While NFTs, Dogecoin and Clubhouse dominate the limelight, another business has been busy racing to a trillion dollars: Outdoor Recreation.
In the last year, people have been getting outside like never before. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, consumers spent $887 billion over the course of the year since the pandemic started, and those numbers are only continuing to grow. Spend on hiking equipment is expected to rise 6% to $7.4 billion in 2021, while camping is predicted to reach $40 billion, a 13% increase from the previous year.
Many of these people were newcomers to the outdoors during the Covid lockdown, gravitating towards one of the few safe ways to get out of the house. The Outdoor Association found three main characteristics that defined new participants.
Now the big question on the industry’s mind is: How to keep these newcomers around for years to come? The answer lies in community.
Whether your goal is to learn new skills, get healthier, or develop new relationships, nature is the perfect conduit. A handful of startups, big brands and nonprofits have stepped up their content game to bring new participants into the fold, while supercharging the experience for long-time outdoors enthusiasts.
Alex Honnold on the way to summit El Capitan, sans-ropes
One example is ROAM Media, which is building “the biggest adventure club in the world.” Members pay a subscription fee for access to educational content from top adventurers like Jimmy Chin of Free Solo fame, discounts on popular adventurer’s gear, and weekly virtual meetups for connecting with other members. Other startups like Hipcamp and Alltrails are lowering the barrier for camping and hiking. Hipcamp makes it easy to find private camping options near you, while Alltrails finds the best trail based on your preferences. Although the core product brings people in, they often stay for the active community of hosts and reviewers on the platform. Content is the glue that holds these pieces together by giving users an always-on source of information and entertainment that can easily be scaled across channels.
People are also gravitating towards brands that take a stand. Two major players that have put shared community values in the spotlight are Patagonia and REI. Patagonia has long been an environmental advocate, but in recent years has taken bolder steps into the political realm, including sewing a “vote the assholes” tag into their gear and boycotting Facebook for inaction over the spread of misinformation. REI has been encouraging their members to get outside on Black Friday every year by ceasing sales online and in-store for the day. These actions resonate with the community, while providing fuel for their massive content engines. Patagonia regularly produces premium storytelling around their values such as with this documentary looking at a future where energy is community-owned and operated, while REI produces several series looking at #ZeroWaste strategies for getting outdoors.
lululemon, Charlie Dark Marathon Training
As more people experience the wonder of getting outside, brands have the opportunity to build communities that educate, entertain, and connect through stories. At Tongal, we’ve had an incredible time telling stories about the outdoors with partners ranging from The North Face and National Geographic to lululemon and Lenovo. For lululemon, the team scaled content during COVID-19 using real lululemon customers ranging from professional athletes like Nick Foles to everyday wearers in pursuit of their personal best. In each case, our distributed network of creators have been on the ground capturing the most amazing moments Mother Nature has to offer, building communities of outdoor lovers one story at a time.
