September 11, 2014
GoPro’s cult status was cemented through its rapid-fire journey from small start-up to revolutionizing the marketplace of an industry in the midst of a down-turn. Factor in how brand leaders foster a fanatical following who use the camera to define their lifestyle and GoPro was a clear choice to be recognized at The Gathering 2013. Ryan Gill interviews Todd Ballard, Director of Global Sports Marketing for GoPro. Check out the full interview below.
There’s no narrative more compelling than a regular guy following his passion and achieving the impossible. GoPro’s incredible success lies in how it embodies that transformation: inspiring people to live a big life, open their eyes to possibility and be celebrated for doing what they love.
GoPro proudly acknowledges that not all of its consumer are extreme athletes. Many of them are parents capturing their child’s perspective as they ride their bike for the first time or open a gift. And that’s important to them, because at its core, GoPro celebrate authenticity and passion in all of its form.
Cult brands know that big ideas come from customers who are inspired to share, and GoPro might understand that better than anyone.
User-generated content motivates the brand’s fanatical following. When people capture something that’s never been done from an angle that’s never been seen, they want to share it. It comes down to the simple ethos: Be a hero.
Ryan began his professional life in digital marketing. His first company, Suitcase Interactive, was a consistent best-digital-agency award winner. And his tenacity and forward thinking also led him, personally, to being awarded a coveted place on the auspicious 40 under 40 list. (Notice that we're not telling you how many years ago that was, we're kinda attached to our kneecaps ; ) Those seminal years also led Ryan to the enlightenment that the whole concept of advertising and digital agencies was dead. From there it was a short putt to the birth of Cult, one of North America's first true engagement agencies. As Cult's President, his legacy as a pioneering thinker has blossomed from pushing pixels, to pushing forward what marketing actually means. Ryan then founded The Gathering in 2012, an annual international event to honor cult-like brands that put the generation of movements before the creation of ad campaigns. The Gathering is now widely acknowledged to be one of North America's premier annual marketing conferences. And it's an idea that has introduced Cult to brands like Keurig, Converse, Airbnb, UFC, Las Vegas Tourism and Red Bull, among many others… hey, there's only so many names you can drop in one bio. Never one to whine about the status quo, but rather put his energy into finding a better way, Ryan’s latest innovation is the founding of a whole new operating model for marketers, both on the client side and in the industry that serves them. Called Communo, this tech-enabled work model is an incomparable brain trust of talent for brands, a human resources platform for marketing professionals, and an unprecedented business development engine for both. In his "spare time" Ryan continues his strong commitment to giving back, both at home in Calgary, and around the world. He spearheads Cult's ongoing monthly commitment to Ronald McDonald House and continues to lead Project Smile, the international relief organization he founded over a decade ago. He even managed to find some spare, spare time to co-author three editions of Fix: Break The Addictions That Are Killing Brands, Cult's thought leadership book that's changing the way CEOs and CMOs see the marketing function. 
