Storytelling vs. communicating

There’s only one table left in the bar. Typical.  And it’s right in front of the band who just started and seems pretty damn loud. So you decide to just hang near the back and sip your beer in your ski boots. Maybe something will open up. 

It was a big day out there. One of the biggest of the year, actually. Maybe even all time. No lunch breaks for anybody today, no downshifting, no rest breaks, and no need.  Ropes were dropping, lines were sparking off in every direction, and all the favorites were paid a respectful visit:  the 19th, Octopus’ Garden and even The Church. As with all great days, you spent most of in a tiny group, often alone, not seeing much of a crowd until … well … now.

You see a friend at the end of the bar. You’ve known him for years. Longer, actually. Half-full beer in hand, he’s giving a detailed blow by blow of his epic day.  How it started before dawn. How he got the invite for an early tram. How he ducked a rope at just the right time and was the second person up the headwall. How he got it all fresh and got it all first.  

It’s undoubtedly true of course. There’s no question in your mind that everything happened just as he said. It was a great day, after all, and he summed it up very well. He was standing in just the right spot at the end of the bar, where plenty of folks could hear him. He had a loud voice, deep and confident and easy to understand. And he was dutiful to the details: the snow, the slopes, the rollers and the rocks.  But the longer he talks, the more you realize that you have little interest in hearing his story.

You wobble away to a spot behind the fireplace where you come across another group of skiers you know.  In truth, they look exactly like the crowd you left behind at the end of the bar: same gear, same flushed cheeks, same goggle lines and same end-of-the-day smiles. 

They see you, invite you over and ask you how your day was. They laugh at your story about the moose.  And then they start into stories of their own, each one unique and unexpected, each one building on the one before it, each one making you that much more excited for what tomorrow might bring. 

And after several hours of storytelling … you’re still listening.

OIA enters national Climate Change debate ... but what does it mean?

In late November, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) unveiled a new 'climate change' platform: a fresh twist to their national position statement that could easily be interpreted as totally new, long overdue, overshadowed by sibling issues, or potentially controversial. 

Or maybe all of the above.

OIA is the Boulder-based organization that is the title sponsor for the Outdoor Retailer trade show, as well as the trade "voice" for all the brands and individuals that see themselves as part of something called the Outdoor Industry. 

Historically, the Outdoor Industry has been anchored by human-powered outdoor recreation. And among this crowd of enthusiast-driven businesses, climate change is one area where just about everybody gets along, as hunters, anglers, paddlers, skiers and afternoon hikers are all continuing to see the aggregate effects of global warming as it impacts their individual passions.

On the other hand, for a trade organization comprised of both independent and publicly-traded companies, it can be a bit dicey to step into the capitalist kitchen, particularly over the holidays.

To shed some light on the new OIA Climate Change platform, I was lucky enough to catch the attention of Alex Boian, OIA Senior Director of Government Affairs.  

While I feel like it was a cool and interesting bit of news last month, I’m sure that this announcement took a long time to put together and hammer through the details. How long has it been in the works?

AB: Outdoor Industry Association first began actively engaging on the climate change issue about seven years ago. We partnered with Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP) on our advocacy efforts around this important issue and continue today to be the only member trade association of the organization.

The OIA Board of Directors decided last April at the OIA Capitol Summit to reengage and redouble our efforts around climate change policy and so an updated position statement was appropriate. OIA government affairs and corporate responsibility staff jointly developed a draft statement for the OIA policy advisory councils and BICEP to review and comment on. After input from those councils, the statement was sent to the OIA Board’s Government Affairs and Corporate Responsibility Committee for review and approval. 

Going a little deeper … how long has the OIA had a “platform” at all?

AB: Whether it was through our initial engagement and now through our renewed commitment to the issue, or through the exhaustive efforts of the OIA Sustainability Working Group to provide the industry with tools and best practices to measure the impact of their products, OIA has been engaged on the issue of climate change, in some way, for almost a decade.

And when was the last time a major thing like Climate Change was added to the OIA platform?  Has it ever happened?

AB:This past year has been a very exciting one for OIA, from a government affairs standpoint. In addition to reengaging on the climate change issue, OIA also launched a local recreation advocacy program, a pretty significant addition to our government affairs’ advocacy efforts. We also laid the groundwork for a collaborative process with OIA’s CR department to frame out and build a regulatory/compliance program for the industry.

Do other trade groups have a climate platform? i.e., is this rare or totally normal?

