My top 5 Active Outdoor Companies based on branding

This list is based on the overall branding job that the companies have done.  This includes the overall look, the message, the essence, the strength of the brand and the creativity of the brand.  These are in desending order:

5- Patagonia.  Many would argue that this should be higher because it is well known among the faithful.  In a purely outdoors sense, yes it should, but for overall brand strength it lacks a little because of the weakness in the flash (then again, that's what make it what it is).  (BTW, I love Patagonia stuff, this is purely based off of the branding.)

4- Merrell.  I like Merrell.  I think they have great shoes and they've done a good job selling that.  It's incredible that they have done as much with so little.  They are a bit of a one trick pony but I like the organic feel and the appeal to everyone.

3- Mountain Hardware.  The brand is technical.  That is what they want to display.  You know that if the person is wearing the brand then that person understands the outdoors, otherwise they wouldn't be spending that much money on their equipment.  Clean and technical.  I like it for what it is.  They have done a good job of transmitting their message.

2- Columbia.  Mountain Hardware's mother company, Columbia has successfully become the provider to everyone on every level.  The company went from just ski parkas in the 90's to a complete outfitter.  The brand screams quality and value but still screams outdoors.  While not a top technical brand, they save that for MH, they still make great products but the overall branding and experience that Columbia gives you is top notch.  The brand appeals to everyone through imagery, price point, design, and function.  Well done.  (P.S. they make hunting apparel, big plus for me!)

1- The North Face.  They have been killing it for years.  I remember in high school in the 90's when someone had a TNF backpack, they were cool.  Interestingly enough TNF still remains an enigma on purpose.  At the base of the whole essence is a brand that doesn't care what anyone thinks because they basically created the role of an outdoors outfitter.  The simple logo has a ton of equity, the products are always quality and the imagery is solitude with accomplishment much like the brand itself.  As TNF continues to branch into new industries they keep the same essence and branding.  I really enjoy the brand and what has been done with it.  As of now they hold my top spot.

Bear Luke Outfitters and 3DMI Team up for a 3D Pheasant Hunt

On February 27 Bear Luke Outfitters and 3DMI out of South Jordan, Utah teamed up to film a Pheasant Hunt in 3D.  This is one of the first hunting events filmed in 3D at professional grade and the footage will be used for both stock and promotional purposes.  The 3D film industry is growing rapidly and 3D hunts are the next logical progression for the industry. The overall project was a joint effort with Bear Luke Outfitters, 3DMI, Browning Firearms, and Basin Family Pharmacy to offer a different and unique experience to the 3D world.  The most common 3D stock footage is usually aerial shots of city scape or mountain and beach scenes.  With this particular type of shoot the viewer now gets a first hand look at what a pheasant hunt looks and feels like up close and personal.

The shoot took place at the Pleasant Valley Hunting Preserve outside of Myton, Utah.  Peter Fuszuard the owner and founder of 3DMI called it "one of the most difficult shoots he's ever done, but one of the most gratifying".  Peter manned the camera and three hunters Ryan Luke, Brandon Luke and Cory Christensen who also had one dog and the guide George Dean  were the participants in the hunt.  The guides brought three Springer Spaniel dogs and the terrain was "rugged and perfect" according to Peter.  He also commented on how well the dogs worked for filming and how amazing it will be to to get the depth with the dogs that 3D offers.

The hunt lasted close to five hours with 15 birds being taken.  The hunt was threatened by a potential storm that was foretasted to hit which would have made the filming in 3D difficult due to snow flakes appearing directly in front of the camera and having scenery in the distance.  The hunt was treated to blue skies and great weather which all contributed to a very successful hunt.  The most important part of 3D is offering depth, the shoot allowed for birds to be seen flying away and the hunters to be in the foreground.  Overall the idea is to show viewers how the hunt happens but have it be incredibly realistic. Peter thinks that there will be enough footage to put together a spectacular short clip to show to vendors, potential investors, and other outdoor companies who may be looking to film other hunts in 3D.

