Five Hole Sports is a privately owned retailer which sells lacrosse and hockey equipment, as well as apparel, through its stores located in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina. The store is well-known among local lacrosse and hockey enthusiasts, and enjoys status as a household name with families who have kids growing up in the sport.
The Problem
Five Hole Sports is a privately owned retailer which sells lacrosse and hockey equipment, as well as apparel, through its stores located in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina. The store is well-known among local lacrosse and hockey enthusiasts, and enjoys status as a household name with families who have kids growing up in the sport.
M is Good consultants facilitated a series of extensive interviews with the owner and key employees. In addition, M is Good also conducted a feedback survey with Five Hole Sports’ customers and uncovered the following problems and challenges:
• Customers are unclear about differentiating factor of what Five Hole Sports offers
• Customers perceive barriers of higher prices and hassle of driving to the store
• Low to Average customer service score based on customer feedback
• Average to Satisfactory employee engagement
• Fragmented branding and marketing message
The Solution
After facilitating extensive interviews and conducting the primary research, M is Good presented its findings with the recommended solutions:
• Clearly defined vision statement as to where the company was going and why.
• Clearly defined core values to showcase what Five Hole Sports stands for
• Clearly defined brand promise that effectively communicates the unique benefits
• Clearly defined communication strategy that drives the company’s brand promise
M is Good began crafting a vision statement which exemplified the true “DNA” of the company. Once the vision statement was clearly defined, then in conjunction with the owner and the staff, the core values were crafted to show customers and its employees what Five Hole Sports stands for, where it’s going, and why.
Based on the customer feedback survey, a brand promise was crafted and refined. From this, M is Good developed a communication strategy that reflected their brand promise to be implemented through their primary touch points.
As part of their communication’s strategy, M is Good developed several campaigns that reflected the core values of Five Hole Sports to better illustrate what the company stood for and why customers should choose them over larger franchises and online retailers.
The Results
Today there is a clear vision and solid core values for where the company was going and why. The vision reflected the owner’s passion for the sport and families. The brand promise is now articulated consistently throughout all touchpoints. Employees are more engaged which increased the in-store experience for customers.
Vision
Helping Hockey and Lacrosse families build their futures today
Brand Promise
Every customer is a member of our family
Core Values
• We have the best in-store experience on the planet
• We love a good challenge – in fact, we thrive on it
• We will supply you with the right equipment based on ability and budget
• We grow the sport by helping families stay safe
• We live in a world without limitations
• We properly fit everyone who walks through our door
Over six months of integration, Five Hole Sports reported the following metrics:
• Increased employee engagement by 33%
• Increased in-shop closure rate by 18%
• Increased customer service satisfaction by 23%
After a six-month evaluation, Five Hole Sports reported the following intangibles:
• Increased engagement of employees with community outreach programs
• Increased clarity of company’s vision, core values and brand promise
• Increased the quality of employee engagement and decision making
