LJG CEO Toby Bost and FMF Donny Emler Jr.
News has been pouring out of the FMF Racing camp since it signed a licensing agreement with the La Jolla Group (LJG) in February. Since then, they’ve launched an energy drink line, FMF POWER, and just recently announced they were expanding their apparel play for the Holiday season.
We caught up with FMF Racing Marketing Director Donny Emler Jr., whose father founded FMF in 1973, and LJG CEO Toby Bost, and FMF National Sales Manager Brian Sanders to learn more about what’s been going on at the brand.
Congratulations on the expanded apparel offering. It’s been a big year for FMF with brand extensions – tell us a little about how joining LJG has helped foster this growth.
Donny Emler Jr, FMF Racing marketing director: It’s been a great year for our brand. My dad started this business in his garage in 1973, and for the last 38 years, he has done an amazing job at staying true to what he believes and building quality products under one roof in Southern California. We are very excited about the new relationship with La Jolla Group. They understand quality and live and breathe the same mentality as the Flying Machine Factory. We feel the passion that everyone at La Jolla Group brings is a great fit for FMF and we really look forward to the brand becoming even more of an apparel staple.
Why do you feel FMF will resonate on the apparel front?
Emler: Firstly, we have a very strong base of loyal consumers. Off-road riding is a family sport and we feel FMF appeals to the kid who just learned how to ride, along with moms and dads who have known FMF since the early 1970s. Motocross is a lifestyle and FMF’s apparel screams that. Combined with the great teams at LJG, we expect to reach these off-road fans and find a new audience in the process.
How are you planning on distributing your apparel? Will it primarily be through moto dealers?
Toby Bost, La Jolla Group CEO: FMF is most recognizable to the core moto enthusiast. If you ride moto, there’s no question you recognize the iconic yellow and red FMF branding and, more importantly, you know what it stands for. As a result of being so iconic within the sport, the distribution strategy centralizes on building up a presence and strong roots within the key moto retailers and dealers.
Brian Sanders, FMF national sales manager: Being a core motocross company, a lot of our focus will remain in supporting motorcycle dealerships such as Chaparral, as well as our larger distribution partners such as Parts Unlimited. However, we’re making a major push to increase our presence in the core action sports/lifestyle apparel accounts such as Zumiez, Ryderz Compound, Eminent, and Factory Edge to name a few, as we expand into new cut n’ sew categories like walkshorts, wovens, boardshorts, and jerseys. We’re also launching our Junior’s collection for Spring 12, with an early delivery of 11/15 to capture Holiday sales. We see tremendous growth potential within this distribution channel.
Here’s a sneak peek of FMF’s upcoming Holiday line:
What’s the plan to market the new gear?
Emler: FMF Racing really utilizes its marketing strengths in the off-road industry. We support the sport and feel that FMF performance resonates in the apparel world. We plan on continuing to do everything we do in racing and really bring the apparel along with it. This includes branding athletes and events, and supporting our teams and riders with some of the best casual apparel on the market.
Was this apparel extension the result of retailer requests?
Sanders: Our new distribution model, as well as the expansion of our apparel line, is a direct result of both retailer and consumer requests and is in line with our growth plans leading into 2012.
How would you describe the aesthetic and designs of the new line?
Sanders: Our design direction revolves around the FMF logo, which is one of the most iconic and recognizable logos in the motorsports industry. We’re primarily catering to the motorsports enthusiast who likes the cleaner, more logo driven designs. We’ve also introduced a series of vintage tees, which draw upon the heritage of the FMF brand.
Financially, how has FMF performed since joining LJG and what do you attribute this to?
Bost: Since January, FMF apparel is off to a great start. This can be largely attributed to improving product and adding depth to the sales force. We expanded the overall collection on day one, which hits retail shelves in December. It covers all categories of sportswear and a number of accessories. In addition, we assembled a seasoned sales force across the nation to service our retailers. The formula has been pretty simple: offer great product and consistently service the retailer as a valued partner and good things start to happen.
Product extensions seem like a big part of your strategy at the moment. What else are you looking at and what are the main considerations in finding lines that are good fits and don’t dilute the brand’s equity?
Emler: FMF Racing is in a great position in the off-road exhaust marketplace. The brand and our American-made image is very strong and marketable. We’re excited about our new apparel launch because it is going to help tell our story and show our passion for motocross. Right now we are very focused on building the brand and continuing to deliver the best products available to the consumer.
FMF has a long, iconic history in the moto world – any plans to leverage that into other sports?
Emler: FMF is definitely a core off-road company and will always continue to support our love for the sport. We have crossed over into BMX this year with the support of legend Ryan Nyquist, and are very excited about this partnership. In 1976, my dad produced one of the first full aluminum frame racing bikes and helped support one of the first Factory BMX teams, so there is definitely history with BMX as well.
What are you most stoked on coming into 2012?
Emler: FMF has had an amazing year, first joining La Jolla Group and also seeing great success with our roster of athletes. We have wrapped up almost every major off-road championship with riders such as Kurt Caselli, Russell Bobbitt and Paul Whibley leading the charge. On top of that, Ryan Villipoto has had an unbeatable year winning the Supercross, Motocross, MX Of Nations, and to top it off, just took the million dollar purse at the Monster Energy Cup. FMF is looking to carry this momentum into 2012, and beyond. We have some great plans in the works and our apparel line, with La Jolla Group leading the charge, is a perfect extension of our championship racing heritage.
TAGS: brian sanders, Donny Emler, donny emler jr, fmf, fmf apparel, La Jolla Group, motocross, toby bost
