As traditional segments for outdoor lifestyle continue to slow, we see the appeal and potential of engaging a mass market audience continuing to grow.

The mass market offers great opportunities but brings with it the challenges of a more diverse and demanding customer as well as strong new competitors established in their markets.

And all of this plays out in a centralised society where urban and youth markets offer the richest pickings but the toughest customers.

Not only are they challenging traditional outdoor activities, they are also no longer willing to just take what’s on offer. They expect experiences, support, health, well-being and ideals to get behind.

The Future of Outdoor Lifestyle

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FUTURE SERIES by

Mass market & the everyday explorerUrban customers, outdoor pursuitsThe desire to be the best possible youIn the following pages we will unpack these challenges in more detail and examine the opportunities they create. We would love to hear your thoughts and opinions.

© Green Room 20172

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01_ Mass market & the everyday explorer

Mass markets mean wider demographics and more diverse customers with differing needs. Balancing these needs is a delicate and risky endeavour. In addition, they are likely to have an existing affinity with one of the sportswear giants. Challenging them on the edge of their market is a big but potentially rewarding challenge. A key market we see with potential for growth is the everyday explorer, a group as likely to walk their dog in a performance jacket as attempt the Tour de Mont Blanc. Moving these customers from casual users into outdoor explorers through encouragement and empowerment is a huge opportunity... and challenge. The emerging trend of outdoor wear as fashion also poses significant opportunities and risks. Similar to the growth of ‘athleisure’ in the sportswear market, ‘fashion’ has the potential to have a seismic impact on the outdoor market. Why shouldn’t a stylish jacket also be highly technical? Whilst embracing these new markets offers great growth potential, it also poses a challenge to brand perception and a risk of alienating the core pro-sumer. Balancing a brand’s appeal to these diverse markets is the ultimate goal.

The challenges_

01Mass market appeal means a more diverse customer base with differing needs

02Challenging the boundaries of the sportswear giants

How are you creating balanced brand appeal in dynamic and adaptive ways?

03Growing the untapped potential of the ‘everyday explorer’

04Embracing theopportunitiescreated by the‘Fashion’ market

05Maintaining brand authority in outdoor without alienating the pro-sumer

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01_ The big opportunities

Green Room see a number of exciting ways to meet these challenges: Consider how your USP can create opportunities to attract the ‘everyday explorer’ away from the established sportswear giants Create community engagement platforms that inspire and empower the ‘everyday explorer’ to take the next step Consider opportunities to deliver fashion focussed messages and experiences that appeal to new markets without damaging your authority Curate experiences for the pro-sumer using your pro-athletes that challenge them push their level and reinforce your credentials Be agile and mobile, take your brand and a specifically tailored version of your offer where your pro-sumers will be

_Hunter

The last few years have seen Hunter evolve from a highly functional boot company to a fully fledged fashion brand. Leveraging their position as a celebrity festival staple, Hunter have created new fashion focussed ranges full of bold colours, high-fashion styled marketing campaigns and new store concepts that position them strongly within the fashion world.

Throughout this process they have worked to maintain their existing core market, effectively splitting the brand to appeal to both.

_Skratch TV

Skratch TV is an internet based video network funded by the PGA with a remit to challenge the perception of golf as an expensive and elitist sport.

The channel creates original content targeted at attracting new and younger audiences to the sport as well as delivering tour highlights with a strong focus on social media.

_Adidas: Runbase

Targeting committed runners with a desire to improve, Runbase is a store and facility that offers a broad range of complimentary services and classes aimed at attracting elite runners and building a community around them.

In addition to classes, medical support and a lab kitchen for dietary support, Runbase offers a tangible game-ified reward system based on performance. Runners receive points for every kilometre run, building them up to raise their level and thereby pay less in store.

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The challenges_

01The need to appeal to a highly affluent target with big expectations

02Disconnect between the purchasing environment and the usage environment

03The challenges of new urban definitions of outdoor pursuits

04Increased competitor density in urban centres

05The need to communicate relevance to an urban youth demographic

02_ Urban customers, social outdoors

Overcrowded urban customers are an important and growing market for outdoor lifestyle. The desire to escape the city and connect with nature provides powerful motivation to engage with outdoor pursuits within their ‘comfort zone’. High affluence within the demographic makes it an important but challenging market to target, with high expectations and increased competition. One particular challenge to engage the urban demographic is the disconnect between the purchasing environment and the traditional usage environment. Inspiring and enabling potentially inexperienced customers to make that perceptive jump to understanding and purchase will be a key challenge. On top of this, urban consumers are challenging what we define as outdoor pursuits. From extremes of Urbex and Buildering to the simplicity of a city park walk, this target are seeking fashionable and technical kit that will help them explore their urban environment. The urban youth demographic are another growing sub-market that require specific messaging due to their millennial frame of reference and desire to take multiple short trips.

How are you planning to address the unique challenges of the urban market?

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02_ The big opportunities

Green Room see a number of exciting ways to meet these challenges: Build urban hubs that bring customers together and create an outdoor-loving community in the city Become a curator of experiences; inspire and deliver ideas for your customers or deliver them peer-to-peer Pilot new channels and experiences that explore what ‘outdoor lifestyle’ means in urban centres Identifying product that is a good ‘all rounder’ taking consumers from commute to explore Enable customers by creating “Try before you buy” giving them the experience of using the gear, as well as delivering where and when they need it

_House of Vans

In the face of declining facilities for skateboarding in London, Vans opened House of Vans as a hub for the skating community.

