Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/551693
SNOWMOBILE Fantastic four added to grow product lineup 42 • August 17, 2015 • Powersports Business www.PowersportsBusiness.com Divas SnowGear adds pro riders from U.S., Canada as ambassadors BY KATE SWANSON ASSISTANT EDITOR Divas SnowGear has emerged in the industry as a women-only snowmobile apparel line devoted to outfitting every snow diva's needs, and the company's product lineup produced record sales during the 2014-15 season. Beginning in 2010, Divas began as a grass- roots operation, allowing women snowmobil- ers — whether in the backcountry, mountains, trails or races — to represent an all-female outerwear company. "Women are a huge part of the snowmobile industry, and we wanted to recognize this and highlight it as well," said Stephanie Schwartz, a pro rider and Divas SnowGear team member. The highlights continued for Divas over the past season, when the company surged forward despite less-than-ideal riding conditions in some states. "Even with poor snow conditions and flat sales at dealers, when you own a small portion of the market share, there is nowhere to go but up," said Wendy Gavinksi, president of Divas SnowGear. "Each year that our brands become more and more established, more women — from petite to plus size — experience the bene- fits of wearing truly unique outerwear specially designed for female riders." This year's sales meant Divas placed more product in the market than ever before, but Gavinski says the Divas team is prepared to handle the logistics that come with such growth. In addition, Divas participates in numerous events throughout the year to increase brand awareness as well as with mar- keting and social media. Specifically, Divas SnowGear's Facebook page has gained nearly 85,000 likes. "For a women's-only brand, we find it hard to reach our demographic through traditional means at times," Gavinski said. "Facebook is a great platform for us to reach our target demographic and easily educate them on our brand." The company also uses Pinterest and prod- uct contests as additional marketing avenues. BRAND AMBASSADORS Divas SnowGear launched a brand ambas- sador program in 2014 with 37 riders to gain insight on what women really wanted from its outerwear line. The 2015-16 applications are now open for new brand ambassadors, with a deadline of Aug. 15. Divas is looking for active female riders who are excited to ride and be advocates for the sport. In June, Divas signed four top pro back- country athletes to its Pro Rider roster for the 2015-16 season. The new additions include Amber Holt, Sarah Whipple and Nicole Sullivan from the U.S., and Amy Flowers from Canada. These riders will collaborate on product development, marketing and brand aware- ness under the direction of fellow pro rider See Divas, Page 47 Left: Amber Holt, owner and master instructor of Back- county Basics LLC, partners with Divas as a consultiant for product development. Above: Amy Flowers is one of the four pro backcountry athletes signed to Divas Pro Rider roster for the 2015-16 season.