Digitalizing Product & Brand Education to thrive in Digital Transformation : -The case of retail companies in the outdoor industry

Abstract: The increasing development in digital transformation in the last decade has affected retail companies in the outdoor industry. The outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic is further accelerating the outdoor industry ́s mindset towards digital solutions. New innovations such as online training, video content and digital educational platforms provide retail outdoor companies with opportunities to move from physical product & brand education routines to digitally based solutions. The purpose of this study is therefore to explore how the last years developments in digital transformation have impacted retail outdoor companies' way of working with product & brand education for their store staff, and if the Covid-19 pandemic has had any effects upon this. In addition, the research aims to find out what attitude retail outdoor companies have towards digital educational platforms, as a new innovation tool. In order to adequately explore the aim of this study a mixed research method was undertaken, combining both qualitative and quantitative analysis. The data was collected using an online questionnaire with respondents working for retail outdoor companies across Europe.  The outcomes of this study can be used for organizations that want to explore the opportunities of digitalizing their way of working with product & brand education. The findings suggest that digital product & brand education solutions have the potential to act more as a great complement to traditional physical education, than to actually replace it. Furthermore, the effects that the Covid-19 pandemic have had upon this has been contradictory and far from united. In addition, the findings indicate that retail outdoor companies have a positive attitude towards digital educational platforms, which suggest that there might be an increasing interest for digital educational platforms in the upcoming future.