3DMI focuses on 3D filming and is quickly becoming one of the leading 3D stock footage libraries.  Peter Fuszard has 20 years in the film industry and recently relocated from California to grow his company in Utah while being surrounded by the incredible scenery that Utah has to offer.  Bear Luke Outfitters out of Salt Lake City, Utah is a Outdoors Marketing company that focuses on the outdoors and hunting.  Bear Luke Outfitters organized the hunt and brought in the sponsorships for the hunt.  Browning Firearms out of Morgan, Utah provided the guns and apparel for the hunt and Basin Family Pharmacy in Roosevelt, Utah provided the birds.  This joint effort shows the optimism and growth of the 3D market and overall film market for Utah.

3DMI and Bear Luke Outfitters are hoping to take advantage of the outdoors around Roosevelt to film other outdoor activities in 3D.  Peter commented that Roosevelt is an "untapped market" for outdoor sports and filming.  Peter was impressed by the natural habitat and the very different landscape the Uintah Basin offers.  Many film makers and commercial producers are searching for something unique in terms of scenery and background.  "They are looking for something different, Moab, Canyonlands, the Wasatch Mountains have been numerous times but this, this is truly unique and could offer some great shots" Peter Said.  As the industry grows in Utah, the Uintah Basin is sure to garner some attention for its raw and rugged landscape.

Would be fun Co-Brand! Nissan Xterra Storm Trooper Edition

The other day I was driving around and I saw the "Nissan Xterra Storm Trooper Edition" and couldn't believe my eyes.  It was too good to be true.  I am a nerd yes, but this was great, two things I love!  A solid 4wd vehicle and Star Wars!  I had to look into it more.  I did some research and just as I thought, there really isn't a Storm Trooper Edition, rather some people took the look of a white Xterra with the black tubing and the predominate features and thought that it looked like a Storm Trooper (and they're right, it really does!).  Someone made up some stickers to sell online that looked like the Nissan font and boom, you have a Storm Trooper Edition. 

After I thought more about it it would be an amazing co-brand.  Think about some of the co-branding that goes on with cars.  I wrote earlier about the Jeep Call of Duty Black Ops Edition (here).  Ford has the Expedition Eddie Bauer package, the Harley Davidson package for the F-150, there is the L.L. Bean Outback.  Anyway, the list goes on and on.  This makes total sense from a brand essence point of view.  The Xterra has prided itself on being a rough and tough do anything SUV that is very capable offroad.  It has developed a great following due to the price point and reliability.  The image and essence that Nissan wanted to put out was to compete with the 4Runner and Cherokee but do it in a more adventurous and sophisticated sort of way.  The imagery for some of the campaigns was great.  There were guys repelling into holes and using the Xterra as an anchor, skiing, outdoors etc... all of it was to establish the car as the all in one outdoor adventure car.

Now a Storm Trooper.  They were/are (depending how you look at it) the all in one soldier.  The empire when they were the republic used them for everything.  They were clones but they were given the best traits of the Fett family.  (I'm totally nerding out but bear with my for a moment).  As diverse soldiers they were sent to fight in all kinds of terrain.  They were well equipped and adaptable.  They had a no nonsense look to them and the only way they distinguished rank was by some coloring (same as the military now days with ribbons medals etc...).  These guys were the Xterras of their day.  They did what they were told, they adapted and they weren't the most expensive but you certainly got your moneys worth out of them.

What a cool idea if Nissan could pull it off with Lucas Arts and the entire franchise.  They might sell a boat load of them and I for one would be the first to buy it.  Much like the Jeep Call of Duty Black Ops Edition it would have to meet the demands of both sides.  Do Star Wars lovers like the outdoors and driving 4wd vehicles?  Is it the same market... well, it's not as good as Jeep's and COD.  It would be a little far fetched.  You would need an eclectic person to appreciate what was being done but hey, I would buy one (What does that say about me?)

Some of the later Xterra campaigns in print:

 

Cross over brands: North Face, Keen, Adidas, Montrail, Salomon

It's no secret that I am intrigued by what Under Armour has done with its branding and where it has branched out, but last night my wife and I went to a running store in Salt Lake City called Wasatch Running.  It is probably the leader in running along the Wasatch Front.  While in there I asked about a couple of brands and what they thought of them there.  I asked about the Five Fingers and they said it was a good brand but would never run on pavement with them.  I asked about Under Armour and the consensus was that their running shoes just hadn't been around long enough.  What intrigued me most were the cross over brands meaning the trail shoes, the outdoors and the running world colliding.

