Backpacker's Pantry

How a 70-Year-Old Brand Conquered Digital

Backpacker’s Pantry is one of the world’s foremost producers of freeze-dried food used globally by backpackers, campers, sailors, extreme athletes, explorers, and the US Ski Team.

The Challenge

As a legacy brand, leadership knew it needed to grow its digital reach to maintain its strong position in the market. Especially as upstart and challenger brands began to compete for shelf space at key retailers and as millennial consumers began to expect a better direct to consumer experience. Parallel Path was approached to transform the brand’s marketing strategy to a digital-first approach.

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Insights

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Parallel Path initiated a deep analysis of digital user and consumer data to help inform and direct the path forward. Insights included refining geo targets for digital efforts based on actual digital user profiles.
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User flow analysis revealed where user experience could be improved on the website.
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The demographic analysis revealed that the core digital users represent two cohorts, boomers who are loyal to the heritage of the brand and new enthusiastic millennials who are beginning to make their brand preference in the category.
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Device data revealed that users discover and consider the brand on mobile devices but ultimately make their purchase decision further down the consumer journey on desktops.
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The brand had an unusually high number of return visitors to their website which informed the opportunity to create a more personalized digital experience.
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With these digital specific insights in hand, the next phase of the partnership was to develop a strategy and solution for accomplishing the business goals.
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Insights

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Parallel Path initiated a deep analysis of digital user and consumer data to help inform and direct the path forward. Insights included refining geo targets for digital efforts based on actual digital user profiles.
Image
Device data revealed that users discover and consider the brand on mobile devices but ultimately make their purchase decision further down the consumer journey on desktops.
Image
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User flow analysis revealed where user experience could be improved on the website.
Image
The brand had an unusually high number of return visitors to their website which informed the opportunity to create a more personalized digital experience.
Image
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The demographic analysis revealed that the core digital users represent two cohorts, boomers who are loyal to the heritage of the brand and new enthusiastic millennials who are beginning to make their brand preference in the category.
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With these digital specific insights in hand, the next phase of the partnership was to develop a strategy and solution for accomplishing the business goals.
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The Solution

Parallel Path developed a strategy that focused on creating awareness and captured demand for backpacking food prior to and during peak seasons as well as nurturing consumers towards purchase confidence. A second phase improved the consumer digital experience when engaging with the brand’s website.

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Increase in Conversion Rate on Website
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Increase in conversion rate when testing ad messaging (A/B)
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Direct Traffic YoY
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Results

At each stage of the customer journey Backpacker’s Pantry has experienced improved performance that has led to exceeding expectations in revenue growth.

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Direct Traffic Page Views
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Exceed Annual Revenue Growth Goals (Goal was +25%)
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Direct to Consumer Sales since Origin of Partnership (2016-2019)
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Total Revenue Growth: Retail+DTC (2016-2019)

Services
Implemented

Display
Landing Page Alignment
Social Media Ads
Promotions
SEO
Remarketing Ads
Review Management
Content Strategy and Execution
Paid Search
Promotion Strategy
Email Marketing
Website Design & Development
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Services Implemented

Display
Landing Page Alignment
Paid Search
SEO
Social Media Ads
Promotions
Remarketing Ads
Review Management
Content Strategy and Execution
Promotion Strategy
Email Marketing
Website Design & Development
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True Partnership Delivers 1000%+ Revenue

With insights and consulting that goes above and beyond, early in Q1 2020, Parallel Path recognized the impending pandemic would have a significant impact on travel and camping, thus threatening the brand’s seasonal retailer and DTC revenue opportunities.

Providing strategic recommendations to develop search engine optimized content that would reach “preppers” - an audience of those who would have a high demand for long shelf-life food, the brand saw a 1374% increase in YoY revenue for the first two months of Q2 2020, driving in more direct to consumer revenue in two months than the entire previous year!

Speak to a Digital Marketing Expert
“Each year I spend a weekend with CEOs in the outdoor industry. I shared our annual digital marketing report with them to get a second opinion of our performance. They all said, ‘Those are great numbers! You need to keep working with them (Parallel Path)!”

 – CEO, Backpacker’s Pantry, after our first year together…
4.5 years later and we are still setting new standards of excellence.