Why Outdoor Brands Need Marketers who Actually Get outside
There's a difference between marketing a ski resort and understanding a ski resort.
One involves spreadsheets, campaign briefs, and strategic plans. The other involves knowing what it feels like to check the snow report at 5am, understanding why powder days create urgency, and recognising that your audience isn't just buying lift tickets but the feeling of standing at the top of a run with fresh snow beneath them.
Most marketing agencies can do the first part. Very few can do both.
The Problem With Outsider Perspectives
I've seen outdoor brand marketing created by people who've clearly never spent meaningful time in the environments they're selling. Instagram captions using buzzwords like "adventure awaits" without understanding what actually motivates someone to book a backcountry trip. Website copy that focuses on amenities when it should be selling the experience. Campaign imagery that looks beautiful but completely misses what the community actually values.
These marketers aren't bad at their jobs. They're often technically skilled, strategically sound, and creatively talented. But there's a gap between knowing how to market and knowing what matters.
What Gets Lost in Translation
When you don't live and breathe the outdoor lifestyle, you miss the nuances.
The language. The outdoor community has its own vocabulary, inside jokes, and cultural references. When marketing doesn't speak this language naturally, it feels forced. Your audience can tell when someone's trying to sound like them versus actually being one of them.
Decision drivers. The reasons someone chooses one resort over another, engages with a brand on social, or connects with specific content don't come from market research alone. They come from being part of the community.
The moments that matter. The best marketing for outdoor brands taps into specific feelings and experiences. The anticipation of a storm cycle. The quiet satisfaction of a perfect trail. The camaraderie of a chairlift conversation. If you haven't felt these things yourself, you're guessing.
The Authenticity Gap
When outdoor brands work with marketers who don't get outside, the marketing feels like marketing.
It's polished. It's professional. It checks all the boxes. But it doesn't resonate.
The outdoor community in particular is good at sniffing out inauthenticity. They know when a brand truly understands them versus when a brand is just trying to sell to them. In an industry built on genuine experiences and real connections, that gap matters.
What Changes When Your Marketer Actually Gets It
When you work with someone who lives this lifestyle, everything shifts.
The content feels real. The stories aren't manufactured but drawn from actual experience. The imagery isn't just aesthetically pleasing but captures genuine moments that your audience recognises and relates to.
The strategy is sharper. You're not making educated guesses about what your audience wants. You know, because you are your audience. You understand seasonal patterns, community dynamics, and what actually drives engagement because you live it.
The voice is authentic. You don't have to try to sound like an outdoor brand but naturally speak the language. The tone, the messaging, and the way you communicate feels right because it comes from genuine understanding.
You spot opportunities others miss. When you're immersed in the culture, you see marketing opportunities that outsiders overlook. You know which partnerships make sense, which events matter, which trends are real and which are noise.
Beyond Credibility
Having a marketer who actually gets outside gives your brand credibility. But it's bigger than that.
It's about creating marketing that doesn't just look good in a campaign deck but actually connects with the people you're trying to reach. It's about building a brand presence that feels like part of the community, not an outsider trying to capitalise on it.
The outdoor industry is filled with people who are passionate, discerning, and deeply connected to the experiences you're offering. They deserve marketing that reflects that same level of authenticity and understanding.
The Reality
You can hire a technically skilled marketer who treats your outdoor brand like any other client. Or you can work with someone who's been outside in a storm, felt the pull of the mountains, and understands why your customers care so deeply about what you do.
Both can create campaigns. Only one can create marketing that truly resonates.
Summit Brand Co. specialises in authentic, story-led marketing for outdoor adventure brands. We don't just market the outdoor lifestyle, we live it. Get in touch to talk about your brand.
