GoPro, the maker of small and rugged cameras known for capturing surreal footage of action sports and other adventures, just offered more proof that it’s chiefly a hardware company, despite its recent claims to the contrary. Yes, it has a wildly popular YouTube channel, a channel on Virgin America’s in-flight entertainment system, and a Microsoft Xbox channel that serve as potent marketing tools. But all those outlets depend on the one thing that makes money for the company: its cameras.
As such, it just introduced a new retail display of its wares at 500 Best Buy stores. The 6-foot-high displays center around the Hero4, its newest all-purpose, hands-free GoPro camera.
Well-timed for early holiday shopping, the move, according to GoPro, will triple the company’s in-store presence. The display features large monitors showcasing daredevil videos and new perspectives shot with its products, which do all the talking in convincing buyers to shell out hundred and sometimes thousand of dollars for the cameras and requisite accessories.
GoPro needs the boost. Its recent media marketing blitz couldn’t hide the fact that its first earnings report after going public was far less thrilling than the videos coming off its cameras.