November 18, 2014
Cult followings begin at a brand’s core, and Urban Outfitters engages its independent, free-thinking fan base by living the values it promotes. The Gathering recognized this brand’s distinct digital and in-store experiences, that invert traditional thinking to better attract and engage a following willing to pay a premium price for the ideals that Urban Outfitters embodies. Ryan Gill interviews Steve Hartman, Managing Director of Urban Outfitters. The retail world is very competitive and in this short interview, Steve shines a light on how Urban Outfitters stays locally authentic. Check out the full interview below.
The Urban Outfitters ethos is centred on celebrating individuality and creativity, values that are established within the brand from the inside out. Like all cult brands, Urban Outfitters thinks big and has grown into the wider world of lifestyle by expanding into products, events, music and social interaction. The strategy is born from the brand’s innovative and entrepreneurial corporate culture to further engage its audience.
Where most retailers execute a single marketing strategy across their entire network, the employees at Urban Outfitters’ 200 stores are encouraged to create shopping experiences unique to the local market.
It allows the brand to engage and empower a highly talented, creative workforce that is passionate about what they do and loyal to the brand. That in turn instills loyalty within its customers, who are seeking an eclectic retail experience that has a sense of discovery and cultural understanding.
Ryan began his professional life in digital marketing. His first company, Suitcase Interactive, was a consistent best-digital-agency award winner. And his tenacity and forward thinking also led him, personally, to being awarded a coveted place on the auspicious 40 under 40 list. (Notice that we're not telling you how many years ago that was, we're kinda attached to our kneecaps ; ) Those seminal years also led Ryan to the enlightenment that the whole concept of advertising and digital agencies was dead. From there it was a short putt to the birth of Cult, one of North America's first true engagement agencies. As Cult's President, his legacy as a pioneering thinker has blossomed from pushing pixels, to pushing forward what marketing actually means. Ryan then founded The Gathering in 2012, an annual international event to honor cult-like brands that put the generation of movements before the creation of ad campaigns. The Gathering is now widely acknowledged to be one of North America's premier annual marketing conferences. And it's an idea that has introduced Cult to brands like Keurig, Converse, Airbnb, UFC, Las Vegas Tourism and Red Bull, among many others… hey, there's only so many names you can drop in one bio. Never one to whine about the status quo, but rather put his energy into finding a better way, Ryan’s latest innovation is the founding of a whole new operating model for marketers, both on the client side and in the industry that serves them. Called Communo, this tech-enabled work model is an incomparable brain trust of talent for brands, a human resources platform for marketing professionals, and an unprecedented business development engine for both. In his "spare time" Ryan continues his strong commitment to giving back, both at home in Calgary, and around the world. He spearheads Cult's ongoing monthly commitment to Ronald McDonald House and continues to lead Project Smile, the international relief organization he founded over a decade ago. He even managed to find some spare, spare time to co-author three editions of Fix: Break The Addictions That Are Killing Brands, Cult's thought leadership book that's changing the way CEOs and CMOs see the marketing function. 