AB:There are of course, dozens, if not hundreds of local and national advocacy organizations working on climate change. Within the outdoor industry, Protect Our Winters has been a leader on this issue and among the groups outside the industry, the Sierra Club has been working on the issue for many years. OIA, however, is unique in that we represent outdoor industry businesses that will uniquely be impacted by the worsening effects of climate change. We look at our work on climate change not only as the right thing to do from a values standpoint, but as a business imperative. Climate change is an existential threat to the outdoor industry.

I am unaware of any statements several other groups that we work with on our public lands or trade agendas have published on this issue.

So, is adding a Climate Change aspect to the OIA platform "long overdue" or "ahead of the curve”?

AB: Our recent climate change policy position statement is an evolution of our work on this issue, but some might argue that our reengagement and renewed commitment is long overdue. As many policymakers have said, we are nearing the point of no return on climate change and so hopefully the work of OIA and our partners, and organizations across the country and around the world, makes a difference.

Is there an expectation that this will be controversial in any way?

AB: As we have seen, the issue of climate change is controversial for a small minority of U.S. policymakers, some of whom we work with on our public lands and trade agendas. I have also received questions from some parts of the industry as to why OIA is investing time and resources on this issue and I anticipate like nearly all policy matters of significance, that the issue itself and OIA’s engagement will be controversial, but the OIA Board and staff believe this is the right thing to do.

I’m sure as with all things policy related, every word is chosen carefully.  And the "carbon sequestration part” is one part that catches an eye.  This seems like a pretty major deal …  that in addition to preserving land for access, the OIA position is to conserve open lands specifically to offset carbon emissions.  Is this as unique as it seems, and will it help set OIA apart from other groups (like the Conservation Alliance) who are also advocating for public lands?

AB: Yes, the wording was carefully chosen to focus on ambitious and meaningful, but practical and achievable goals. Some say we didn’t go far enough and perhaps should have stated some aspirational goals, but we believe the statement strikes the right balance among the multiple interests across the industry. 

Carbon sequestration is, of course, a long-standing proposed tool to reduce carbon pollution and help mitigate the effects of climate change. The strategy relies on healthy forests and protection of green spaces, so presented an elegant, if not obvious, harmonization with our public lands agenda. 

OK … so you also have a line in here about encouraging “ market-based instruments” for carbon reduction, which at the moment means either a carbon tax or a cap-and-trade system.  Does this line mean that OIA doesn’t have a preference between those two, or does it mean something else?

AB: The statement itself and the use of “market-based instruments” acknowledge that some form of carbon pricing is likely necessary to address carbon emissions in a meaningful way. We have been and will continue to work with the outdoor industry to analyze and understand the pros and cons of both cap-and-trade and carbon taxation. The language is intended to give the OIA policy professionals the flexibility to explore both options, and perhaps new ideas that are presented, to get to a balanced and desirable solution. It is important to us, though, that these instruments do not harm the outdoor recreation economy, or more generally, the larger U.S. economy and that any legislation or regulation in this area be focused on incentive-based solutions versus punitive measures.

“For many in the industry, environmental responsibility is in their DNA and climate change policy has been an important aspect of that. ”

— Alex Boian, OIA Senior Director of Government Affairs

As a policy wonk, what do you think is the most interesting part about this whole thing?

AB: There are several fascinating policy elements around the climate change issue in a macro sense – the politics in Washington, D.C. and states across the country - and also specific to the outdoor industry. One of the elements I find interesting around the issue generally is how the consistent and tireless efforts of advocates for climate change policy is finally paying off and we are seeing tangible, substantive results. I think the COP21 agreement in Paris is obviously a huge and historic milestone that reflects that progress. It is fascinating to also see how entrenched special interests in Washington. D.C., primarily those representing the fossil fuels industries have been so successful at delaying real policy solutions and obfuscating the issue in the face of what seems to be overwhelming scientific evidence and agreement among objective, third party researchers. When 98 percent of the scientific community agrees and presents verifiable data that climate change is real, is worsening, yet can be mitigating through a variety of policy tools and proactive actions by nations down to individuals, it is very compelling. The willful cognitive dissonance occurring among a small minority of policymakers is absurd to the extent of being harmful. 

Specific to the outdoor industry itself, many brands and organizations have been working for years to fight climate change and come up with some real solutions. For many in the industry, environmental responsibility is in their DNA and climate change policy has been an important aspect of that. OIA has worked to reflect that through our Corporate Responsibility department and the Sustainability Working Group, but from a government affairs, policy perspective, I look forward to reengaging on the issue and bringing the industry’s unique perspective and voice to the debate in D.C. and across the country!

