Poncho Outdoors: Go-To-Market Strategy
Texas A&M Mays Business School | MKTG 621 | Fall 2025
How we built a campus launch strategy for a growing outdoor apparel brand — and earned recognition as a model for future students.
Faculty Recognition
“Excellent report all around. Would you mind if I use this as an example for future classes”
The Objective
Poncho Outdoors is an Austin-based outdoor apparel brand that had recently secured a Texas A&M licensing deal but lacked meaningful brand recognition among the Aggie student body. Our team was tasked with developing a full go-to-market strategy to increase brand awareness and drive authentic engagement among 18–25 year old Texas A&M students — without a big budget and without an existing campus presence.
My Role
I served as Product Strategist for our group, leading product positioning, go-to-market strategy development, and the integration of consumer research into actionable campaign recommendations. I was a core contributor to both the written report and the final presentation — helping shape the overall strategic narrative from consumer persona development through the three-phase implementation plan. I also contributed directly to the cost breakdown and ambassador strategy components of the deliverable.
The Approach
Our strategy was built on a foundation of primary research — including one-on-one interviews, online surveys, and Quirkos data analysis — that revealed a clear insight: Aggie students discover and validate brands primarily through Instagram and TikTok, with word-of-mouth reinforcing what they see online. Giveaways and freebies consistently drove trial and engagement.
From that insight, we developed the #GigEmInPoncho campaign — a dual-channel strategy combining in-person engagement at high-traffic Aggie traditions with authentic digital content from student brand ambassadors and sponsored student organizations. The strategy moved through three phases — Awareness, Engagement, and Loyalty — with a $24,000 implementation budget.
In-Person Touchpoints
- · Howdy Week
- · Football Tailgates
- · MSC Club Crawl
- · The Big Event
- · Maroon & White Spring Game
Digital Strategy
- · Instagram & TikTok Shop Activation
- · Student Ambassador Content
- · #GigEmInPoncho Hashtag Campaign
- · Student Org Sponsorships
- · Social Commerce Integration
Phase 1
Awareness
0–3 Months
Phase 2
Engagement
3–6 Months
Phase 3
Loyalty
6–12 Months
See the work
Below is the full presentation deck and written report submitted to Texas A&M Mays Business School faculty.
The Outcome
The final report and presentation were delivered to faculty at Texas A&M's Mays Business School. The professor's response speaks for itself — he requested permission to use our report as an example for future classes, one of the highest forms of academic recognition a graduate-level project can receive.
Beyond the academic result, this project demonstrates exactly the kind of work I bring to every client at Veteran Vision Media: consumer-first thinking, data-backed strategy, and a clear plan from insight to execution.
25
Page Report
16
Slide Presentation
1
Faculty Recognition
What We Delievered
Deliverable 01
Consumer Persona & SWOT Analysis
"The Social Aggie" — a research-backed profile of the target Texas A&M student audience built from primary interviews, surveys, and Quirkos data analysis.
Deliverable 02
Full Go-To-Market Strategy Report
A 25-page report recognized by faculty as a model for future graduate marketing students at Texas A&M Mays Business School.
Deliverable 03
Live Presentation to Faculty
A professional 16-slide deck presenting the full #GigEmInPoncho campaign strategy, cost breakdown, and three-phase implementation plan delivered to Mays Business School faculty.
Ready to See What Strategic Thinking Looks Like in Practice?
This is the kind of work I bring to every project — for clients big and small, across San Antonio and Central Texas.