Forbes: A Conversation with Airstream CEO Bob Wheeler – RVBusiness – Breaking RV Industry News
Amidst the pandemic we saw crisis cut both ways. At times, it served to strengthen existing brand loyalties, while also catalyzing new ones, writes Billee Howard, senior contributor at Forbes.com. In other instances, it pushed customers farther away than ever, creating what appeared to be insurmountable challenges. Different leaders viewed the pandemic either as challenge or opportunity and those who did the latter seized the chance to innovate around everything from supply chain management, to customer targeting, to corporate culture.
With all that in mind, I thought it would be helpful to speak to someone who used the pandemic as an opportunity to drive unprecedented internal and external growth for their brand. And, not just temporary growth, but growth that has endured long after the pandemic has ended. For my latest column, I sat down with Bob Wheeler, President, and CEO of Airstream. He has been with the company for over two decades, working toward a renewed appreciation by the public for the company’s long-standing authenticity and quality. Following is a recap of our conversation:
Billee Howard: Airstream is a brand that not only thrived but survived during the pandemic. Can you share some of the critical things you did to turn challenge into opportunity to drive toward unprecedented levels of growth during COVID and beyond?
Bob Wheeler: When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, we had a few uncertain weeks, but then it quickly became clear that the RV industry was starting to boom. Within a few months, we saw explosive growth and we quickly identified a need to shift our strategy. Many new owners were coming to us looking for ways to travel safely – to get out of their houses and get away from the crowds – and they saw Airstream as the perfect solution. Many had been considering an Airstream purchase for a while, and the pandemic prompted them to take the plunge. That influx of customers forced us to shift our focus from attraction to retention. We realized we needed to help these new owners start their ownership experience on a good foot, and we developed support resources, engaging content, and dealer programs that ensured they became customers for life.
We’re a company founded on the idea of continuous innovation, and in many ways the pandemic challenged us to lean into this foundational philosophy to keep improving the products, the service experience, and the lifestyle resources we provide. We were also able to pivot quickly and create a new floor plan in one of our most popular model lines that catered specifically to people who were taking work on the road. In early 2021, we launched the Flying Cloud 30FB Office model, which has a private workstation, lots of power, and connectivity options.
Click here to see the complete article at Forbes.com.
