How one surf brand stood out in a crowded marketplace

When Australian Hayden Cox launched his surfboard brand Haydenshapes over two decades ago he launched it into a relatively crowded but somewhat undifferentiated marketplace. Until Cox arrived on the scene, surfboards had largely been made of what’s known as PU (polyurethene) foam. In terms of design, they were largely plain white, even while the broader surf brand palette tended to be stuck in a loop of yesteryear design, all lurid colors and 90s graphics. It was all a bit – samey.

Rather than compete for a sliver of that, Cox saw this as an opportunity for a new approach and a new brand that could represent a step forward. To a surfer, every board is nuanced in design, good in different wave types and surfs differently. Cox began experimenting with surfboard design, eventually settling on a groundbreaking approach, removing the wooden ‘stringer’ that forms the spine down the middle of traditionally-designed boards and replacing it with carbon-fiber-wrapped ‘rails’ around the outside edge of the board. Structurally this meant his boards would have more flex, but another benefit was flexibility in design. “One of the advantages of the carbon-fibre frame is that you can apply it after you’ve shaped the board,” he said. “That means you can customize every board you make.”

This design breakthrough led to Haydenshapes’ patented FutureFlex technology. That led to unlimited design customization. That gave Haydenshapes a unique selling point. Cox would ensure his drive for innovation was central to the company he would build, underpinning his future brand and business decisions. Now, with over 40 employees and a global footprint, Haydenshapes has grown into one of the biggest names in the surf industry and is still 100% owned by Cox.

Haydenshapes’ value proposition – ‘Innovative Performance Surfboards’ – is simple and clear, and the brand is perfectly positioned as the leader in innovative design in the category. Haydenshapes has ensured that they deliver on that positioning across the business and it has led to multiple innovations over the past 10 years.

HS Studio

Whilst surfboard shapers have always been able to customize a surfboard shape, color or design, no customer could go through that entire process themselves at home until Haydenshapes launched their HS Studio platform. HS Studio allows anyone to change surfboard dimensions, colors and even graphics.

Limited Release Designs

Haydenshapes changed the game in the category by bringing an element of scarcity to their product releases. Taking inspiration from fashion they launched their ALTER collection of tweaked surfboard designs, with a sale lasting a short period of time they added scarcity to the experience – something that hadn’t been seen in the category before.

Crash Replacement Discount

There are very few sports that involve you shelling out around $1k for a piece of sports equipment only for mother nature to break it first session (we’ve seen this happen). Unfortunately, due to the power of waves, surfboards do break, but to cope with this Haydenshapes introduced a 20% discount to get their customers back out into the water through their crash replacement program. This was something new for the category, and something that will keep their customers coming back time and time again.

Non-Surf Collaborations

Hayden Cox has a design eye and it extends beyond purely surfboards. As a result Haydenshapes has undertaken multiple innovative collaborations, from artist Daniel Ashram to Cox’s resin-based design work in an upmarket Sydney Hotel.

THE TAKEAWAY

• Develop a strong brand positioning and value proposition to stand out.

• Ensure you create brand experience principles so your brand is consistent at every touchpoint.

GO DEEPER

• Read more on Hayden Cox’s approach to business in the Australian Financial Review