The Mountain and the Masses: Rethinking How the Outdoors Grows

In How Brands Grow, Byron Sharp shares a surprising idea: brands grow not by focusing on loyal customers, but by reaching more people who engage occasionally. Growth comes from broadening your base, not deepening your niche.

At last week’s Outside Summit in Denver, this idea was everywhere. You could see it in new gear built for accessibility, in discussions about redefining masculinity, and in talks about reaching casual outdoor enthusiasts. The industry’s future won’t come only from hardcore adventurers. It will come from welcoming more people into the fold.

For decades, outdoor culture was shaped by its most committed users—the climbers, skiers, and hikers who knew every peak and every ounce of gear. They’re still important. They bring passion and spark innovation.

But the numbers tell a bigger story. Last year, 180 million Americans did something outdoors. Most weren’t chasing records. They were walking, stretching, and strolling. And they’re the ones driving growth.

Innovation often begins with core users, but its true power lies in its widespread adoption. Look at magnetic sleeping bags or color-blind tents. Designed for a few, loved by many. REI’s non-gendered apparel and The North Face’s “We play different” campaign are signals that brands are listening—and shifting.

This isn’t about replacing core users. It’s about meeting people where they are. As Sharp reminds us, habits—not passion—drive most choices. Habits begin with ease, comfort, and accessibility.

The future of the outdoors isn’t found just at the summit. It’s on the trailhead, the sidewalk, the park lawn. That’s where people begin.

Top 5 Implications for Outdoor Brand Marketers:

1. Design for the Many, Not Just the Few

Innovations should start with inclusivity and scale outward.

Provocation: What if your most niche gear wasn’t designed for the elite, but reverse-engineered from the needs of the broadest audience imaginable?

2. Prioritize Mental Availability

Be top-of-mind for casual users, not just die-hard fans.

Provocation: Are you building brand memory in the minds of the merely curious, or only talking to those already inside the tent?

3. Broaden the Definition of “Outdoorsy”

Speak to the new generation of nature-seekers—diverse, curious, and less technical.

Provocation: What would change if “outdoorsy” no longer meant what you wear, but how you feel?

4. Anchor Innovation in Utility

Adaptive products often solve universal problems. Start there.

Provocation: Are you treating adaptive design as a feature, or as the blueprint for a better product for everyone?

5. Build Brands on Access, Not Altitude

Growth comes from first steps, not just final summits. Make it easy to begin.

Provocation: What barriers would you remove if your brand’s job wasn’t to elevate the elite, but to welcome the unsure?

*Source: The Outside Summit, Denver 5.30.25

*Source: How Brands Grow, Byron Sharp