When Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stepped foot upon the summit of Mt. Everest on May 29, 1953, they carried with them more than just the spirit of England. After reaching the Earth’s highest point of elevation, the two adventurers took some photographs and then placed pieces of candy on top of the snow.
What if those sweets had been bearing a company logo? Talk about market real estate.
The natural world is often overlooked as a viable avenue for promotions, and with good reason. It’s hard to find somewhere to hang a magnet or fill a coffee cup in the middle of a forest. Still, ignoring the camping and outdoor sector is an easy way to miss out on an increasing market.
According to the Travel Industry Association of America (www.tia.org), camping is the number one outdoor activity in the United States, and one half of all American adults have taken an outdoor adventure at least once in the last five years. That is approximately 98 million individuals climbing, hiking, rafting and camping out, and that is approximately 98 million individuals in need of such equipment as carabineers, boots, ponchos and tents.
The feelings of manifest destiny still beat strong in the American chest, and the need to explore and conquer the wilderness still exists. With 87 million trips to many of the country’s national parks, there is no shortage of potential customers and, ultimately, end-users.
Outdoor promotional products
provide more than just logo space for advertisers: they offer utility for end-users in the form of useful, functional items. An imprinted pen can get lost in a drawer full of other pens from other companies, but the embossed hiking backpack or logoed portable stove will see use again and again.
There is a lot of need for these products, but the field is not receiving nearly enough attention. With so few corporations wise to the benefits of camping items, the market is open for a savvy campaign to make its mark. The question is: Which companies will carry their message to the top of the mountain and which will get stuck in the snow?