The North Face.  It's an interesting problem to have.  First of all you have to develop a shoe that has the technology to compete with traditional running shoes and second you have to deomonstrate a knowledge of the outdoors.  In the window of the store was a big North Face poster with a trail runner.  It had the typical TNF feel to it, a stoic picture with someone completing something dificult but it was all in the parameters of running.  TNF definitely has the outdoors thing down but the running acumen is still something that they are accomplishing.  By sponsoring athletes and setting up a trail running campaign TNF is hoping to gain some credibility in the market.  Columbia has tried and is still trying but succeeding to a lesser degree.  TNF is crossing over into the athletic world in their apparel also.  It offers technical shirts for quick wicking with images of people training and running suggesting that they know their stuff.  It'll be fun to see how far they go and if they eventually get all the way into road and distance running shoes.

Keen is a bit different.  They claim to be the Hybrid shoe.  They focus their brand more on the outdoors with trail running being a small part of it. Still they are found in the running store and do have a feel of a cross over brand. On a side not Keen also says it's a hybrid brand because it can be used for a water life/ relaxing life/ technical life... I kind of like it.

Montrail was made for trail running.  If they go into road shoes then they'll start to become a cross over brand.  One reason that Columbia hasn't pushed itself too far into the trail business is because it owns Montrail.  An interesting little brand that was consumed by a bigger brand but left independent.  I wish them luck.

Salomon is a crossover from somewhere else.  They make great trail shoes and can often be found on the feet of avid day hikers.  They've been in the biz for a while but they crossed over from the ski industry hoping that the same people that followed them religiously with their ski eqipment are the same people who trail run and love the outdoors (side note, The North Face is banking on that same type of thing too).  They have hit a homerun and their shoes division is one of their fastest growing divisions.  They have done a good job with the branding.  Keeping it separate from the skis but you know that it's Salomon with the logo. 

Adidas Outdoor Imagery

Adidas fighting itself again.

Adidas.  A conglomerate, a jack of all trades and quite frankly a late bloomer.  Adidas has been playing catch up to Nike for years now.  Nike launched its ACG brand in the early 90's and Adidas was still stuck on lifestyle shoes (though it has been a huge seller for them).  In the early 2000's Adidas got into trail running a bit and put out some good shoes but it never took.  They didn't have the brand for it.  Nike separated themselves with the ACG and allowed for a brand to be developed.  Adidas recently launched Adidas Outdoors.  It is run out of a compeltely different division.  For the US it is ran out of Europe and offers a complete line of technical clothing and footwear.  Adidas has always had running shoes but now the brand is crossing over into the true outdoors.  I thought it was a mistake to name it Adidas Outdoor.  I thought they should have separated it and kept a small part of the logo in it.  As is they now still have to overcome the Adidas stigma of being a lifestyle brand.  They make some great stuff as was seen at the Outdoor Retailer Show but they still have the problem of dealing with themselves.  A new logo and name would have done some good for them.  Still they are crossing over.

I could talk about Under Armour but you might get sick of it.  Nike has obviously done a good job crossing over into: golf, football, baseball, basketball, trail, outdoors, skateboard etc... anyway, the point is that some of these other brands are still crossing over.  We'll see how their branding takes them into new realms.

Under Armour and their athletes... watch out.

I'll admit it, I like Under Armour.  I remember seeing a pamplet I had in 2000 that I picked up somewhere and thought "this is going to be huge!"  I didn't even know about branding as a profession/art/science but I knew that they had something going on back then.  What I didn't know about them is that they would grow from a humble former University of Maryland football player to a multi-billion dollar company.  Along the way they have always tried and for the most part been on the cutting edge of athlete endorsements.

The initial endorsed athlete was Eric Ogbogu a teammate of the founder Kevin Plank at U of M.  He was the initial guy to shout "We must protect this house!"... and it stuck.  He played in the NFL for a bit but no one really knows that, in fact he's way more popular for yelling that.  Along the way there have been the endorsements for lesser known athletes such as Heather Mitts, Jeff Samardija, and others... The push has always been on the training and how those athletes train.  The first big pick up for UA came with Ray Lewis.  A Baltimore Raven, it made sense to grab a local guy.  Reebok had nabbed him for their version of UA but when his contract ran out he quickly came over to UA.

