Polaris is analyzing issues threatening its reputation and global market position. Its goals are to engage new diverse audiences, ensure diversity compliance, and build an internal diversity campaign. Objectives include increasing social media engagement with Gen Xers and Millennials by 15% and increasing Polaris Adventure booking rates by 20% over 12 months. External communication plans include a "#PolarisLook" social media campaign and influencer marketing. Internal plans establish diversity positions and marketing materials to diversify audiences and dealers. Metrics and key factors for success include internal culture change, user participation, and dealer involvement.

1. Polaris Case Analysis
JOUR 8201 Prof. Mark Derks
Tae & Angharad
JOUR 8201

2. Table of Contents
Polaris
1 Problems & Issues2 Goals &
Objectives
3 External
Communications
plans
4
Internal
communications
plans
5 Metrics6 Critical factors,
Obstacles
7 Conclusion8

3. 1. Polaris
Headquartered in Medina, Minnesota,
Polaris currently has approximately 13,000 employees and
maintains its market dominance over the off-road vehicle
segment up to 45 % in ATVs.
With annual 2018 sales of $6.1 billion, Polaris markets its
powersports offerings through dealers and distributors in the
United States, Canada, Europe and Asia.

4. 1. Polaris

5. 1. Polaris (ORVs)

6. ● Reputation & Brand Management
- safety issues and diversity issues threaten reputation and brand management
● Global Market and regulatory factors within each market
● Environmental threats
2. Issues & Threats

7. Multicultural audience 25% increase, Women 85% increase, Millennials 150% increase
White 90% -> 80% decrease (2016->2019)
2. Issues
Photo from 2018 Polaris annual report

8. 2. Issues

9. Our Goals:
● Engage new and diverse audiences in the ATV/UTV communities and provide Gen Xers and Millennials with a new Polaris
ORV experience.
● Ensure transparent compliance with Polaris’s commitment to diversity both internal and external.
● Build a new internal diversity campaign that will touch all areas to include the HR and the hiring process, internal branding,
sales and marketing materials, and dealership decks.
○ What we aim to stand for:
■ We embrace diversity and inclusion.
Polaris gives everyone access to the same opportunities.
We ensure a diverse workforce, provide safe work environments and societal impact.
3. Overall Goals & Objectives

10. Our Objectives:
● Build a high-performing, diverse, and inclusive workforce based on mutual acceptance and trust.
● Increase social media engagement with Gen Xers and Millennials by 15% over a 12-month period.
● Increase Polaris Adventure’s booking rates by 20% over a 12-month period.
3. Objectives

11. Short-term priorities:
1. Implement a new social media campaign “#PolarisLook” - encouraging ORV riders
(1) to check vehicle safety (2) to spend time with family and 3) to get to know their neighbors.
2. Provide people a new Polaris experience: by creating fun and entertaining plans to effectively
collaborate with outdoor Influencers. (YouTube Creators for example)
3. Launch an internal campaign and communications strategy that will help cultivate diversity in the workforce,
diversity in sales leads, and dealers that will ultimately lead to an increase in the market share, sales and brand
reputation.
3. Goals &
Objectives

12. Long-term priorities:
1. Monitor budget and report on targeted metrics, adjust the strategic plan when required.
2. Boost Polaris Adventures web traffic and conversion rate by optimizing its visibility to expanded target audiences.
3. Create two diversity and inclusion positions to ensure equal opportunities for diverse workforce with proactive
workplace resolutions and to diversity customers.
4. Diversify workforce, sales, audiences, and dealers in the next 10 years by 10%.
3. Goals & Objectives

13. 4. External Communication Plans
-Strategy: “Younger Rides, Female Riders, Multicultural
Riders”
1. #PolarisLook Campaign
#PolarisLook - encourages ORV riders
(1) to check vehicle safety (2) to spend time with family
and 3) to get to know their neighbors (diversity).
Primary Target for Polaris Look campaign:
Demographics Gen X (40-54) / Male & Female /
CA, VA, TX, NJ & NY
Psychographics Outfitters, Outdoorsy, Nature lover, Family
oriented, Need a sense of community, Love to travel, Open-minded,
Familiar with the concept of ATV
(Double Entendre)

14. 4. External Communication Plans
1. Campaign video,
2. Social media campaign
(user-generated contents)
3. Outdoor Advertising
4. Campaign Website
5. Merch for dealers

