Volcom Backpacks Success Story
Volcom backpacks filled a narrow niche in the early 1990s; the niche that has rapidly grown to become a separate market. They were designed for active people who enjoy extreme sports like snowboarding and skateboarding. People who did those sports were like outcasts back then. It was a bit of a gamble to make goods for that niche.
However, anyone with some marketing experience will tell you: "If you want to manufacture and sell something that's been on the market for many decades, you've got to differentiate". Richard Woolcott and his colleagues did that to create Volcom backpacks for extreme sports fans. Needless to say, they've had huge success since then.
Volcom backpacks were made to accommodate a board and other essential accessories of the boarder, e.g. a helmet, protective gear, and more. They were also big enough to have spacy inner compartments for school stuff, snacks, drinks, and some personal belongings.
Now that the market has hugely expanded, backpacks for skaters and snowboarders are manufactured by many other firms, e.g. Burton, Vans, and so on. Yet, it seems Volvom backpacks still remain a benchmark for all other producers.