Offering gig venues, street art exhibitions and artist incubators as well as skate parks and cafes, House of Vans also creates a focal point for a range of street culture communities, bringing them together in one place with great facilities in a safe environment.

_New Balance x Westin Hotels

Westin Hotels have partnered with New Balance to provide a running gear lending service across its hotel network, encouraging customers to stay fit whilst travelling without the hassle of carrying their own gear with the line “You’re more likely to run if it’s convenient”.

For $6, customers get a new pair of running socks to keep and the loan of shoes and other gear for their stay. The lending offer is part of a wider wellness offer being run by Westin called “The Elements of Well Being”.

_Globetrotter

Globetrotter have created a “Try before you buy” paradise for outdoor lovers at their Koln flagship, allowing customers to truly experience the benefit of their products.

In addition to a cold room for ski gear and a shower room for waterproofs, there is a lake for testing canoes or scuba gear. Customers are even able to test out camping gear by staying over in the store for special events.

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The challenges_

01Increased interest from customers in self fulfillment & improvement

02Increased expectation from customers of tangible support from brands

03Desire from customers for internal balance and wellness

04Increasing social conscience to go beyond ‘Do no harm’

03_ The desire to be the best you possible

As we grapple with the idea of a post consumerist society, so we see increased interest in self fulfilment and self improvement in all its forms. A desire for health and fitness sits centrally in this. Product services such as Fuel Band & Fitbit have set expectations that we can be helped to be a better version of ourselves. Customers no longer just want to buy the dream, they want to achieve it and they expect tangible support from brands to help them get there. Fitness aside we also see a desire for emotional and psychological wellness. Driven by the over connected stresses of modern life, customers are seeking the kind of internal balance that the escapism and socialisation of the outdoor lifestyle market resonates with deeply. Behind this we see the consumer’s growing sense of social and environmental responsibility. Customers are looking to ensure that they go beyond ‘do no harm’ to the areas they visit and actually have a positive impact instead.

How are you planning to help your customers self actualise?

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03_ The big opportunities

Green Room see a number of exciting ways to meet these challenges: Look to your brand’s USP to create opportunities for customers to self improve that resonate with your values Develop spaces and services that offer recurring support to customers, creating multiple opportunities to engage - training groups, goal setting, escapism Leverage the emotional peace that your pursuits bring as well as the sense of achievement Generate environmentally responsible initiatives that resonate with your brand values or look at ways to connect your customers with those that you already do

_REI, #optoutside

With a simple but powerful idea that resonated with their brand belief that the outdoors makes people’s lives better, REI closed all 143 of their stores as well as their head office and distribution centres for Black Friday, and encouraged their customers to do the same with the #optoutside campaign.

The campaign was supported through their app with a location based inspiration service for where to go and what to do instead of shopping.

This simple act gained huge media attention and brand equity.

_Lululemon, Hub Seventeen

Resonating with their brand values, Lululemon offer free yoga classes in their stores across the globe with customers taking to their mats right on the shopfloor.

Pushing this to the next level, their New York flagship ‘Hub 17’ offer a concierge to help book fitness classes beyond their own, digital notice boards with running routes and restaurant recommendations, as well as a community space focussed on wellness.

_Patagonia, Worn Wear

Worn Wear is an initiative from Patagonia which encourages customers not to purchase their products, but rather to repair, reuse and recycle them in order to extend their life and reduce impact on the environment.

A long-standing part of their service offer, the initiative was recently supported with a video series highlighting brand ambassador’s stories of reuse and a touring pick-up truck that repairs people’s clothing at the point of use.

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Focussing on inclusion and accessibility, we worked with Nike to create and deliver brand experiences for their ‘We own the night’ 10k events in parks across London.

The goal was to empower women to run more or run faster. The event united runners of all levels in an exciting and engaging environment.

Bringing an innovative new product to Nike’s community of runners, the Flyknit experience challenged them to push themselves to the limit and see how the new shoe allowed them to improve their performance.

The experience travelled across Europe, engaging customers and creating advocates.

NIKEWe own the night events

NIKEFlyknit Experience

04_ Our case studies

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Sun & Sands SportsFlagship Digital Store

The North FaceGlobal Roll-Out

Three digitally immersive games were built for the retail space.

As well as product trial, retail theatre, and emotional engagement, the interactions also had a 40% opt in rate for social media.

For The North Face, ‘Bringing the outdoors in’ was achieved through the careful placement of tactile, natural and contextual references within the retail space.

The #NeverStopLondon community was also born from the retail space, engaging advocates to amplify their enthusiasm for the brand.

04_ Our case studies

Thank you

Assay studios, Newhall St, Birmingham, B3 1BF UKPrinsengracht 463-HS, 1016HP, Amsterdam, The Netherlands41 Corsham St, London, N1 6DR UKwww.greenroomdesign.com

If you would like to discuss these ideas further, please do get in touch.+44 (0) 121 200 2828info@greenroomdesign.com