What if Outdoor Retailer moved to New York City?

Around our place, there was a Halloween-y surge in haunting chatter this week about some prospective regional ‘rep’ shows and their anticipated dates. To me, that chatter came in the form of numerous after-dark texting exchanges. But as with most late night texting, sometimes the details can be a little loose, a bit blurry … or even totally incorrect.  For instance, one after-midnight missive broke the (false) news to me that OR would be moving to New York City in 2016.

Pause. Sip. Scratch. Hmm

It wasn’t true, of course. The world’s biggest gear closet isn’t headed to the Big Apple. But in a world full of fewer and fewer surprises every day, when you hear a rumor … it pays to wrap your head around it, even briefly.

So, what if it were true? What would a full-scale Outdoor Retailer show in New York City show actually look like? Would it be terrible? Would it be awesome? Would it be the ... same?

1.  First, find Hell’s Kitchen:  The most likely landing place for an OR show in NYC would be the Jacob Javits Convention Center, which is a pretty sizable spot on the Lower West Side. Facing the Hudson River, it’s convenient (in a New York way) by being about two seconds from the Lincoln Tunnel and two minutes from Penn Station. Sizewise, it's definitely comparable to the current OR digs, with 660 thousand square feet of exhibition space (two floors) and a hundred thousand feet or so of meeting space. The current home for the OR show clocks in at 679,000 square feet.  Check.

2. Would it tougher on exhibitors? One of the keys to OR show attendance is appealing to exhibitors/attendees within a day's drive of the show. Interestingly, based on a search of OIA member data –- a fairly quick and decent way to spotlight exhibitors who also are committed enough to support broader advocacy efforts –- it’s actually kind of a toss-up. Utah has 67 OIA members, while New York has 63. Broaden that a bit to include the heavy hitter (no pun intended) of Colorado, and you bolster Utah’s hosting appeal by hitting the final tally of 266 OIA members. But it goes both ways -- when you stack it up for the Cold Coast with New England, Pennsylvania, Maryland and North Carolina, you end up with a robust 269 OIA members. Hmmm.

3.  What about the Salt Palace’s infamous “show dogs”?   No problem kids!  In NYC, they got Crif Dogs.   

4. But honestly, is New York ‘outdoor enough’? Hey, I love the West. I was born there, raised there, and have spent a lot of time falling down and running into things out there. It’s big, it’s bad, it’s rad and nobody will ever deny that.  But to draw a line at the Mississippi and assume that one side is outdoor worthy and the other isn’t … well, those are the pants that make your brain look dim. Besides, New York is certainly on par with (if not far more outdoorsy a choice than) Las Vegas ... currently the top favorite among pundits for an alternate location to SLC.

5.  Stepping through the Venture Out looking glass? To have a semi-permanent spot on one of the world's biggest stages for fashion tastemakers could have a lasting effect on the blend of product in the Outdoor Industry. For instance, in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, leather wafflestompers and 12-pound woolen backpacks are just a quirky subset of the ever-monochromatic Outdoor market … but in an alternate NYC-show future, Outdoor Retailer might evolve to be just the opposite, with a sea of five-panel hats and mom-jean-friendly designer brands surrounding a comfy, kitschy little area in the back pavilion tents where they sell things like “skis” and “kayaks.”

6. Could it significantly boost diversity? With a current trade show demographic that’s whiter than a GOP debate crowd, the Outdoor Industry doesn’t just want diversity: it needs it. And not just for growth, but for the long term survival of "outdoor" as more than just a theme for Nike's new pop-up store in Nolita. Hosting the OR show in the multi-cultural nexus of New York City would jump start that process by changing the average profile of the local, the interested, the attending, the employed, and the entrepreneurial.  That change, in turn, would lead to a far more diverse base of company leaders, thought leaders and ... yes, eventually ... consumers.

7. Would it be a shot in the arm for the Outdoor Industry’s DC lobbying efforts?  Imagine this: a rescheduled Capitol Summit held directly following the OR Summer Market Show, during which the OIA could stage “A Hike on Washington” from NYC to the Capitol steps to demand a return of respect and permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. Hypothetically, of course.  

8.  How much would it grow the working media list?  Double? Maybe triple?  If you’ve got the time sometime, do a little number crunching on the working media list for the Outdoor Retailer show (or any show, for that matter, as it's a good habit). First, reduce it to one person per media title; and second, remove all not-actually-covering-the-show editorial titles like “publisher” or “photographer." As you'll see, the list gets small pretty fast. As a third step, highlight the media from the same zip code as the show, and then replace that highlighted block with a list of legit working media within a 15 minute cab ride of the lower West Side. Folks, you've got mail.

