Outdoor brands embody corporate social responsibility, cater to cause-conscious youth

DENVER — More and more brands in the outdoor industry have come forth with stories and powerful, socially responsible missions to enforce their brand and excite their audience.

As younger generations emerge into adulthood in a world oversaturated with constant advertising and thousands of brands, those that have an interesting story with valuable ideals seem to do the best — at least in the outdoor industry.

“Most brands have a story behind them,” said Andrew Kornylak, Outdoor Retailer’s photo coordinator. He added that he believes the global audience is becoming more sophisticated and engaged in this variety of storytelling, meaning these stories could be told more successfully.

Shift Advantage, Inc. has compiled statistics on market trends, leading to the discovery that currently companies with a sustainable product grow four times faster than those that don’t. These numbers appear to result from the rapidly growing millennial and Generation Z audiences.

Seventy-five percent of millennials have been changing their habits to reduce environmental impacts, and 53% forgo brands in favor of more sustainable products, according to Shift Advantage. An even bigger number, 72% of Gen Z individuals have been shown to pay more for sustainable products.

“As an industry that is so dependent on a thriving outdoors, we care about the state of our environment,” Amy Horton, director of sustainability for the Outdoor Industry Association, said. “We want to be leaders. Instead of our gear contributing to the problem, our hope is that the next wave in the outdoor industry will help solve this crisis.”

Young people like this idea, as well. Seventy-five percent of millennials want their employers’ values to match their own, and 62% of workers said they would take a pay cut to work for a more socially responsible company, according to Shift Advantage.

“Looking at the overall impacts, it can get a little daunting,” Eric Brody, founder of Shift Advantage, said. “The exciting thing is we’ve really been seeing brands, suppliers and consumers moving in that direction. We’re at a really good turning point for our industry.”

Brody added that 80% to 90% of negative environmental impacts occur during the creation of products. Most companies seek first to improve the efficiency of their supply chain before moving on to making other parts of their business more sustainable.

Not only does corporate social responsibility lead to environmental and humanitarian improvements, but it also often leads to positive progression for the company.

“Patagonia’s environmental mission hasn’t just helped the planet, it also boosted their bottom line,” Brody said. Over the past 10 years, Patagonia’s revenues have quadrupled.

This seems to stem from the idea that brands need to have a good story to stand out in today’s retail climate. Too many brands with competitive prices yield the need for an “X factor” to make companies more attractive.

“We are all compelled by stories and that’s why, regardless of where society goes, we are going to have storytellers,” Jill Sanford, a freelance writer, said about the topic. “To me, good storytelling involves something I can learn from or become inspired by.”

Another reason for the sudden uptake in popularity for environmentally sustainable companies is likely the increasing awareness of global environmental issues among buyers in addition to sellers.

“I think every one is getting more conscious about what’s going on with the planet,” Michael McFadden, spokesman for sustainable clothing line Roamers, said. “It’s about time, because the sustainability aspect has always been peripheral. Now it’s finally landed. It’s made (my company) more viable. We have more teenagers stopping in, and we’re off to the races now.”

Learn more about corporate social responsibility here.

Related topics