Now more than ever, it is important for sustainable outdoor brands to capture attention and break through the noise of a crowded marketplace. While consumers increasingly display their values through purchases, brands must be transparent with the world about their values and goals. 

This article will dive into four outdoor brands that are nailing the marketing game. These four brands utilize different strategies; nonetheless, they all work. So let's dig in and then explore what they have in common and how to help your brand make waves and grow via digital marketing campaigns. 

Arc'teryx

Arc'teryx outdoor gear and apparel is known for being one of the highest quality outfitters in its industry. However, with a crowded e-commerce space, it takes more than stellar products to keep brands relevant. 

To help them stand out from the competition, Arc'teryx has learned the best way to find the right audience and get them to engage with the brand by using Arc'teryx-sponsored athletes' testimonials and stories to inspire adventure. 

User testimonials- especially from world-class adventurers- carry weight when shared with like-minded people craving exploration. By sponsoring climbers, skiers, guides, and mountain runners, Arc'teryx is communicating to its target audience, "we can help you get the job done." 

On top of athlete sponsorships, Arc'teryx's blog shares stories about people and places instead of products. This method helps customers associate the brand with feeling inspired to adventure instead of a brand working hard to make a sale.

The power of testimonials, especially in the outdoor industry, is enormous. Arc'teryx has nailed connecting its audience to the icons of the exploration world and inspiring everyday people to go beyond- in Arc'teryx gear, of course. 

The North Face

As one of the most popular outdoor brands, The North Face has dominated a considerable portion of the outdoor apparel and gear market. With 5.2 million Instagram followers, TNF has a massive following of loyal customers. 

After almost six decades, TNF has become one of the most popular outdoor brands on social media sites like Instagram and Facebook. Beautiful imagery paired with inspiring copy inspires all social media visitors to get out and go- or as TNF says it, "Never Stop Exploring." 

What sets the company's socials apart from its competitors is its interaction and engagement with followers. Replying to comments, reposting interesting articles, and social media giveaways have made the brand approachable, relatable, and human. 

Keeping its social media accounts active allows the company to share its sustainability efforts, sponsored events, or new products. 

The North Face is a perfect example of a brand adapting to its customer base and finding the best way to reach them. 

Yeti

Yeti, the dependable cooler and stainless steel drinkware company, is built for the wild. So whether you're deep sea fishing, hunting, or just needing a place to keep your beer cold, Yeti is up for the adventure.

Yeti's marketing stands out, but not because it's disruptive or political. Instead, they have nailed the video marketing strategy by creating engaging and inspiring short films and advertisements sharing stories from the great outdoors. 

The videos rarely highlight their products but subtly place them throughout the videos to remind the audience of the brand along for the ride. 

Yeti's Youtube channel hosts stories from men and women pushing the limits of the outdoors and daring everyday people to experience the unknown. Even on their website, they have a Stories section highlighting people, places, activities, and occasionally products. The films often share the founding family's story, which makes the company feel approachable and relatable.

Capitalizing on the power of video, Yeti inspires people to get up and explore with the help of Yeti products. 

TenTree

TenTree is a sustainable clothing brand working to better the Earth by planting trees. This B-Corp company uses social media to stay true to its values of bettering our planet. With a goal to plant one billion trees by 2030, TenTree allows customers' purchases to make a difference. 

If you were on Instagram in April 2019, you probably remember the brand. TenTree created one of the most liked posts on Instagram, generating over 15 million likes. This post also increased site traffic by over 200% and helped them gain 400,000 followers on Instagram during Earth week alone. 

So, how did they do it? It was simple, kind of. With a goal to plant 500,000 in Indonesia, the marketing team created a simple Instagram post sure to gain traction.

The post, hosting two slides with minimal copy, generated three times more likes than expected. The question remains, why did this work so well? Simple. People want easy, tangible ways to positively impact the environment, so TenTree gave them just that. 

This campaign has led to continued success for the brand as it has become a go-to choice for shoppers looking for sustainable, eco-conscious companies. 

The Common Thread

Now more than ever, it is important to have a strong brand identity since consumers want to shop at places that reflect their values. Each of the four companies discussed has found unique ways to showcase what's important to them, attracting the right audience. 

Before your brand can design a clever marketing campaign to wow the world, it is important to identify company values and the values of the people you aim to sell to. 

There is no one correct type of marketing strategy- as seen by these four different approaches- so be bold and make waves where you choose to spread your message. 

If you aren't sure where to start, Algofy can help! Offering nine different digital marketing services, we are prepared to help you shake up the sustainable outdoor brand industry and reach your goals.

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