Our world has always been deeply rooted in a territory, which almost always means our home mountains. Of course, we travel to ski, hike, and climb, but we always feel inextricably linked to a specific place. This applies to outdoor enthusiasts, but it is equally true for brands. And it goes for trade shows too, as demonstrated by the recent European Outdoor Week held in Riva del Garda.
Is this a contradiction with the fact that we now wear and use apparel and gear coming from (almost) all over the world? Or with the reality that outdoor brands are highly internationalized companies competing on a global scale?
Not at all. In fact, the most successful brands are extremely careful to build a so-called “glocal” image and philosophy: operating globally without ever sacrificing an identity inspired by a precise geographical and cultural heritage. On the contrary, this very identity is the primary point of connection with the enthusiasts who buy the product.
The core question is understanding how to act internationally without betraying one’s roots. We discussed this with Christian Schneidermeier, head of the European Outdoor Group.
From your vantage point at the EOG, and drawing on your previous experience with a brand deeply tied to its roots like Ortovox, do you believe that “glocalism” is a conscious marketing strategy, or rather a reaction to the dominance of generalist retail platforms like Amazon and their algorithms?
For me it is both. It’s clear that it is no longer enough to just present emotionally led or attractive marketing campaigns. Communities want to welcome authentic brands, while the brands want to showcase that they are part of those communities. In that context, it is vital to combine long-term global marketing strategies, with identifying and reacting to new movements, and activating bespoke and local marketing.
Is there still a future for “placeless” outdoor brands—meaning those that are purely commercial and fully offshored?
There will always be a variety of brands with different concepts, enjoying varying degrees of success. But as described above, if you want to secure your brand position, it is more and more necessary to have direct contact with your consumers in different local communities, to show up and demonstrate that you are relevant to them.
Can we say that the success of the recent European Outdoor Week in Riva del Garda was due to a balanced mix of internationalization and physical, regional connections? In other words: the “glocal” approach applied to trade shows?
You could state this to some degree. However, the success of the European Outdoor Week in Riva was also based on one fundamental aspect: in times of much greater digitization, real human connections actually become ever more important in business. The outdoor industry needs a place to come together as a community to enable those direct contacts, and that’s what the European Outdoor Group and MagNet set out to do at European Outdoor Week.
Our aim was to combine the structure and content of a series of very relevant and valuable events with the special atmosphere that is delivered by the location, and that distinct Italian lifestyle. That all resulted in endless possibilities for getting active outdoors, a special kind of festival atmosphere, and platforms through the week that provided direct contact with retailers and consumers. The formula and format worked and as we continue to refine, enhance and promote European Outdoor Week, its success should be ongoing.
