How GoPro Turned Its Customers Into a Global Content Team

The Adventure That Markets Itself

GoPro never needed a celebrity spokesperson. It had mountain bikers in Peru, surfers in Hawaii, skydivers in Dubai—and all of them were wearing the product. While other companies were storyboarding ad campaigns, GoPro was turning its customers into a global content engine.

This wasn’t a lucky accident. It was a deliberate strategy powered by user-generated content (UGC), a tight feedback loop between product and community, and a media-first mindset long before most B2C or B2B brands embraced it.

Content From the Field, Not the Studio

Instead of investing heavily in scripted ads or staged demos, GoPro leaned into real stories from real users. The brilliance was in the simplicity: build a product that makes epic content easy to capture, then build a system that rewards people for sharing it.

Enter the #GoProAwards, an open invitation for customers to submit their best clips for cash, gear, and global exposure. No influencer contracts. No middlemen. Just creators and the brand, aligned through experience.

The Methods Behind the Content

Here’s how the GoPro content engine really works:

• The Product = The Camera. It’s not just the subject of the story, it’s the storyteller.
• The Community = The Crew. Everyday users become cinematographers, athletes, adventurers, and brand reps.
• The Incentive = The Awards. Cash prizes, gear upgrades, and platform exposure fuel ongoing participation.
• The Distribution = GoPro’s Channels. Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and beyond—powered almost entirely by UGC.
  

This is the content loop every modern brand wants: product-led, community-driven, infinitely scalable.

Implications for B2B: Replace “Adventure” With “Expertise”

GoPro is a consumer brand, sure, but the lesson translates. Your customers may not be base jumping, but they are doing meaningful, visual work. Whether it’s an AV integrator setting up a stadium, an engineer testing a prototype, or a healthcare provider using your tech, those moments are content.

The question is: are you giving them a way to capture it, submit it, and feel seen?

You don’t need to reinvent GoPro’s model. You just need to build your own version of:

• A clear incentive (recognition, visibility, rewards)
• A frictionless way to contribute (UGC tools, async prompts)
• A plan for amplification (your content channels, their audiences)

Your Product Can Be the Story

GoPro didn’t just build a content pipeline. They built a movement. Their customers weren’t just using the product—they were proving its value, one epic clip at a time.

In B2B, your product might not capture skydives—but it can capture credibility. The expertise, insights, and outcomes your users experience every day are your best marketing. You just need the system to surface them.

At MarketScale, we help B2B brands do exactly that—turn customers and employees into content creators, and products into stories.

Prompt this into GPT-4: How can I design a UGC program like GoPro’s for my B2B brand?