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All Dots Connected · Ep. 16
Early to every channel: how Selkirk Sport grew with pickleball by moving before competitors
Mike Barnes, Co-Founder and Co-CEO, Selkirk Sport
In this episode
Mike Barnes, co-founder and co-CEO of Selkirk Sport, explains how the company committed to pickleball before it became America's fastest-growing sport. He covers moving early into paid digital and then influencers, layering universal and persona messaging, weekly customer reality checks, and vertical integration abroad. A useful case on shifting channels before costs rise.
Key takeaways
01
Move into a channel before it gets crowded, and leave when it does
Selkirk invested in video content and paid advertising in 2015, when pickleball was dominated by small mom-and-pop brands. As digital got crowded and CPMs rose sharply, Barnes pivoted to influencers and sponsored nearly every micro-influencer in the sport. He now sees traditional options like network TV as overlooked channels worth exploring.
02
Layer universal messages over persona-specific campaigns
Selkirk runs broad appeals like We Are Pickleball and a lifetime warranty that work across demographics. On top of that, it builds campaigns for distinct personas: technical enthusiasts, elite competitors, and casual players who want a social game. Barnes credits the two layers with helping Selkirk scale quickly and sustainably.
03
Pick a brand name you can fill with meaning
The company is named after a lesser-known mountain range so the team could shape what Selkirk means. From the start it emphasized quality and made paddles in the USA, a deliberate premium position. Barnes treats that positioning as a long-term bet.
04
Put employees in front of real customers every week
Selkirk runs reality checks inspired by Toyota's Gemba method, where employees engage with real customers weekly. Barnes sees this ongoing feedback loop as what keeps strategy rooted in actual customer needs.
05
Expand internationally through control, not distributors
Rather than relying on traditional distribution abroad, Selkirk prefers vertical integration and manages operations directly. Barnes sees this as the way to keep consistency and quality in new markets.
What operators can apply
- Track CPM trends by channel and set the threshold that triggers testing the next channel.
- Pair one universal brand message with separate creative for each core persona.
- Schedule weekly customer conversations for every team, not just support.
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