Insight Archive

Why is the action, outdoor and adventure travel audience is so attractive for brands not even in the industry? How about 100 million reasons?

By
Matthew Chase
Published: November 16, 2010Posted in: Insight, Spot LightTags: , , , , , , , ,
Why is the action, outdoor and adventure travel audience is so attractive for brands not even in the industry? How about 100 million reasons?

From the standpoint of helping a brand “appeal” effectively to consumers, I’m a big believer they need to authentically connect to their lifestyle and sense of self-expression. A lot of my friends in the greater marketing and advertising world think it’s limiting to focus on a particular group of people. However, we’ve always felt the only way to authentically engage your audience is to understand their nuances intimately as both a participant and member of the industry.

I’d stack the action, outdoor, and adventure travel audience and lifestyle up against any in terms of inspiration, devotion and enthusiasm. They are incredibly committed to their brands if addressed at the core of how they see themselves. Rather than telling them who they should be or how they should behave, connect to what they aspire to be. Whether it be a pro like Shaun White, or a die hard enthusiast living the life by putting in 150 days surfing all over the world for nothing but the love of it, creating that association goes a long way to being included in their admirer’s pattern of behavior.

How large is this audience?

  • Participation in “core” outdoor sports and Activities is over 100m in the US alone according to the Outdoor Industry Association’s 2010 participation report. That’s nearly 1 in 3 people.
  • According to the Snow Industry Association’s (SIA) latest report, 1 in 10 Americans say they ski, ride and/or snow shoe. That’s about 30m people the snow lifestyle appeals to, give or take.
  • Check out the Transworld media kit which targets youth Action Sports . Who wouldn’t want to appeal to 25m 14-28 year olds?

Transworld Media Kit

Just as a caveat. I agree there is a big difference in the definitions of participation. There is a wide divide between those who actually skateboard regularly and those that just bought skate shoes for the one time they tried skateboarding. However, for our purposes it doesn’t really matter. It’s about appealing to one’s aspirations.

This is in by no means a new thing. Since the dawn of outdoor and action sports, brands both core and non-core have been striving to appeal to this audience. There are some classic examples of brands that have used this approach successfully to promote products that, technically, have nothing to do with the lifestyle but have become integral nonetheless by sponsoring events, movies and athletes as well as running campaigns that clearly connect them:

  • For those that can remember Red Bull in the very early 90s. They were very much associated with the underground teen “rave” lifestyle. Shortly thereafter they made a conscious shift to re-associate with “action sports.” One look at their site makes this clear. Given the lifestyle’s ability to inspire emotions of energy, pushing boundaries, and excitement this was a great fit. RB is now closing in on being a $3b company.

Red Bull Site

  • In the 80’s Subaru took their station wagon, which was not much more than a “tin can” on wheels (coming from a fan by the way), and attached itself as an integral part of snow sports industry to amazing success. Here are a few quick recent samples I found:




  • I’m particularly fond of the new Nike, Dwayne Wade and Miami Heat. Who would have thought they NBA needed action sports to be perceived as exciting and new. Note you won’t see a basketball anywhere.


  • Shoot, even Accenture, a management consulting firm, is using surfing. Thanks Tiger. Glad we could help.

Mom, dad what was it like to be in your prime when Action Sports began?

By
Matthew Chase
Published: August 24, 2010Posted in: Insight, Spot LightTags: , ,
Mom, dad what was it like to be in your prime when Action Sports began?

I think we live in an amazing age for action sports and outdoor adventure, but I’m also fascinated by what it was like during the dawn of these sports when they really became lifestyles and forms of self-expression. It’s no wonder so many non-endemic brands strive to engage and be identified with these inventive, boundary and trend setting lifestyles. Rather than innovate, taking the sport and lifestyle to new levels, which is what we do today, what was it like to invent the sport in the first place? This morning I decided to explore my theory that these sports came into being around ‘65 – ‘75. Couple that with the crazy shit happening in music and film, you have think…to be in your prime then, and in California… wow…  You have to wonder what that scene was like and if they even knew what was happening. For those of you thinking it all started in the 90’s. Sorry. I’d love to get some feedback from people who remember.

Surfing was first recorded back in the 18th century, but it blew up in the US during the 60’s as the first movies came out and the Beach Boy’s started singing about it on ‘surfin safari’. It was also the advent of the shortboard in the late 60s which introduced the modern form of the sport. image

Motorcross was getting popular already in Europe around the 30s with the first world championships in ‘59. It was introduced to the US in 1966 and took off in 1972 with the first stadium event in the LA Coliseum.

downloadSkateboarding was started by surfers looking to recreate the experience when waves were flat around 1950. It hit the mainstream when Skateboarder Magazine launched and international championships were broadcast on national television in 1965. Technology-wise urethane wheels got popular in early 70s.

