Talk about irony. A partnership with origins in team sports has given one of America’s leading apparel companies tremendous freedom to grow its business.

 

That’s the case with Colosseum, a privately owned clothing manufacturer with more than 400 licensing agreements with colleges and universities throughout the country. The company has partnered with Realtree since 2015 and has featured Realtree patterns in eight seasonal lines. Currently, it makes men’s, women’s and children’s lifestyle apparel in Realtree camo.

 

“Our relationship began with Colosseum making NCAA fan apparel featuring Realtree patterns,” said Joe Geismar, national sales director for Colosseum. “Many hunters are avid college sports fans, so combining the two passions was a no-brainer. When Realtree saw what we were doing in college apparel, they thought similar looks would be great for hunters to wear in their everyday lives.”

 

The relationship had obvious synergies and proved mutually beneficial from the start.

 

 

Our relationship with Realtree works because they give us the freedom to be creative while aggressively pursuing new business opportunities to enhance the brand’s presence across all segments of retail. It’s a natural fit because we’re both focused on bringing exciting lifestyle products to middle-America hunting and outdoor enthusiasts.

Joe Geismar, national sales director for Colosseum

 

 

Of course, the lifestyle and hunting apparel markets have become increasingly competitive in recent years, but Colosseum has stayed ahead of the pack by adhering to a solid business tenet: responsiveness to consumers.

 

 

 

“I think that we’re really good at listening to our customers and reacting to their needs before our competitors,” Geismar said. “There are not a lot of layers to our organization, so we can make quick decisions, ultimately leading to a better customer experience.”

 

 

Partnering with America’s No. 1 camouflage company has bolstered that approach and also expanded Colosseum’s reach.

 

Realtree helps Colosseum to be a more diverse company, the hunting and outdoor market is its own unique demographic, while our other lines focus on different segments of the activewear market, such as fitness, yoga and fanwear. Not being too invested in one category or the other is important to our company.

Joe Geismar, national sales director for Colosseum

 

 

Geismar said that close relationship also extends to an increasingly critical segment of success in the apparel business: marketing.

 

 

 

Our relationship with Realtree is special in that they do most of the work when it comes to spreading the word about our products and the Realtree brand, we leave the consumer marketing to them. Our focus is on product and customer service.

 Joe Geismar, national sales director for Colosseum

 

And that continues to succeed. With Colosseum and Realtree working together, outdoors-lifestyle enthusiasts can slide seamlessly from the woods to a football stadium and everyday life while wearing great apparel adorned with the best camo patterns.

 

 

Editor’s Note: Realtree licenses 27,000 products that can be found in more than 38,000 retail locations worldwide. Whether customers are looking for rugged outdoor equipment or everyday gear that enhances their active lifestyle, it can be found in a Realtree pattern. If you’re interested in growing your business with a Realtree licensing program, let’s talk! Find out more and contact us here.