Outdoor brands are not new to urban markets. In fact, without urbanites, the industry wouldn’t exist as we know it. Drive I-87 North from NYC, I-80 East from San Francisco or I-70 West from Denver on a Friday evening and you’ll see outdoor enthusiasts ready to play. Still, many brands’ marketing strategies fall short for citified adventurers, leaving untapped opportunities up for grabs. Experts like the Outdoor Industry Association have reported that urban-dwelling participation is on the rise — is your brand effectively reaching this growing market?
Let’s look at shifting trends in this industry and the channels and tactics outdoor companies should pursue to dominate the market across any urban sprawl.
Marketing Channels for Urban Outdoorsmen
Marketing to an urban outdoor audience is different from marketing to typical nature lovers because capturing these diverse consumers requires a toolbox of strategies for email, social channels and traditional media. Suburbanites’ lives revolve heavily around the very devices they go outside to escape, and they’re surrounded by billboards, city buses and park benches where traditional media lives. Outdoor lifestyle brands marketing to city-based audiences should focus on digital and traditional channels, and even experiential marketing, to cut through the smog of other brands and deliver urban commuters messages where they work, live and play.
Messaging must be laser-focused on your brand’s values and mission so customers can see how your views align with theirs. Nature-loving city dwellers need to know the lifestyle brands they support also support causes they care about, and a compelling marketing campaign puts adventurers at ease with their out-of-office passions.
Tactics for Outdoor Brands Reaching Urban Enthusiasts
Outdoor participation hit a record high this year, the Outdoor Industry Association reported. Recreationists grew by 4.1%, topping 57% of the U.S. population. This should tell lifestyle brands that their markets are expanding and their marketing strategies must follow suit. Any outdoor brand that isn’t focused on city-based audiences is already behind and should refocus its marketing now to begin reaching the millions of people who will head outside this year.
You don’t have to wait for a specific season or another pandemic to market to urban audiences. Work-from-home burnout and office politics push people outside year-round, and urban sportswear and lifestyle accessories are the new subway gear.
Reflect a Diverse Customer Base
The people enjoying outdoor recreation are more racially and ethnically diverse than ever, and outdoor brands must account for these vast demographics. Too often outdoor marketing strategies feature one-note narratives that can alienate diverse city-based consumers. Make inclusivity your throughline and promote underrepresented groups and storylines to make your products and services approachable to all explorers, urban and otherwise. Consider email campaigns on accessible adventures, share social media posts showing your team sponsoring or participating in inclusive causes, or interview the leader of a woman-led or minority hiking group.
Boldly Cross Industry Lines
Ask 50 urbanites to define ‘outdoorsy’ and you’ll get 50 different definitions. Lifestyle brands solely focused on remote environments and experienced pathfinders are missing opportunities to showcase their outdoor products in everyday situations. Many people hitting the trails do so to have a good time — and look good doing it. Outdoor brands may need to blur the lines on what ‘outdoorsy’ means to show casual adventurers how their gear fits into laid-back camping trips or climbs. Social media marketing and email campaigns featuring stunning yet down-to-earth visuals can resonate loudly with this audience and still amplify the brand’s values and mission.
Focus Content Marketing on Story vs. Performance
Though quality and performance specs are important for many outdoor enthusiasts, these aren’t the only selling points to incorporate into urban outdoor marketing strategies. The Outdoor Industry Association stated that 7.7 million Americans tried a recreational activity last year for the first time, and you can bet many of these people live in urban environments.
Storytelling for outdoor brands builds on this momentum and motivates city-based adventurers to purchase the gear they need to escape the high-rises for the afternoon. Segment your audience by interests or purchase history and create email campaigns with relatable stories highlighting connections to nature, leaving extreme athletic accomplishments for your experienced customers. Write educational blog posts to introduce people to new pursuits, and present your products as solutions for seamless outings. Create imagery that feels approachable and authentic and concentrate your video production efforts on tranquil escapes and wide-open spaces that entice city dwellers.
Interest-Based Ad Targeting
Outdoor brands shouldn’t ignore the value of targeted pay-per-click ads for capturing the attention of city-based adventurers gearing up for another season or a new sport. Dig into the algorithms (or lean on an outdoor lifestyle brand ad agency to do the heavy lifting) to analyze age and location and zero in on the niche audience for your products or related activities. Consider lookalike audiences to reach new people considering hitting the slopes or trails.
Scale Campaigns to Compete
Brands must scale marketing in urban environments to compete with high-rise buildings, street signs and advertising density. This doesn’t necessarily mean bigger size-wise; it means crafting bolder, more innovative and more interactive media to stand out in crowded locations saturated with advertisements.
Placing ads in a transit station or personalizing a bus stop bench can capture attention, and taking it a step further with a QR code or augmented reality experience increases campaign engagement and captures leads. Since commuters likely have their phones in hand, they can easily reference your ad to find your social media accounts and learn more about your brand and company values.
Interactive street installations or experiential marketing campaigns can also get urban explorers’ attention amid a bustling city. Create pop-up events near entertainment districts or high-traffic areas to gain traction with people ready to be entertained. Select an art installation or temporary climbing wall to increase engagement and inspire user-generated content to help spread your reach organically.
Create an Online Community
Your social media channels should be a hub for fans and newbies to discover gear, find educational content and interact with fellow enthusiasts. If your social channels are lacking, consider asking an ad agency for outdoor lifestyle brands to optimize your accounts to get them up to speed. Dive into analytics to see which platforms customers in urban zip codes prefer, then focus your most relatable visuals and stories there. Invest time into engagement and interaction, respond to feedback, and acknowledge contributions from users sharing their outdoor experiences and gear recommendations.
User-generated content plays a big role in community building. Consider hosting contests to encourage users to share photos and videos of themselves enjoying natural environments, from city parks to local peaks. Fifty-one percent of millennials say they trust user-generated content more than branded posts, and as this age group overtakes the working class, outdoor brands should position themselves as solutions for after-work adventures. UGC’s authenticity offers an excellent solution to connect people to your brand and the pursuit.
With fully integrated marketing strategies, outdoor lifestyle brands can successfully engage urban and rural customers, from novices to experienced adventurers. If you need help getting started, contact our ad agency. We’re experts in outdoor lifestyle brands and understand how to develop marketing strategies for any niche or passion.