BMX begins with a single bicycle: the Schwinn Stingray, invented in 1963 to emulate the motocross experience. The Bicycle United Motocross Society was formed in 1970 and by the late 70s, the BMX Action Trick Team was being formed.

Climbing got really interesting with the advent of Free Climbing which didn’t use any artificial aids in the 60s. This is when the biggest climbing brands got their start. Most notably, Yvon Chouinard, the founder of what is now Black Diamond and Patagonia (and team) climbed the North American Wall on El Capitan. In 1968, Royal Robbins would solo the Muir Wall on El Capita.

Windsurfing was created in 1964 with Windsurfing International being formed as the first industry brand

Mountainbiking was started in the late 60s by Gary Fisher in the US on the hills of Marin County using the earliest form of mountain bike, called a “klunkerz,” with races starting around ‘75.

Skiing slammed into the popularity as two friends with the coolest names in sports, Spider Sabich and Billy Kid, placed 5th in the ‘68 Olympics, inspiring the film Downhill Racer with Robert Redford before turning pro in 1970. To all you ski film innovators,  did you know Warren Miller by ‘69 Warren Miller was on his 22nd ski film, “any snow, any mountain” and was hitting full stride? If your not into the racing or film side of skiing, freestyle skiing was legit already by 1965 through pioneers like Bob Burns. In 1976 the World Freestyle Championships were held and ABC Wide World of Sports televised the event.

Snowboarding came into begin with the Snurfer in 1966, but was mainly used by kids. The first “adult” boards were being made by 1969 by Dimitrije Molovich and called the “winter stick” as covered in a variety of magazines, such as Powder and Newsweek. However it was the advent of bindings that allowed athletes to take it to a new level by Jake Burton and Tom Sims in 1977.

Social norming saving lives in motorcycle safety

By
Matthew Chase
Published: July 28, 2010Posted in: InsightTags:

Recently we’ve had the extraordinary ability to use social norming in changing behavior successfully in our motorcycle safety campaigns with the military. Most notably, Semper Ride has seen a 40% reduction in fatalities year over year.  The Outdoor Adventure and Action Sports industry has an enormous opportunity to expand this to influence their audience in a more positive way than to just buy their latest product. Amazingly this can drive up the participation in their sports simultaneously.  The question is, will they take up the gauntlet?

Social Norming is the practice of taking an “at risk” audience and making them aware of how their perception of reality compares with actual reality. Take an obvious example such as someone who drinks in excess (say 4 beers a night). Especially with younger audiences the perception is that they don’t drink more than the average person. Using social norming, you would use a credible messenger to show them that in reality they drink significantly more than than the average person who only drinks 1 beer (i’m making this example up)  per night.

Semper Ride took the approach of introducing professional athletes to address the perception that they didn’t ride safely and that was the only way to be successful. In fact most athletes work with a team of support personnel, wear more than the standard safety gear and don’t ride in a risky manner on public highways and streets.

The British have been noted for making some very powerful commercials in recent years. One of my favorites involves the Grim Reaper as the messenger. Take note of the statistical comparison between the incidents involving military personnel versus  the general public. The rest is just powerful emotional entertainment and messenging.

Crowdsourcing’s role in film and video taking shape

By
Matthew Chase
Published: July 26, 2010Posted in: InsightTags:

More and more we’re seeing film using crowdsourcing as a creative form. You need only Google “Crowdsourcing Film” to get a quick whiff. The beauty of it is the tangible involvement of fans and patrons where they have an actual hand in the creative process for the first time. As we consider this in our own Outdoor Adventure and Action Sports related projects, the scope of possibility is nearly endless.

Melissa Ittoo let us know about how Crowdsourcing hits the silver screen with YouTube’s ‘Life in a Day” experiment.

“On 24 July film-makers will have the opportunity to take part in a cinematic experiment aiming to create the world’s largest feature film.

Entrants to YouTube’s Life in a Day project, which boasts film director Ridley Scott as its executive producer, will have 24 hours to record a snapshot of their life on that date and upload it to the project’s YouTube channel. The best footage will be selected and edited by director Kevin Macdonald for a feature film to premiere at the 2011 Sundance Film Festival.

