Chip Hunnicutt has led marketing efforts in professional sports, sporting goods, real estate and a variety of entrepreneurial successes. His knowledge of emerging technologies, social media strategies, and how to effectively integrate them with traditional marketing tactics has opened new sales channels, expanded revenues and provided a roadmap for future growth in every role he has held.

Nearly 20 years in the shooting and hunting industry has shown him that living that lifestyle provides unrivaled experience to create long-term brand growth, when coupled with a no-fear attitude of creative campaigning to gain the favor of today’s outdoorsmen and women.

Notable Marketing Achievements:

Benjamin Airguns: Spearheaded the launch of the Pioneer Airbow, a revolutionary arrow-firing airgun that became the most successful launch in company history and opened the doors nationally for legalizing air power for hunting large game. His success in gaining state approval for the Airbow made Chip the most hated person among bowhunters.

Dead Down Wind: Untouched for its entire 20-year segment-leading lifetime, Chip led the refresh of the iconic brand, creating a new logo, identity and packaging and winning back-to-back Reader’s Choice awards from Predator Xtreme.

Safari Club International: Modernized the “voice” and identity to reach today’s hunters and developed highly targeted campaigns focusing on hunting’s greatest threats while breathing new life into the stuffy good ol’ boys club, resulting in the greatest period of growth in the organization’s 50-year history.

Trophy Score: Developed the first iPhone application for scoring game animals using official methods of Safari Club International, Boone and Crockett Club, and Pope and Young. The app gained Official Product status from SCI as their first mobile application.

Performance Bicycle: Poised for an IPO after acquiring its chief competitor, the world’s largest online cycling retailer was looking for more than just padded shorts and knobby tires to boost sales. Chip developed new features for capturing and keeping traffic on the website, resulting in a 71% increase in online revenue.

Crosman: The aging brand needed a facelift and a new voice among the growing airgun landscape. Leading a website refresh project with creative content that stood out among all outdoor content, traffic increased 130%, outpacing the previous two years combined, and increased online revenue 30%. The company earned four nominations for its online efforts brought home a Silver ADDY.

Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association: Developed the association’s first online store and restructured the licensed products program, leading to a 51% increase in revenue in its first year.

Sea Thunder: Chip operated a sightseeing tour boat in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and led the company to #1 in customer satisfaction among all ocean and water activities in the area. Revenue increased 216% supported by zero-cost advertising.

Prudential Real Estate: Overhauled a boring, dated advertising program with insanely creative concepts with placements in the local airport, beach-bound water bottles and popular tourist publications for the hot vacation destination of Wilmington, North Carolina and coastal beaches. Happier sales professionals led to increased listings and sales, and the company jumped from #65 to #28 in the worldwide Prudential franchise network.

WOOX: Funded by firearm stock OEM manufacturer Minelli Group, this Italian startup was scoring wins in dopamine hits from social likes rather than dollars. Chip rebalanced the company’s advertising tactics and directed a campaign of wildly different creative to create real, actionable attention that increased revenue. The result was selling a year’s worth of inventory of new shotgun furniture in six weeks and an increase in sales so rapid that the company’s top selling chassis was out of stock for seven months.

Professional Accolades:

American Marketing Association: AMA’s Rochester, NY chapter was impressed with the all-new Crosman Airguns website and content, earning nods for “Marketer of the Year" and “Online Marketer of the Year”.

Rochester Business Journal: “RBJ Best of the Web” had never been an accolade bestowed on Crosman in its 50+ years in the New York upstate, or the 30 years since Al Gore invented the internet.

Prudential Real Estate: Chip created a multimedia podcast showcasing realtors and their listings and was named “Marketing Innovation of the Year” by Prudential’s national office.

Coastal Advertising & Marketing Professionals: “Regional ADDY Award - Print” for Prudential Real Estate’s “Looking for Land” campaign.

Cape Fear Homebuilders Association: Chip’s campaign promoting a new website and Yahoo integration earned “Best Print Advertising” from one of the region’s largest homebuilders groups.

Crosman Corporation: Chip was recognized with the company’s “President’s Award” for the launch of the Pioneer Airbow.

Chip was raised fishing and it was those years of watching and helping Dad maintain a boat that lived in saltwater which led him to hunting. Ask him about his hunting exploits and you’ll get stories about what he saw, who he met, what he ate, and eventually he may talk about the hunt. It’s those adventures, particularly with family and friends, that keeps him chasing new experiences.

Chip lives in Connelly Springs, NC with his dog, Bacon and entirely too much taxidermy.