Outdoor Sports Brands Outside The Topic Circle Do Not Want To Be A Story Less Entertainment Industry.

Looking for several outdoor sports apparel brand products, publicity and photo observation, it is easy to see that the content of the picture is usually one or two outdoor sports enthusiasts, most white people, roaming in the magnificent mountains and lakes.

This conventional propaganda method highlights the spirit of "pursuing self and integrating nature" in outdoor sports brand, but it also causes some controversy.

First of all, why are poster characters mostly white males?

According to industry media Footwear News, the 2018 outdoor sports participation report released by the Outdoor Industry Association shows that 34% of African Americans, 49% of Hispanic residents and 51% of Asian residents (over 6 years old) participate in outdoor sports, and the participation of Asian and Hispanic residents is rising in recent years.

The report also points out that white residents have an average of 76 outdoors per year, 86 for African Americans, 87 for Hispanics, and 74 for Asian.

However, such a proportion has not been shown in the advertising and publicity of outdoor clothing brands. In the expression of brand names, whites seem to be more comfortable with outdoor sports and outdoor scenes.

In contrast, the appeal and self adjustment of professional sports brand on social issues, such as Nike and Adidas, pay more attention to the representation of multiculturalism in their spokesmen and advertising campaigns, and make bold statements on many social issues.

When choosing spokesmen and signing athletes, Nike pays great attention to the selection of women and different colors. Athletes such as James, Serena Williams and Colin Capenik appeal to social equality in advertising, encourage female athletes to break tradition and display themselves in the Middle East. Adidas also openly supports the LGBTQ group and calls for social equality.

Outdoor clothing brands seem to be living outside the mainstream topic.

It is not that they are not strong enough.

According to NPD group data from the US Market Research Institute, from 2016 to 2017, the overall sales of the fashion apparel industry in the United States dropped by 4%, but the field of sportswear increased by 2%. Among them, outdoor sportswear was a major driving force and sales increased 3.2%; while the European Outdoor Group report showed that the total outdoor market in Europe in 2017 reached 5 billion 860 million euros, an increase of 7.2% over the previous year.

However, there are few big brands in outdoor sports brands that have independent influence like Nike or Adidas.

Most outdoor sports brands belong to a group of several similar brands, such as the The North Face (VF Corp.), Tian Bailan (Timberland) and Eagle Creek, the Marmot, Marmot and Jarden of the Columbia group (Jarden Corp), the Columbia, Shan Hao, and "Ho", which are under the banner of Columbia. Recently, the amour FM sports, which are intended to be purchased by the Anta, are under the banner of "the first bird", "Solomon" and "Gao".

Each brand has its own characteristics and user groups, but it is hard for a brand breakout to become a leader in the industry, and it is also difficult to have the topic and appeal of big brands.

Moreover, the popularity of sports and leisure (Athleisure) in recent years has led to the limited growth of outdoor sports brands.

Although the prestige group has several well-known outdoor sports brands, but the most driving group performance growth is the sports leisure brand Vans, its more than 20% annual income growth rate, directly cast off the single digit growth of The North Face and Timberland.

Of course, another important reason why outdoor sports brands are less concerned is also the brand positioning of their own image and ideas.

Outdoor sports brand publicity poster and poster usually show a kind of "embrace the sunshine green space, far away from the urban annoyance" of idle cloud and wild crane attitude, or "conquer the danger, break through the ego" of the enterprising spirit.

The advocacy of these tall people seems to lack the "sense of reality" and "heavy" of big brands in modern life.

In recent years, outdoor sports brands seem to have noticed this problem and are constantly revising and developing their brand image.

As for the cultural diversity mentioned above, many companies, including Merrell, REI and so on, have begun to enhance their working environment through the introduction of talents and external cooperation, and increase the image of different social groups in advertising.

Merrell has introduced the theme of "One Trail" advertisements, using photographs taken by photographers in various states on the outdoors along the way, showing the diversity of outdoor sports participants.

Sue Rechner, brand president, said: "outdoor sports is definitely not a single image of two people standing at the top of the mountain. It can take a walk in the park or take a two mile hike. It's just that our industry has not built such a diversified and diversified scene before."

Another famous outdoor sportswear company, Patagonia (Patagonia), has gained a lot of attention because of President Trump.

Because the Trump administration has announced that it will significantly reduce the area of some national park protected areas, causing a strong opposition from many indigenous tribes and environmental groups.

Patagonia directly blackened the front pages of the official website, and wrote "President The President Stole Your Land". The founder also said he would lodge a complaint against the president.

Patagonia has a sense of social responsibility.

In 2011, "black Friday" Shopping Festival, in Patagonia, New York Times advertised "do not buy this jacket", called on consumers not to buy new clothes, wear old clothes, reduce unnecessary waste.

Similarly, there is an outdoor sports brand REI, which says "no" to flood consumer behavior. The company has been shutting down business during the "black five" in the past few years, so that consumers do not indulge in discount shopping, spend more time with their families and go out for sports.

The North Face also raised the theme of "Walls Are Meant for Climbing (wall is used to climb"), against the increasing number of "wall building" actions that restrict immigration and ethnic minority restrictions and expulsion in society.

No longer stay away from social topics, let outdoor sports brands gain a lot of praise and attention in social media, and establish more emotional connections with young consumers.

After all, the new generation of consumers is not simply paying for products and shopping experience.

According to a survey by RBC Wealth Management of the Royal Bank of Canada, compared with the previous generation, consumers of the millennial generation (about 80% of China's consumers) hope that their consumption can promote social progress. (Wealth)

In Nelson's survey, 72% of respondents surveyed (Generation Z) said they were more willing to promote consumption of companies that optimize social and environmental conditions.