I am happy to report that Dream Camp Mountain Bike Bentonville was a huge success.
When we try something new at The FAM, we plan like crazy and define what a win looks like well before we execute, but I don’t think anyone anticipated what actually happened.
Whenever you blaze new trails it’s exciting, but it’s also nerve-racking as hell because there is so much risk in the outcome.
If it’s your first time for anything, there is nervous energy and anticipation of that. Then there is the fear of the unknown which you are never going to completely solve, but you can plan well so that you can minimize any problems that come up.
It is these unknowns that make doing something like this so incredibly awesome. What if it rains on our outdoor event? wWhat if the food sucks? What if one of the people attending the event isn’t a fit for the group and ends up being jerk?
But… what if we crush it? What if people leave inspired and connected? What if we start working in concert as an industry to activate a strategy that could never work, unless we bring everyone together as one big happy FAM.
Mark Kinsley and I have been to hundreds of industry events over our careers, so we knew what people were used to and felt strongly that we could deliver something unique to this industry.
Our goal was to bring a curated group of thought leaders together to talk about how we can all make the category better together. Then we said that we would make it fun with things like mountain biking, live music, airplane rides, museum tours, incredible food and open bars, so that people looked forward to the event and had a blast while they were with us.
Finally, we knew that if we were going to get to the place we wanted to be, we needed for our group to mesh together and connect with each other in a meaningful way.
Looking in the rear-view mirror I am certain that the connection the campers made with each other was by far the most unexpected outcome.
We fully anticipated that people would bond because of how we set some things up, but what actually happened was way better than what we had hoped for.
Spending time with these people and listening with empathy to understand where they are coming from was so powerful. Having component suppliers, manufacturers, and retailers all in the same room looking at a problem from three different perspectives was critical in getting to the final answer.
The more affection you have for people, the more you want to engage in a productive way and serve them at the same time they are serving you.
What was the final outcome for us at Dream Camp?
We accepted the fact that consumers don’t understand their sleep or how to improve it. They also don’t realize how important their sleep equipment is, (mattress, adjustable bases, sheets, pillows, protectors etc.) when it comes to getting that great sleep they need.
Don’t believe me? The research we did at The FAM in conjunction with Nationwide Marketing Group tells us that consumers picked mattresses dead last as a way to improve their sleep.
So what is our noble purpose?
Our purpose is to inspire others in the industry to be more intentional in how they connect their products to the benefits of sleep.
Imagine if everybody’s website had a piece of our noble purpose included in their “About Us” section, product descriptions, LinkedIn bios, sales presentations, job descriptions, company mission statements, advertising, social media initiatives, sales training etc.
Then, imagine if consumers started to get the hint that we are NOT just a bunch of people selling mattresses, pillows, sheets, adjustable bases, etc. Instead, consumers saw a collection of companies that are in lockstep, that produce products that are designed to help you do life better?
I bet we sell more stuff and help a lot of people understand just how important sleep is to their happiness and quality of life.
Can our Dream Campers be the spark that lights that flame?
As Kinsley and I always say; ACTION IS THE ANSWER.