Anyone whose footage is used will be credited as a co-director, and all submissions will feature on the Life in a Day YouTube channel irrespective of whether they make the final cut.

The following instructions to take part are posted by the project:

  • Visit the Life in a Day channel and learn more about the project. Be sure to read through the steps you need to take to participate and the guidelines for creating your video.  Also check out some of the sample videos for inspirational ideas.
  • On July 24, capture your day on camera.
  • Upload your footage to the Life in a Day channel before July 31.

Original article

Mashable’s top viral video in 2009 is pro mountain bike rider Danny MacAskill

By
Matthew Chase
Published: July 26, 2010Posted in: Insight, Spot LightTags: , ,
Mashable’s top viral video in 2009 is pro mountain bike rider Danny MacAskill

Came across this on Mashable today. I find it interesting because Mashable rarely notices the action sports scene. However, it is the most influential publication in the Social Media space. The ranked this the the #1 viral video last year. I’d like to see what you think is unique here? Note we’re talking about 20 million views.

Mashable’s take was “Inspired Bicycles’ team rider Danny MacAskill scales fences in and around Edinburgh, Scotland. The video is as mesmerizing as its hypnotic soundtrack from music group Band of Horses. It’s a solid example of how a brand pursuing a niche market – mountain bike trailblazers – can reach the masses with a brilliant viral video execution.”

At One Eyed Bird we believe Outdoor Adventure an Action sports can work for a variety of brands who want to leverage a “trail blazer” theme.

Jonah Harrison leads Seattle cause marketing at Index

By
Matthew Chase
Published: July 23, 2010Posted in: InsightTags:

When Jonah told me about the plight up at Index and how he and Washington area climbers were  working with major brands like REI I immediately thought what a great example of local Cause Marketing in action. Cause Marketing is technically defined as a non-profit organization and a for profit organization collaborating for mutual benefit. In this case the “cause” was to save the Index climbing area from the evil quarry people who were out to resume their wicked ways and thus forcing climbers wayward. The collaboration between REI (getting a little local community, marketing and PR love) and the climbers to generate enough funds through additional partnerships with Boeing and Microsoft have been eye opening. Way to go Jonah…Here he is with Doug Walker on KIRO this past week.

Jonah on KIRO

The sports industry must understand Social Media is not Facebook and Twitter

By
The One Eyed Bird
Published: May 18, 2010Posted in: InsightTags: ,

The more I talked to friends in the action sports and outdoor adventure industry, the more I run into the idea that Social Media = Facebook and Twitter and “whatever” you do there qualifies you as engaged. More often than not though they treat these tools as online distribution channels more akin to television or radio which are one way forms of communication.

Social media and web 2.0 are interlinked terms that describe an approach to engaging audiences, delivering messages and changing behavior online. Facebook and Twitter are merely two trendy platforms where this can take place. What differentiates these strategies from others is the philosophical and tactical emphasis on enhancing social behavior online and requires two-way relationships. If you are a social person that knows how to build friendships, then you already know the concepts including:

You’ll meet more people if you go to where the party is: Individuals are extending and interacting with their social networks online at levels impossible offline. Before social media human’s could effectively manage 150 personal relationships (see The Dunbar Number), but online their reach can be extended 2-3 times. For organizations to effectively deliver a message or change behavior, their audience needs to spread the word, so it’s important to interact through the “appropriate” social network where related interactions take place. This is why Facebook and Twitter are important. They’re like the cool bar in town, but social interactivity isn’t going away if they close their doors.

It’s more fun to go to the right party where the people and experience match your interests: Most people rarely go to just any party. They go where people are interesting and the experiences they’re looking for take place. In the same way, online communities and social networks where individuals connect and interact will continue to develop, but in niche areas of interest. Organizations that can tap into exactly the right audiences gathering around exactly the right topics have reached targeting Mecca and should engage viscerally. However, they must choose between subdividing mass communities (e.g. Facebook groups), organizations creating private communities (e.g. Red Bull, Burton), special interest groups spreading (e.g. music, sports), local groups increasing in popularity (California, Seattle etc.) and “white label” tools (e.g. Ning) where anyone can create their own.

Create your own club: If you want to control the party experience you want socially, then have your own dang party. Likewise, to engage an audience online most effectively, organizations should host their own communities where their message is at its core and full data access, analytics, security and functionality can meet their specific needs and goals. This replaces an organization’s web site strategy with a new approach online interactivity. A well nurtured community where value is consistently being provided among participants (between org & members, as well as among members) that can create unparalleled audience engagement.

