Let’s go outside – that’s the Coleman Company’s new in-house maxim. It’s also the basis for the fully-integrated cross channel marketing campaign the venerable outdoor goods maker launched in April. In a recent interview with Brand Connections founder and CEO Brian F Martin, Coleman global marketing VP Chris Nemeth discussed his strategy to grow the entire outdoor segment and climb higher on the marketing mountain.

It’s no secret that Americans have grown more sedentary in recent decades. The contemporaneous rise of air-conditioned comforts and a home electronics culture have made it cool for kids and adults to spend more of their free time indoors. Part of Coleman’s problem, as Nemeth saw it, was they were getting out-marketed by the major players in the electronics game, including Apple, Sony and Best Buy. Fortunately, market research showed the Coleman name hadn’t lost its luster, despite a relative lack of brand efforts over the last 10 years. “Our challenge from a marketing standpoint is: how do we get [the Coleman name] from the back of your brain up to the front of your brain,” Nemeth says. Armed with encouraging data, top company leadership decided to steer the firm down a path to better leverage its potential brand equity as a 107-year-old American icon.

After relying for years on core “bottom of the mountain” customers—those who are infrequent or casual outdoor product purchasers—Coleman charted a new course to court the “entire mountain.” Now it hopes to become a respected name among expert outdoorsmen and mountaineers, at the top end of the market, and the large segment that falls somewhere in between. It’s the sizable middle group, Nemeth says, the company’s “Let’s go outside” campaign is aimed at.

“Many of us are either stuck at an office or we’re stuck at home doing the dishes, watching TV or whatever, and we’ve actually forgotten about getting outside and all the wonderful things that are out there. So this suburban mom, dad and kid are the people we really want to connect with…” he says. “Many [marketers] out there have actually done it wrong by saying ‘get outside and get healthy,’ and we’re saying ‘get outside and have fun.’ Now, one of the benefits of having fun is you will get healthy, but it’s a turn-off to say ’get outside and get healthy.’ But if you say ‘get outside and have fun’ everybody’s in.”

Growing market share, however, is only part of the Wichita, Kan., company’s grand plan. The underlying marketing goal of the new media blitz is to build the entire category, according to Nemeth. He says competitor growth does not concern him, as long as Coleman continues to control the lion’s share of the market. “If we get people outside and they buy a North Face jacket that’s fine with us. But they’re going to need a tent, they’re going to need a cooler, they’re going to need some chairs, so they’ll get some of our stuff too.”

The company’s diverse media mix incorporates regional outdoor, radio and print outlets along with TV spots, all of which reinforce this single message. Nemeth says many top executives are too busy with daily deadlines to create and consistently execute a unified marketing strategy across an entire brand, but he feels it’s a critical step that helps overcome media fragmentation. Merchandising at the shelf is extremely important—a lesson he learned while at Coors and Nabisco. He’s led Coleman’s efforts to place signs, tents, end-aisle displays, header cards, and stand-ups of spokespeople at retailer locations, and says the moves are already paying off. The company has also made its advertisement theme song “Outside” available to music video outlets and radio stations, and online as an MP3 and ring tone, in the hopes that it goes mainstream.

Nemeth says having a passion for your work is a key to success. “If you can live that passion and let that passion come through for the brand, you’ll be noticed in the organization and you’ll move up fast at the organization.” Coleman also hopes its new marketing program stirs a passion for the outdoors.

In this podcast, Brand Connections’ Brian F Martin reviews the common traits and behaviors among the successful industry leaders he’s recently interviewed. Drawing on these discussions, the CEO distills the top ten characteristics of these successful people and explains how their common threads can put you on the fast track.

Without further delay, the ten traits of highly successful marketers, advertisers and media executives:

1. Curiosity- Constantly asking why people act the way they do and why they’re influenced in certain ways is important. Asking the right questions is the key, but you must also be truly interested in the responses. Understanding your competitors, paying attention to the marketplace, and inquiring about how others in your organization achieved success are all essential.

2. Outstanding communication skills- Whether you’re on the client or agency side, you are most likely selling either a product or yourself every day. The game is all about persuasion and that begins with great communication. If you can’t influence your own team or communicate with suppliers and distributors, how can you expect to impact the market? Not everyone is a naturally gifted communicator, but there are skills to be gleaned from those who do it well and the litany of literature and classes designed to improve such skills. Honing your communication skills is one key to advance in today’s organizations.

3. Creativity- Being creative does not mean you have to be able to write copy, draw a story board, or hatch the next brilliant idea. In this sense it means: can you creatively solve problems and create options? Creativity is also about surrounding yourself with a diverse group and listening to unique voices that introduces a new viewpoint.

4. Business knowledge- Possessing knowledge of industry basics is vital. Keeping abreast of how the brand is tracking, whether it’s meeting sales targets, its consumption trends, budget, etc., are all essential. Having this information at your fingertips is imperative when management comes to you for answers. Understanding the business, the numbers, and anticipating your bosses’ needs are key.

5. Industry expertise- You must become a student of the industry and devote your time to understanding all of its components. It is important to read not only the standard industry publications, but incorporate applicable books to digest. You must remain a student of the industry and try to improve in your weaker areas.

6. Results oriented- Creative programs, promotions, and tie-ins are tantalizing time drains, but the only thing that matters at the end of the day is results. Achievers show good judgment by putting aside distractions and flashy temptations and to focus on what matters.

7. Courage- A term rarely associated with the business world, achievers often call on their reserves when facing adversity. You must be willing to take intelligent risks based on analysis and thoughtfulness. Standing still is not the answer. You must also have the courage to take a stand. It’s easy to blend in and repeat what others have done, but it won’t take you very far.

8. Diligence- The person that works harder gets rewarded, more often than not. America’s commitment to the old Protestant work ethic is still embraced at most organizations, if only on a subconscious level. There is a disproportionate level of reward that goes to those perceived as working harder. More diligent office hours and more focused work usually lead to more opportunity and promotions.

9. Team spirit- If you don’t play well with others, you’re in serious trouble in today’s business environment – where collaboration is so pervasive. You can’t do everything yourself and you can’t fire everyone, so utilizing teamwork to reach the desired results is one of the greatest skill sets you can ever work to master. According to the new paradigm, every great team player is an overachiever. Moving the team forward also allows you to move forward faster.

10. Integrity- Seemingly a given, the importance of integrity can not be overstressed. Once trust is fractured it’s very difficult to repair. A single breach of integrity can wipe out all of the good work you’ve done with an organization and all you’ve helped it achieve. Integrity is perhaps the most critical element of the ten traits because it takes so much effort to recover once compromised.