Hudl has a new addition that will continue to transform sports technology.
Founded in 2006 and run by a Nebraska native, Hudl quickly became a household name. The company now has more than six million users distributed over 40 sports worldwide. By utilizing its advanced technology centered around video analytics, Hudl makes it easy to capture, analyze, and share the sports moments that matter most.
Staying ahead of the competition is key to become an industry leader and maintain that title. Hudl introduces revolutionary products that provide fast and accurate data.
With a customer range of more than 200,000 teams, it’s important to provide products that fit the needs of all users.
Last year, Hudl released a piece of equipment that revolutionized video recording in sports. The Hudl Focus camera is a versatile product. It provides teams with the high quality film, collects highlight reels, and provides easy access to footage.
Product Manager Tony Linder said that Focus Flex will save coaches time and will allow for easier recording.
“A customer’s main goal is to save time and money,” he said. “We wanted to create one product that can replace the jobs or roles of multiple individuals. Ultimately Hudl Focus allows coaches to get back to coaching.”
After launching a new product, Linder said it’s crucial to listen closely to customer feedback. He and Paul Bauer, another product manager, set this as their team’s top priority.
“Understanding the needs of our customers and the needs of the market are ways we stay ahead,” Bauer said. “Building customer connections and creating a sense of trust allows for better understanding of their problems. Improving customer experience is always really important to us.”
After launching Focus, customers talked and Hudl listened. Taking both positive and negative feedback to heart, product managers such as Linder and Bauer got to work. The two prioritize being the voice of the customers through product design and function.
Though the Focus camera is versatile, a couple of problems were expressed by customers.
The first downfall is the requirement of wireless internet connection to capture video. Meaning if the internet connection is lost, disconnected, or is simply nonexistent in a given location, footage will not be recorded.
The other issue is that the Focus camera requires a permanent mount. This limits the use of the camera to either be placed strictly indoors or outdoors, which eliminates any chance of product mobility.
Club soccer teams appeared to be most negatively affected by these factors.
“Soccer fields are essentially out in the middle of nowhere,” Bauer explained. “Being far from buildings, sometimes even without press boxes, it was evident to us that we need to design a product that doesn’t need to connect to Wi-Fi and that can be moveable.”
This feedback helped provide insight that led Hudl to create its newest product – Hudl Focus Flex.
A branch of Hudl Focus, Hudl Focus Flex is the answer to the problem at hand. This unique piece of technology allows for recordings to be done anywhere without any wireless internet connection. This creates unlimited opportunities to capture any and all sports moments.
On top of that, the Focus Flex solves the issue of mobility as well. This new product does not require a permanent mount and works in any setting, which allows customers to get both indoor and outdoor use out of a singular product.
Additionally, Focus Flex also provides coaches and athletes with automatic video uploads onto their Hudl account, which saves time. The product is weatherproof as well as battery-powered. It is a fully integrated piece of equipment.
It was clear to Hudl that club soccer was the market it wanted to appeal to most due to the limitations of a Wi-Fi connection on the fields.
Senior marketing manager Jordan Stiens said that creating a personal and informative message to deliver to both current customers and potential new ones is key.
“It’s important to first understand your audience and then identify what current trends are being used,” Stiens said. “Different media platforms use different methods. So how do we adapt and get our message across?”
Stiens said that keeping customers informed on improvements made to products is a significant part of her role. On top of that, she wants to understand which channels of communication customers respond to best, a critical part of creating a solid marketing campaign that reaches your audience.
Stiens said she and the rest of the marketing team are excited and looking forward to releasing more information on Focus Flex in the coming months.
The Focus Flex camera is the newest and most innovative tool in sports technology. It will continue Hudl’s tradition of capturing, analyzing, and sharing the sports moments that matter most.
Hudl anticipates Focus Flex to launch to the market sometime in this year.
