Previous blog posts explored key findings from Watauga’s research report on outdoor recreation marketing: “Surveying the Outdoors: the 2024 Customer Growth Report,” The report provides critical information for outdoor brand marketing leaders across many verticals, including camping, fishing, hunting, biking, watersports, RVs, and other products. It was derived from an extensive consumer attitudinal research study involving 1,578 participants and dives deep into the minds of outdoor participants.
The report equips outdoor brand marketers to better understand their consumers and create tailored strategies to engage these audiences for outdoor brand growth, consumer engagement, and ultimately, increased sales. Watauga’s research has helped to provide insight into what motivates (and discourages) people to explore the outdoors. The report details three distinct groups with varying mindsets—Seekers, Doers, and Lovers—described in the box to the right. Understanding and using these different lenses can provide valuable insight for marketers to ensure they’re reaching their consumers in a way that will resonate and build brand loyalty and ultimately sales.
These audiences are different in their mindsets and how they interact with the outdoors, so it’s crucial to identify what motivates each group to engage with the outdoors and with your brand. While they’re very different in how they think and their behaviors, marketers can leverage some common themes to engage with all three groups effectively. Aligning messaging around shared motivations, leveraging digital and social engagement, capitalizing on seasonal and behavioral triggers, and optimizing conversion funnels for each group are strategic levers to build marketing strategies for each type of outdoor audience.
In this blog, we’ll explore how to engage each audience with personalized marketing strategies. We’ll also show how to leverage their shared traits to streamline tactics, maximize budgets, and build deeper connections that drive long-term loyalty.
Understanding Participant Mindsets and Customer Lenses
Our research study unveiled four distinct mindsets of outdoor participants:
Adventurous participants who embrace challenge with passion.
Practical participants who are methodical and budget-friendly.
Aspiring participants who seek tranquility amid life’s chaos.
Conventional participants who prefer familiarity and fear the unknown.
Watauga also applied three separate customer lenses named “Seekers”, “Doers,”, and “Lovers” to closely analyze the research data:
Seekers are individuals who have not participated in outdoor activities but express interest in doing so.
Doers are those who enjoy the outdoors and are casual participants in one or more outdoor activity.
Lovers are avid enthusiasts and participants in at least one outdoor activity.
The Mindset and Behavior of Three Distinct Outdoor Audiences
Understanding the distinct mindsets and behaviors of Seekers, Doers, and Lovers is crucial for crafting marketing that truly connects. Each group approaches outdoor activities differently, with unique motivations and challenges that influence how they engage with brands. By aligning your marketing strategies to these insights, you can more effectively reach and inspire each audience segment.
Let’s explore how Seekers, Doers, and Lovers think and behave—and how to align your marketing to reach each one effectively.
1. Seekers: The First-Time Explorers
Seekers represent a key audience for outdoor recreation brands and a major opportunity in outdoor marketing strategies to grow customers, as they’ve expressed interest in the outdoors but often need encouragement to take their first step. Their motivation for trial is tied to personal well-being, with stress relief, relaxation, and improved physical health ranking as their top reasons for exploring the outdoors. Unlike more experienced outdoor enthusiasts, Seekers are drawn to activities that are easy to access, require minimal training, and can be enjoyed close to home. Their decisions are heavily influenced by social media, friend recommendations, and broader wellness trends, making digital engagement a key factor in reaching them.
Understanding these motivations for Seekers, marketers use some of the following strategies to engage with this group and potentially convert them into customers:
- Make It Accessible – Focusing on accessibility can reach the Seeker who may have concerns about their experience level. Messaging should highlight beginner-friendly experiences that remove barriers to entry, emphasizing how simple and enjoyable it is to get started. Campaigns that showcase ease of participation—whether through guided experiences, gear rentals, or beginner-friendly locations—can help eliminate the intimidation factor that often prevents first-timers from getting involved.
