Alpine Shop uses both live and virtual events to engage people with their brand through a fun, memorable activity rather than a sales pitch. In the pandemic, clinics and classes have gone virtual; races follow a hybrid model where participants use an online platform to track their results, completing the physical course on their own time and with social distancing.

Alpine Shop encourages people of all skill levels to attend, from outdoor experts to families with kids, focusing on participation over winning and attracting newcomers. They also work with local businesses to host raffles and fundraisers that build community along with brand loyalty.

This approach drives revenue and sales: Nearly half of participants make a purchase after the initial event. What’s more, customers who attend an event spend 70% more than customers who never attend an event — more than any other customer-acquisition source.

To deliver more meaningful messages, Alpine Shop uses a post-event email campaign thanking the participant for joining the event and offering a coupon for completing a follow-up survey. Using the Ascent360 platform, the retailer analyzes the survey data to track event feedback, customer interests and pre- and post-event sales. This allows them to segment customers based on their interests and serve them relevant, dynamic content.

This data-driven marketing approach helps Alpine Shop convert customers faster than most other companies, earning 41% of repeat sales within 30 days. Even during the pandemic, 46% of prospects from March 2020 became customers within six months. This return traffic is so valuable that 73% of revenue is driven by just 20% of Alpine Shop customers. Many of them make more than one repeat purchase, and a significant number make 10 transactions or more.