "We're going to own the trail. It's not necessarily a consumer- facing [position], but our north star is owning the trail and we'll build around that. We have five consumer territories that we've architected: Hike; Nature's Gym, which is our trail and training category; Outdoor Life, which is pre- and post-hike and moun- tain town product, Urban Trail; and Work, which is a different consumer segment, but a product category that is clearly defined." The retail environment was choppy in 2017 and the chal- lenges will likely be just as acute going forward. Does further consolidation affect your strategy for 2018? "I think you have to deal with the things you can control. You stay focused on the consumer and build that consumer relation- ship. That way, whatever happens, we have a stable, solid, direct relationship with the consumer and that helps everybody. The more powerful the brand becomes in the consumers' eyes, the more they'll walk into a retailer and buy it. It's taking a page of Jeff Bezos' playbook — it's all about the consumer, it's all about what they're gonna do." What will you be looking for at the first Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show in Denver this month? "What I want to make sure of is that we retain the same high level of attendance from our retail partners to make it an impactful show. It's always better to go face-to-face — I'm hoping the DNA and the vibe and culture of the show is retained. It's a big part of what OR is, and what OR has provided for brands. It's that sense of community, that sense that we're all in this together — even if we compete. It's a unified industry moment. I think if you dig real deep, well, [the question is], what is a trade show in today's environment? This is a moment in time that will either sustain [the] situation, or it will push it in one direction or another." O Merrell Moves Merrell's new president, Sue Rechner, wants people to get to know the brand behind the brand. Merrell Thermo Rogue

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