In 1971 Jeff Ho, Skip Engblom and Craig Stecyk opened Zephyr surf shop which four years later would become the breeding grounds for the infamous Z-Boys. Spawned in the tradition of a grassroots movement the Z-Boys became one of the best known examples of the influence that a shop team could exert, as their emergence ushered in the beginning of skateboarding’s first boom. But how did a rag tag group of 12 So Cal teenagers create such an impact?

OG Z-Boys.

Although it was during that dark era in human history before the advent of the internet, the reason for their success could be thought of as an early form of viral marketing. The goal of viral marketing is to encourage people to pass along brand messages voluntarily and the Z-Boys, through their groundbreaking take on skateboarding and renegade lifestyle, inspired people to do exactly that. Simply put, they were infectious. However, this only tells part of the story.

Today’s marketers have developed a concept know as Social Networking Potential (SNP) that is calculated from a set of variables including: participation in Social Networking activities, group membership, leadership roles, recognition, publication/editing/contributing to non-electronic media, publication/editing/contributing to electronic media and frequency of past distribution of information within their network.  

Finding people with a high SNP is considered one of the key elements to the success of a viral marketing campaign, simply because someone with a high SNP is far more likely to both influence people and disseminate information. The Z-Boys fame and their subsequent contest, magazine and party appearances would have met the criteria (with the exception of contributing to electronic media) that would give present-day marketers a viral boner.

This is perhaps why shop riders remain relevant to retailers more than 20 years after the Z-Boys phenomenon. On a regional scale, building a strong shop team can still create a similar effect. “It’s a great marketing tool,” says Top Of The Word shop rider Matt Belzile. “If a shop has the local hero dressed up in the logos and brands they sell, the kids will know where to buy them. I believe that local heroes have a lot of influence compared to some dude in a snowboard video.”

Matt Belzile (center) ups his SNP with a You Look Good Contest Win.

Aside from creating awareness, shop teams also help to cultivate shred/skate culture just as the Z-Boys did. Empire’s Ryan O’Dowd firmly believes in promoting and supporting the local scene. “Sponsoring kids keeps the game alive, drives them to achieve greater goals and pushes the evolution of riding,” he says. “From a retailer standpoint, it insures that snowboarding continues to grow which means the customer base does as well.”

Occasionally a rider may capitalize on the stepping-stone that the shop provides, and makes it to the pro ranks. In that case the riders increased exposure and status become a tremendous boon even, as it creates hype through out the community. “Kids see our riders in ads and in videos and they know that we can help them make it to the next level.” states Top Of World’s Eric Dionne. “That’s what brings people into the store and creates sales for us also.”

In an age where the general consumer is becoming increasingly discerning and cynical it’s odd to think shops have long employed a principal that on a micro scale large corporations now try to master. The term, viral marketing, was first was first coined in 1996 and term, SNP, didn’t appear until 2005 so it’s interesting that, past or present, whether consciously or unconsciously, anyone selecting a rider to represent their shop has likely chosen a person who displays characteristics that today would be associated with viral marketing and SNP.  It seems like those in the action sports world have always been ahead of the times.

This article first appeared in the January 2009 Tradeshow edition of SBC Business.