The Outdoor Foundation, an organization dedicated to inspiring and growing future generations of outdoor enthusiasts, recently released its Outdoor Nation Special Report: Turning Insiders Out, a report dedicated to engaging new audiences to the outdoors.
With thousands of Outsiders represented in the Outdoor Nation community, Outdoornation.org conducted a survey on the importance of engaging new audiences to the outdoors – especially minorities and ‘Insiders’. The research aims to provide the best ideas for attracting new outdoor enthusiasts and members to Outdoor Nation. Outsiders identified top ideas to include:
• Develop Key Partnerships by creating relationships with celebrities to engage new audiences making it relatable to their everyday life, and corporations by providing inexpensive outdoor gear that is easily attained by diverse audiences.
• Increase Diverse Communication, Marketing and Advertising by (1) create messaging, imagery and media that shows average people doing recreational activities and reduce the extreme athleticism, (2) increase multi-lingual messaging that speaks to diverse audiences, (3) increase or create ads targeting youth and youth-centric places (e.g., movie theaters, youth network television) and (4) showing that the outdoors is relatable – such as, fun versus routine exercise.
• Increase Peer-to-Peer Communications, Outsiders believed strongly in taking the advertising message in-person to schools and campuses therefore working to provide clubs, school presentations and mentorship programs that engage younger audiences.
• Create Free Incentives, Outsiders see the usefulness in advertising free incentives – in multiple languages – in order to engage minority groups. They believed that providing mentorship and gear subsidies/cooperation would be the most effective ways of reaching underserved populations.
“With effective key partnerships, media, imagery and messaging, we can grow the outdoor community and create opportunities that impact and increase youth empowerment, leadership and environmental stewardship,” says Chris Fanning, Executive Director of The Outdoor Foundation. “The major challenge we face is making the outdoors relatable. With the help of youth-led surveys and discussions, it is our hope that we will begin to shift the challenges into opportunities to help us grow the outdoor community.”
The Special Report Turning Insiders Out, a report dedicated to engaging new audiences, is an outcome of Outsider thoughts and opinions on how to spur a cultural shift to address the importance of diversity in the outdoors.
To view the full report, visit: http://www.outdoorfoundation.org/research.outdoornation.insideout.html.
ABOUT THE OUTDOOR FOUNDATION®
The Outdoor Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to inspiring and growing future generations of outdoor enthusiasts. Through ground-breaking research, action oriented convening and outreach and education programs, the Foundation works with partners to mobilize a major cultural shift that leads all Americans to the great outdoors. In 2010, the Foundation launched Outdoor Nation, a pioneering initiative that aims to empower youth to champion the outdoors on campuses and in communities across the United States. For more information visit: http://www.outdoorfoundation.org and http://www.outdoornation.org.
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