15. 4. External Communication Plans
2. Polaris Adventures - apps
Influencer Marketing (Polaris Adventures)
Secondary Target (for influencer marketing):
Demographics
Millennials (25-39) / Male & Female / Near Polaris Adventure list
(map)
Psychographics Outgoing, Outdoorsy, Friendship-oriented, Value
Quality Time, Nature lover, May not be familiar with ATV but have at
least one outdoor hobby.
Website, Paid Ads (Social Media, YouTube, Google ads)
Email Marketing (Polaris Adventure)

16. 4. External Communication Plans

17. 4. External Communication Plans

18. 4. External Communication Plans
Technology & Innovation
New App : Polaris Adventure
Provide Gen Xers and Millennials with a new Polaris
ORV experience
Mobile friendly “All-in-one” booking app
Optimize for a mobile experience with
swipe-friendly and tap-friendly contents

19. “Diversity brings value to a company through its connections to a
broader range of customers and clients. Especially for advertising
agencies, customer connection is the name of the game.”
( Forbes, 2017.)
Strategy:
We stand for
We embrace diversity and inclusion.
Polaris gives everyone access to the same opportunities.
We ensure a diverse workforce, provide safe work environments and
societal impact.
5. Internal Communications Plans

20. “Increase in racial diversity leads to
an increase in firm performance.”
(Thomas L. Wheelen, 2018)
5. Internal Communication Plans

21. 2. Create two diversity and inclusion positions: One within the human
resources / recruiting department and the other within the
marketing/communications department.
● Staff would include hiring a diversity and inclusion HR staff member
and a strategic communication staff member focused
solely on building diversity in internal and external campaigns.
● Both roles would help build and oversee a web page devoted to
diversity and inclusion. Including internal and external campaigns,
blogs, resources, success stories.
5. Internal Communication Plans

22. New Position Diversity and Inclusion HR and Recruiting Manager:
1. Rewrite job descriptions and recruiting practices to include more diverse language and processes.
● “To recruit workers, tell your story. Business leaders need to communicate why their companies are great places for
women (others) to work.
○ Example: This can include talking about family-friendly policies and their commitment to elevating women.
They should also hold up women in their company, particularly those in senior roles, as examples of the type
of people they want to hire.” ( The New York Times, 2019)
● “To make real progress with diversity and inclusion in the workplace, we have to consider the human experience.”
5. Internal Communication Plans
Tackle the lack of diversity within internal teams, especially the sales teams and dealership teams.

23. 5. Internal Communication Plans
5. Corporate Responsibility:
Current: Polaris Foundation and “Geared for Good”
Future: Focus more on women and STEM projects.

24. II. Diversity & Inclusion Strategic Communications New Hire- Communications/Marketing
Department:
Build marketing campaign decks and sales materials that focus on how to diversify Polaris’s
buying audiences.
Target dealers with new diversity marketing tactics and materials.
Currently Polaris is: “Directing more corporate marketing efforts toward those diverse
groups and will be incorporating that into our marketing material, point of purchase and
marketing strategy discussions with dealers on a local level.” - Sean Cheatham, VP of
Marketing and Product Mgmt | Commercial, Government & Defense
5. Internal Communication Plans

25. 5. Internal Communication Plans
4. Diversity Campaign – Brand Innovation
“America is a diverse country made of people from all ethnic
backgrounds, cultures and lifestyles. Fashion is one of the few industries
that touches all lives in some way. “ (CFDA Annual Report, 2018)
• Fashion is often a great launching point for expressing diversity,
another internal campaign strategy would be to work with the
Polaris fashion/accessory department to diversify their fashion
campaigns, utilizing more diverse employees.
• Diversify brand innovation by looking internally at Polaris’s
clothing and apparel line. Work internally to capture more diverse
“models”
• Utilize the “Polaris Look” campaign- as an internal campaign to
rebrand apparel. Create more eco-friendly apparel lines that
appeal to a wider audience. An example can be, start with the
Polaris T-Shirt line.

26. 6. Metrics

27. Conclusion
Obstacles & Risks
Critical factors to success
1. Internal culture change – Organizational structure (flexible &
organic)
2. User generated content – user participation
3. Campaign localization
4. Dealers + resort staff participation & understanding of the campaign
1. Possibility to confuse existing customers with identity of the brand
2. Stereotyped thinking about ATV riders
3. A broad spectrum of audiences:
4. New department -> Massive budget needed
Women, millennials and people of color are the core of those new customers.
Polaris should focus on providing its target audience with experiences
for the purpose of enjoyment, relaxation and even health.

28. Thank you
JOUR 8201 Prof. Mark Derks
Tae & Angharad
JOUR 8201