UA has tried to pick up and comers before the NFL combine.  They like to use those players to showcase the products as a way for training for the combine.  Ironically they have also struck out a couple of times too.  Jeremy Bloom the two sport star from Colorado who was an Olympic skier and a remarkable returner for Colorado was endorsed by UA... well, it didn't last long, he was drafted by the Eagles, hurt before the season started and was eventually cut before his second season.  Meh, it was a good try.  Then there are the not so fitting but still successful athletes.  Eric Weddle, the mighty might from the University of Utah had a decent combine and has had a solid NFL career leading his team (the Chargers)  in tackles multiple times.  He just didn't fit the mantra... no edge to him, he was a white guy that looked white, acted white, played well, just didn't fit in.  So he was quickly let go.

The second and largest pick up for UA came in the form of Tom Brady.  He signed in November of '10 and basically said "I like being part of something cool, plus I get a piece of the company".  He ditched Nike and moved on.  Nike has to be scratching their heads right now thinking of how they can make their brand of workout clothing "cool".  (Figuratively not litterally).  UA has a pretty good batting average with athletes.  They have some of the top Bow Hunters and Fly Fisherman in the world, they have a couple of the best football players of all time.  They are delving into basketball with the release of the shoes.  Baseball has Jose Reyes leading that group (Side note, UA is big in Japan, really big, check out this commercial, I'll write more about it later )... but the one that I get why they did it but have risked a lot is, wait for it... Cam Newton.

I love Cam's game.  He's a quarterback in a TE's body but moves better than Culpepper.  He has the arm strength, he's a proven runner, he's got a great feel for the pocket (although that will be tested in the NFL because of the speed), he has gotten better at every level he has played... he MIGHT be a good NFL player.  UA has risked it all on this guy... ok not all, but alot.  He has signed a $1MM/year deal with UA.  I don't know how to say it other than this.  He brings baggage.  He brings a certain stigma to your brand and to have Tom Brady and Cam Newton in a commercial together doesn't make sense.  He has a serious image rebuilding job to do and when his Heisman is taken away and the National Championship forfeited it's going to be a black eye on UA.  Then again, they'll probably just cut him loose and stop showing any relationship with him.  It's risky, he's a boom or bust and who knows.  With little experience on the big stage and honestly, you have to wonder about the kids character, it could be a rough go round for UA.  Then again, they probably did their research and saw enough to say that they wanted to take the risk.  Ahhh... the branding and marketing ploys with athletes.  It'll be fun to see what happens.

Hi-Tec & Liquid Mountaineering: The coming together of: Science, Brand, Fun, Sport

The Outdoor Retailer Show is still sticking with me.  I met some great people and some great ideas and one that really stood out to me was the idea of "Liquid Mountaineering".  The name alone is a blast and I could blog about just that for a long long time.  The origins of this is pretty funny.  A group of Euro guys lead by Ulf Gartner got together and started the idea of walking/running on water.  Obviously they were inspired by Some sort of Diety.  Regardless Hi-Tec the British outdoors brand is looking to make a strong rebranding comeback and decided to pick these guys up to promote their water proof outdoor hiking/trail running shoe.  The marriage couldn't have been any better.  The group of guys got some money (it's rumored from Hi-Tec Poland), some gear, had to incorporate the Hi-Tec brand into their "sport" and boom... a legend was born.

These guys were super creative with the making of the video.  They dead panned the humor and held a straight face the whole time.  They really got into it by even saying "you have to run at a curve" and "your feet go up and down like a sewing machine."  I don't know what it is about Americans but if it is exotic and someone is doing it in Europe then it has to be true right?  Well, I guess this has to do with the humor factor.  Lets be honest, our humor here in the states than in Europe and this is actually something we can swallow.  So it made sense that there have been about 5 million hits on Youtube on this video.

