In today’s increasingly saturated product market, it’s difficult to distinguish between a flash in the pan company or an established player here to stay. In the case of Scott USA — a manufacturing virtuoso — there is no such quandary. For more than 50 years, the folks at Scott have been dedicated to bringing top notch products to consumers. Scott has become a ubiquitous name in a number of product categories, Including backpacks, outerwear, gloves, protection gear and of course, goggles and poles. But the game has changed since Scott’s inception 50 years ago, and having technologically sound products isn’t enough. Enter Gabe Glosband and Kevin Kruse, Scott’s two-man marketing wrecking crew that works tirelessly to gain recognition for the company’s product.

Presently, Scott makes and sells more goggles than anyone else in the world. Despite the company’s global reach and tremendous resources, Scott is still very connected to the sport with a core group of marketers. “The reality is we are super lean and work extra hard to gain recognition for our products,” says Scott’s Wintersport Marketing Director, Gabe Glosband. “Between Kruse [Scott’s Wintersport Team Manager and Marketing Coordinator] and myself, we handle everything under the marketing umbrella globally, where most companies have tons of people in-house and agencies to drive their brands.”

Another piece of the marketing puzzle that Scott has zeroed in on is a serious roster of athletes. Former Scott Team Manager Jonny Atencio set the bar high, signing the hottest ams and pros at the time — Sammy Carlson, John Symms, Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Ingrid Backstrom, Eric Pollard, Erik Roner, and more — and Kevin Kruse has only built upon that legacy, adding Matt Walker, Hugo Harrison, Michelle Parker and Ian Cosco. “We spot the talent and sponsor them for as long as we can before they get cherry picked by the big budgets,” explains Glosband. While Scott can’t compete with big dollars for every athlete that reaches that stage, Scott does what it can. “Sponsoring athletes is a strategic way to align with the right people to promote the brand and demonstrate that our products are capable of meeting the demands of professional athletes,” says Kevin Kruse.

Whether through technical innovation, sponsorship or marketing its ass off, Scott will always be a leader in established markets and new. “Diversity is key in this business,” says Glosband. “We look to continue being the leader in the goggle and pole markets while expanding into additional product categories.” That is exactly what Scott has done for the past fifty years and will continue to do for the next fifty.

This story was originally published in the November 2009 issue of Freeskier.