Patagonia, The North Face, Adidas Take Big DEI Step

The outdoors has a diversity problem. Research from organizations including Sport England found that minorities are less likely to participate in or have access to outdoor activities such as hiking, running, cycling and climbing. Meanwhile, the outdoor sector has historically been represented by images of white, male, heterosexual and able-bodied people. Now, a cohort of leading outdoor recreation brands have come together to change that and foster a more diverse, equitable and accessible outdoor community. Patagonia, The North Face, Adidas Terrex, Arc’teryx and Vivobarefoot have established nonprofit Opening Up the Outdoors (OUTO), which aims to remove barriers to inclusivity and support grassroots leaders that are making outside spaces safer and more welcoming. With help from entrepreneurship organization Hatch, OUTO’s main initiative is its Changemaker Programme, which backs diverse community leaders who are working to make the outdoors equitable and antiracist. The program provides those leaders with expert-led classes, peer mentoring, business coaching and consulting. Outdoor Retailers Strive to Make Nature More Accessible to Marginalized Groups The first Changemaker cohort graduated from their training on Sept. 2 and now have the opportunity to apply for development grants of up to $10,800 (€11,000) to invest directly in their organizations or initiatives. The next Changemaker program will launch in spring 2023. OUTO is initially focused on the U.K. but plans to scale across Europe after joining the It’s Great Out There Coalition, an international nonprofit based in Brussels that promotes the positive impact of outdoor activities on individuals and society. The first group of OUTO’s Changemaker leaders are: Haroon Mota, founder of the grassroots initiative Muslim Hikers.Sonny Peart, who set up the charity Black Trail Runners.Marlon Patrice, founder of We Go Outside Too, a group that brings the benefits of nature to the Black community.Yvette Curtis, founder of Wave Wahines, which tackles the lack of diversity in women’s surfing.Marie Uri, who runs United We Climb, a DEI organization focused on the climbing community.Frit Tam, whose business, Passion Fruit Pictures, aims to add diversity to the outdoor and adventure industries through filmmaking and photography. OUTO has also partnered with social movement I Am Here International to develop a five-step pledge that will challenge ignorance, prejudice and hate speech online. By signing the pledge, brands and businesses agree to join the founding brands in creating a more diverse and equitable outdoor community. Exposing inequalities The idea for OUTO was conceived in 2021 and is the culmination of months of collaboration among DEI advocates and marketers from brands including Patagonia and The North Face. These outdoor industry leaders decided to set up an initiative that would respond to the lack of diversity in their own sector after movements such as Black Lives Matter shone a light on inequalities across society. In 2021, Amsterdam agency We Are Pi published a research report into the outdoor community’s representation gap, which kicked off conversations among marketers. “[Outdoor brands] are missing out on a massive market opportunity by not talking to large parts of the population,” We Are Pi co-founder and CEO Alex Bennett-Grant told Adweek. “This is a cultural movement in the outdoors, bringing a fresh culture to outdoor spaces and doing it our way.” OUTO aims to make outdoor spaces more diverse and equitable. The five founding brands will fund OUTO’s programs and a majority of the money—about 90%—will go to the community groups, Bennett-Grant said. Rallying support The co-founders of OUTO are Phil Young and Keme Nzerem. Young is a former co-host of snowboarding TV series Board Stupid, founder of organization the Outsiders Project, co-founder of Colour Collective and a founding member of Black Trail Runners. Nzerem is a journalist and filmmaker who works for Channel 4 News and also serves as vice president of the It's Great Out There Coalition board. Young and Nzerem helped enlist the brands to set up OUTO; We Are Pi created the OUTO brand and strategy. Amanda Calder-McLaren, senior brand director for The North Face, will serve as chairperson of the OUTO Council. Other supporters of OUTO include the brands Berghaus and Finisterre, industry association European Outdoor Group, the sports and adventure marketing agency All Conditions Media and outdoor industry gathering Kendal Mountain Festival. “Spending quality time in the great outdoors is a right everyone should be able to enjoy, but ever since I began hiking, mountain biking and skiing I've often been one of the only Black or brown faces on the trail (or piste). For a multitude of reasons, many of us miss out on the joys, thrills and spills of outdoor sport and adventure,” Nzerem said in a statement. “I'm honored to help support grassroots visionaries and pioneers from across our ethnically diverse communities, who are helping transform the outdoors into a more accessible playground where everyone feels welcome and included.” CREDITS: Agency (Strategy, branding, website): We Are PiCEO: Alex Bennett GrantManaging Director: Patrick GarveySenior Strategist: Paris BethelHead of Client Partnerships: Agathe DerrstroffBusiness Director: Daniel PadwickAccount Manager: Caitlin DorlingDesign Director: Seth JosephsSenior Designer: Gemma StonerMotion Designer/Illustration: Nick FatourisCreative Directors: Taylor Black, Daan van DamCopywriter: Maya Halilovic Did Patagonia's Founder Just Launch Us Further Into the Green Vortex?

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

These Brands Are Making the Outdoors More Accessible For All

5 companies set up a foundation to support grassroots efforts

Brittaney Kiefer

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Brittaney Kiefer