As far as the branding efforts that were made with this video... the plug for the lightweight and waterproof Hi -Tec shoe was made with various shots of the Hi-Tec name on jackets and hoodies.  The outdoors was incorporated and and there was even a little subliminal message of Jesus thrown in there with him hanging from the rear view mirror.  This was a great example of everything coming together: Science... slightly plausible and you always kind of wonder, Brand... the shoe fit in perfectly with what they were trying to accomplish, Fun... you can't tell me it doesn't look like a blast, and Sport... there is a feeling of competition to it, so much to the point where Hi-Tec was making a spoof plug to get the sport adopted into the 2012 Olympic games.  What a great idea.  Talking with some of the folks at Frank the creative firm overseeing this rebrand for Hi-Tec they want this to grow and keep growing.  Frank didn't come up with the initial idea but they have run with it creating marketing material to go along with it. I'll be honest when I say that the future is bright with ideas like this.  Well done gents, well done.

Merrell goes barefooting at the Outdoor Retailer Show

Vibram Soles on the Merrell Barefoot

The Outdoor Retailer show recently held in Salt Lake City is a great show.  I love it.  This one is specifically set up for the winter sports but obviously the show is going to take whatever they can get so everyone comes and everyone has all of their products there.  Merrell obviously is a big name in the outdoors industry and showed as much at the show.  Before I go any further I just wanted to brag about my association for a second (it's so pathetic that it doesn't really count).  Merrell was founded in Utah,  that's right, Utah.  It was founded in Vernal, Utah by a man named Randy Merrell.  He initially made custom leather boots for the outdoorsman, i.e. cowboys and hunters.  Some other bigwigs joined up and they moved the company to Vermont and commercialized it.  Randy Merrell sold his part and went back to making custom boots in Vernal, Utah.  That's the short of it.  It happened about 30 years ago so not too many people remember.  My connection?  I'm from Roosevelt Utah which is 30 miles away and we share the same Wal Mart as Vernal (it's actually in Vernal).  Vernal is where my folk goes and shops... rival highschools, people work in the other city, you get the point.  So I feel I'm somewhat connected... barely.

Merrell Barefoot Shoe

Okay on to the OR show and Merrell.  Merrell launched its barefoot line which is no surprise at all.  Everyone is jumping on board with this.  Nike has the Free series (which was basically a pioneer to a certain extent although it has been around for a while), the Vibram Five Fingers is a sweeping sensation, and now Merrell has joined the game.  What is significant about this is the fact that they are using Vibram soles and competing in the same space as Vibram and the Five Fingers.  I found it amusing that the soles of the shoes that are going to be competing with the Five Fingers bare the same logo... go figure.  I talked to the folks at the Vibram booth, tried a pair on and asked if they saw it as a threat or what their thoughts were on it.  The answer was unanimous... "we're not worried at all, they're using our soles... we still make money".

Nike Free 3.0

Five Fingers

So there you have it, Vibram is not worried.  The Merrell Barefoot shoe is a little different anyway.  While claiming barefoot the toes are encapsulated which automatically differentiates the product.  The shoe is more of a minimalist shoe.  It's looking to move into a space that is in between  the Five Fingers and the Nike Free.  The part that separates Merrell Barefoot from Nike is the outdoor aspect of it all.  Outdoors people are generally accepting of "natural", "minimal", "connecting" types of words.  It's tough to tell a 250 lb linebacker that if he uses the shoes he'll strengthen his core and help grow his stabalizer muscles... he doesn't care.  He just wants to throw some weight around and kill some people on the football field.  So the Nike Free idea is sound... I like it, some runners like it but to reach the entire target market that they have... there are some difficulties.  Merrell on the other hand can do it.  They have the following already and the people probably were asking for the product.  Two different target markets and one would be much more accepting of it than the other.

Made to mimic the foot.

Merrell Barefoot is brand new.  It launches this month and will start seeing sales go through the roof due to the launch date.  I know because I'm considering getting a pair for spring running.  Merrell has even pushed the brand to its fullest extent by making them trail focused.  Like all Merrells you can use them wherever but they really shine on trails.  Again, trail runners are the type of people who care about strngthening their stabilizers, less impact on joints, minimalism.

It just makes sense... I applaud Merrell for seeing a market and going after it.  The beauty of it all is that there are less materials needed for it, less engineering (just let the body take over), and more money for marketing.  That's a perfect formula for success and big returns.  Merrell listened to what the market was calling for, good for them.  They deserve this success.  I'll be interested to see how they are doing as they go along.