Post by Kliquid on Mar 24, 2011 20:36:47 GMT -5
I recently interviewed Ranger Up CEO, Nick Palmisciano, about his company and how they have used social networking to grow the business.
Ranger Up has also generously offered to give away five shirts in a contest we're holding.
To enter the contest, check out RangerUp.com and find your favorite t-shirt. Then post a comment on this article with the name of the shirt.
Five comments will be randomly chosen and each winner will receive his or her favorite Ranger Up t-shirt, free of charge!
--------------------------
MMA Interview with Ranger Up Apparel CEO, Nick Palmisciano and T-Shirt Giveaway!
The MMA world is full of apparel companies that have come and gone. Having great designs on your shirts is a great way to get noticed, however when it’s not promoted correctly or when fans see the company in a negative light, it’s practically impossible to be successful.
Ranger Up has taken those two ideas and molded them with the idea that their product would not only be “cool,†but would also be one that has a true meaning behind it.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to talk with Ranger Up’s CEO, Nick Palmisciano. Nick explained how the company started, the unique ways they have jump-started their growth, and what he believes it means to be “Ranger Up†material.
The story of Ranger Up began after Nick left the military in 2003 and began attending classes at Duke University. Though attending this prestigious school is something that many dream of, it wasn’t a place where Nick felt he fit in.
“I went from being with awesome, hardcore guys that look at life and assessed other people based on accomplishment and merit to a society where people felt that they were entitled to a great deal,†he described.
Nick stayed involved in the military by volunteering with the ROTC where he taught Army Combatives.
While he was there, other military members often complained about the lack of military-focused apparel.
“How come if you’re anti-military, there are 2,000 websites you can to and get mocking it?,†Nick recalled them asking. “But if you’re in the military, the only thing that’s available for you is a skull with like “Death From Above†on it. It’s cheesy and over-the-top.â€
So in 2006, Nick decided to take up the hobby of creating pro-military apparel while working a job for a Fortune 50 company. He kept working on the hobby, seeing some growth over the next year before he met MMA fighter and fellow military member, Tim Kennedy. The two men quickly became great friends and Nick is now an owner of the Ranger Up corporation.
Nick and Tim met Kelly Crigger, now of Alchemist Management, at Tim’s second all-Army Combatives Tournament. As a Lieutenant Colonel in the military himself, Crigger was impressed and excited about what Ranger Up was doing for the troops. He worked to get the company placed in the military’s largest publication, the Military Times. With that placement, Ranger Up quickly grew four times bigger.
But what has helped the company grow in recent years has been their use of Facebook as both a marketing tool and a way of communicating with their end-user.
“We are the most aggressive Facebook entity, anywhere in MMA,†Nick boasted.
“We really let our fans run the design process. We put the design out there on the site and a lot of times, that design will do a 180º turn, based on feedback we get. By the time we’re done with something, we are delivering a product that our customers, our fans, believe in.â€
Read more...
Ranger Up has also generously offered to give away five shirts in a contest we're holding.
To enter the contest, check out RangerUp.com and find your favorite t-shirt. Then post a comment on this article with the name of the shirt.
Five comments will be randomly chosen and each winner will receive his or her favorite Ranger Up t-shirt, free of charge!
--------------------------
MMA Interview with Ranger Up Apparel CEO, Nick Palmisciano and T-Shirt Giveaway!
The MMA world is full of apparel companies that have come and gone. Having great designs on your shirts is a great way to get noticed, however when it’s not promoted correctly or when fans see the company in a negative light, it’s practically impossible to be successful.
Ranger Up has taken those two ideas and molded them with the idea that their product would not only be “cool,†but would also be one that has a true meaning behind it.
This past weekend, I had the opportunity to talk with Ranger Up’s CEO, Nick Palmisciano. Nick explained how the company started, the unique ways they have jump-started their growth, and what he believes it means to be “Ranger Up†material.
The story of Ranger Up began after Nick left the military in 2003 and began attending classes at Duke University. Though attending this prestigious school is something that many dream of, it wasn’t a place where Nick felt he fit in.
“I went from being with awesome, hardcore guys that look at life and assessed other people based on accomplishment and merit to a society where people felt that they were entitled to a great deal,†he described.
Nick stayed involved in the military by volunteering with the ROTC where he taught Army Combatives.
While he was there, other military members often complained about the lack of military-focused apparel.
“How come if you’re anti-military, there are 2,000 websites you can to and get mocking it?,†Nick recalled them asking. “But if you’re in the military, the only thing that’s available for you is a skull with like “Death From Above†on it. It’s cheesy and over-the-top.â€
So in 2006, Nick decided to take up the hobby of creating pro-military apparel while working a job for a Fortune 50 company. He kept working on the hobby, seeing some growth over the next year before he met MMA fighter and fellow military member, Tim Kennedy. The two men quickly became great friends and Nick is now an owner of the Ranger Up corporation.
Nick and Tim met Kelly Crigger, now of Alchemist Management, at Tim’s second all-Army Combatives Tournament. As a Lieutenant Colonel in the military himself, Crigger was impressed and excited about what Ranger Up was doing for the troops. He worked to get the company placed in the military’s largest publication, the Military Times. With that placement, Ranger Up quickly grew four times bigger.
But what has helped the company grow in recent years has been their use of Facebook as both a marketing tool and a way of communicating with their end-user.
“We are the most aggressive Facebook entity, anywhere in MMA,†Nick boasted.
“We really let our fans run the design process. We put the design out there on the site and a lot of times, that design will do a 180º turn, based on feedback we get. By the time we’re done with something, we are delivering a product that our customers, our fans, believe in.â€
Read more...