Sharing is a two way exchange: We tell kids this all the time. Organization’s also must promote digital sharing of information, media and other content within social networks. Pushing content digitally at an audience is not social. For it to be social, an exchange needs to happen between two parties. Ideally this includes community members sharing among one another, not just with the host organization.

Give value to get value: Organizations need to contribute value digitally for the benefit of the broader online community before they can expect anything of value in return. This goes for individuals and organizations. Producing value increases awareness, trust and influence which is critical for changing behavior. The rub is that organizations must learn what the audience deems valuable, which is different that an organization telling them what they need to know.

Believe in the wisdom of crowds: A well incented community can work together and produce amazing value (e.g. Wikipedia) and organizations can harness this as well (Google Maps). An organization should put the crowd to work building their pyramid.

Reach out and touch someone: Organizations can reach out directly to skilled communities to accomplish specific tasks or projects if they’ve been properly nurtured and incented (e.g. contests).

Listen and respond: It’s vital when two parties directly engage that there is a two way conversation. This rule doesn’t change just because it’s online.

This is a repost of Matthew Chase’s article on his personal blog.

Outdoor industry participation must be fixed

By
Matthew Chase
Published: May 10, 2010Posted in: Insight, Spot LightTags:
Outdoor industry participation must be fixed

The outdoor and action sports industry shows many instances of growth, but overall participation in outdoor recreation is on the decline. However there is a great opportunity for businesses, the government, conservationists and outdoor groups to work together and fix it.

I recently read Doug Walker’s (Chairman of the Board at REI) talk “Not So Much of a Good Thing” given in January, 2010 where he talks about a “fundamental and pervasive shift away from nature-based recreation.” I found this particularly interesting as I think how it impacts the world of Action Sports and Outdoor Adventure. Don’t worry I’m just giving the nut of it with my input.

Historically outdoor recreation began 10,000 years ago, but the modern era dates back to the industrial revolution and came to America. Today, we live in a post-industrial age where it may not be holding its value in society.

According to the research he collected (gross summary follows here): Per-capita outdoor recreation has been declining in this country since the mid 1980s with annual declines of 1.2% and cumulative declines of 18-25%. The US Forest Service indicates a 13% drop in visitors, kids are getting fat with 50% fewer active outdoors and (http://www.bls.gov/tus/) even the average American has only 19 minutes per day for sports, exercise, and physical recreation.

In the outdoor and action sports industry, you need to distinguish between “participation” and “revenue.” In terms of the “big” numbers there has been revenue and viewership growth, but this is not due to greater participation, but increased “lifestyle” adoption. It’s irrefutable that a massive segment of the population is trying to identify with outdoor adventure and action sports. However this is resulting in more and more “posers” rather than “doers.” For instance, skiing participation has declined steadily for 20 years and with it snow-sports per-capita (sorry snowboarders – a lot of switched, but many are just leaving the mountains altogether). Finicky fashion trends selling hats, t-shirts, energy drinks and sunglasses are not where the industry wants to hang its hat long term.

What is also scary is that the demographics of the US are shifting rapidly. Caucasians are only 60% of the population but represent 96% of recreational use of public lands. Conversely, African-Americans are 12% of the US population, they account for only 1% of public land use. Additionally outdoor organizations (Sierra Club, the Mountaineers) and training organizations (Outward bound) are on downward trends and an increasing average membership age.

There is some contradictory evidence, but not enough. Others claim that most of the data is derived from public land use and doesn’t account for private lands or urbanized outdoor activities (skateboarding, mountain biking etc).

This is happening partially because we increasingly sit on our asses in front of a monitor and live in urban areas (up from 13% to 50% worldwide).  However this has been aggravated by the decline in volunteer-based outdoor organizations (Mountaineers, the Mazamas, Sierra Club, Boy Scouts of America etc), the changing family structure (more single parents and less recreational time), estrangement from the outdoors (losing the skills and confidence) and reduced access thanks to conservationists and outright discrimination.

As most people know, the decline in outdoor recreation affects human health and conservation advocacy.  Humans will become less fit physically, psychologically and intellectually while seeing more disease. Lastly as few people identify with the outdoors, environmental organizations will lose support.

This can be fixed and many private and government organizations are getting on the bandwagon. We need to get a lot better at working together towards mutually beneficial goals and cause marketing. We need to build up programs that enable people to get outdoors as well as create more outdoor destination infrastructure while making it easily accessible. Additionally, conservation organizations must reduce legislation and put some effort into advocating for outdoor recreation or they will ultimately lose their constituency.