9.  Which retailers would it help the most? An OR show in New York City would mean you’d actually meet a retailer from the East Coast with fewer than 20 employees.  I know it sounds weird that such a thing even exists. But it does.

10.  Which retailers would it hurt the most? Well, some people wouldn’t go, of course, particularly smaller companies and individuals with limited travel budgets. The non-attenders would rationalize it by saying it’s too far of a trip and not relevant enough to their specific business models. Besides (they’d likely add), big brands all come visit them anyway so it’s not really that important. Of course, there’s no doubt that big players would still attend regardless of the location, as well as the cutting edge retailers who “actually get it”.  Wait a second … this is starting to sound really familiar.

11. What about the on-snow demo?  Hey, if they can host a big air event at Fenway (LINK), they can do an on-snow demo anywhere.

###

The rise of Soft Outdoor

As the Outdoor market continues forward on an ever-expanding trajectory known as "lifestyle," people are understandably a little edgy as they try to keep things in focus.

The backdrop for Outdoor Lifestyle's growth is comprised of some big numbers. Really big.  In a recent study for this widely recognized $646 billion market, “Outdoor” folks now include more than 60% of American consumers -- people living mainly in cities, being mainly in their younger years, and spending at least an hour a week and $450 a year on outdoorsy stuff (LINK).

As with all Outdoor data, the most recent study relies heavily on the market's historic affinity for measuring itself agains the yardstick of the activities it supports. The report leads with dozens of “Traditional” core market metrics like camping, canoeing and climbing, but also factors in a boatload of “Non-traditional” pastimes like walking, picnicking and simply chilling outside.

In this widening pool of data sources, the clear takeaway is that the biggest sustained growth in Outdoor is in the definition of what "outdoor" actually means. And the clear challenge is using that knowledge to forge a path through an often blurry Lifestyle landscape.

Because in the new Soft Outdoors, there is no true center, no easy-to-explain hub of activity, no silver bullet that will make everything good and right at the retail counter. Soft Outdoor sees Traditional and Non Traditional activities as true equals, because at the cash register there’s no difference at all between a badass whitewater paddler and a once-a-year beach reader.

Understandably, Soft Outdoors is causing some stress on the micro level, as staying one-step ahead of a practically unlimited pool of outdoor activities is kind of like running a 100-yard dash without knowing which direction to go or when to start. 

Soft Outdoors is also unsettling for some on the macro level. An increasingly vague definition of Outdoor could easily be seen as setting the stage for assimilation by a broader market controlled by fewer brands with deeper pockets: a price-first place where people don’t really care if the logo on their chest is representative of a group that sacrifices annual profits to conserve gazillions of acres of land for their grandchildren's outdoor access. They just like the way it looks when they’re wearing jeans.  

Fortunately, there's another group for whom Soft Outdoor is very, very good news:  active brands.

As Outdoor has widened and breakthroughs have been diluted by sheer Lifestyle volume, active brands have replaced innovation as the number one thing marketers are telling stories about. With words and images, personalities and partnerships, these rising brands have become the axis around which the outdoor world spins.

Consider a list of the 100+ short-sleeved button-front shirt brands in the Outdoor market. While differences may be laughably indistinct from across the trailhead -- at a brand level there’s more than enough nuance to fill the closet for you and everybody you know with a unique and distinct personality for every day of the week. There's the yoga brand. And the environmentalist. The badass Vancouver. The Montana fly fisher. The quirky New Zealander. The Santa Barbara creative. The Jackson Hole local. The Truckee dirtbag. The Upper Midwest made-in-America. The Seattle fun-hog. The Texan.  And plenty more.

With $100 small brand shirts thriving right next to REI plaids at half the price, there's clearly an audience out there that's far more concerned with the label than the price tag.  

These plaid shirt brands -- as well as other Outdoor Lifestyle success stories -- are the ones that hold the future of Outdoor Industry in their hands. They're the ones bringing in new converts to Soft Outdoor. They're the ones satisfying the cravings of their devoted fans. They're the the ones who are defining the Outdoor Lifestyle, not just by what they make but by how they live. 

Because while things like contrast pockets and ombre plaids are all-to-easy to knock off for a mega brand looking for a line extension in a hot market, one thing that can never be replicated is outdoor culture.  And an Outdoor market without an outdoor soul is just another room full of people selling plaid.