- Leverage Friend Power – Engaging with social media is another strategy to reach Seekers because they rely on social proof to validate their choices. Leveraging testimonials, influencer partnerships, and user-generated content that showcases real people enjoying outdoor activities can encourage a hesitant Seeker to take the first step into participation. Encouraging customers to share their experiences through hashtags, reviews, and social media challenges can create a ripple effect, attracting more first-time participants through trusted recommendations.
- Seasonal Triggers – These play an important role in motivating Seekers to take action. Life moments like New Year’s resolutions, seasonal wellness trends, and mental health awareness campaigns provide key opportunities to align marketing efforts with their personal goals. Brands that position outdoor activities as a tool for self-care and well-being during these peak moments can maximize engagement and attract a fresh wave of new participants.
When you combine accessibility, social influence, and timely messaging, outdoor brands can successfully convert Seekers into long-term outdoor enthusiasts. As the gateway audience, Seekers play a pivotal role in expanding your customer base and driving outdoor brand growth.
2. Doers: The Balanced Adventurer
Doers don’t require as much encouragement to engage with the outdoors. They’re already participating in outdoor activities but often struggle to find the time to participate as much as they’d like. Balancing work, family, and other responsibilities, Doers see outdoor recreation as a way to decompress, relieve stress, and momentarily escape from daily pressures. Unlike beginners who need encouragement to start, Doers are looking for convenience—structured experiences that fit seamlessly into their busy lives. They appreciate pre-planned itineraries, virtual challenges, and curated experiences that make participation easier without requiring extensive planning or preparation.
Understanding the mindset of the Doers and adapting marketing strategies can provide more opportunities for participation, ultimately increasing growth for the brand. Some marketing strategies to keep in mind for this audience can look like these:
- Save Time – With their busy lives and commitments, finding time to experience the outdoors is challenging. Providing easy-to-follow itineraries, gear bundles, and ready-to-go adventure packages can eliminate decision fatigue and encourage them to take action.
- Flexible Engagement – Offering flexible engagement options, such as virtual challenges and competitions, allows Doers to stay active and engaged even when their schedules don’t permit traditional outdoor excursions. Digital tools like apps, social media challenges, and rewards programs can further enhance their experience, keeping them connected to the brand while fitting into their lifestyle.
- Work-Life Balance – Messaging that emphasizes work-life balance and stress relief can resonate with this group. Doers need reminders that outdoor recreation is not just an activity but a necessary escape that improves mental and physical well-being. Brands that position themselves as facilitators of relaxation, stress relief, and accessible adventure will resonate most with this audience.
Doers are already engaged in outdoor activities but struggle to find time, so marketing strategies should focus on convenience, flexibility, and work-life balance by offering structured experiences, easy itineraries, virtual challenges, and messaging that highlights stress relief and accessibility. This positioning reinforces your brand’s value and keeps it top-of-mind for time-constrained customers.
3. Lovers: The Passionate Enthusiasts
Lovers are the passionate enthusiasts of outdoor recreation, always seeking their next adventure and eager to try new activities. They’re quick adopters who actively research the latest trends, gear, and experiences, making them highly engaged consumers. Unlike Seekers who need encouragement to start, or Doers who balance outdoor activities with other responsibilities, Lovers are self-motivated and thrive on challenge, exclusivity, and seasonal experiences. Their excitement for outdoor recreation translates into strong brand loyalty, particularly when brands cater to their desire for novelty and adventure.
With these differences in mindset, Lovers need a different type of strategy to reach them effectively, including:
- Fast Conversion – Using a fast conversion tactic ensures interest quickly turns into action. A strategic 30-day plan retargeting window with lower-funnel digital ads can capture their enthusiasm and drive immediate engagement.
- Creating Urgency – Limited-time promotions, exclusive product launches, and members-only experiences tap into their fear of missing out and encourage quick decision-making.
- Always-on Engagement – Because Lovers are always on the lookout for their next great experience, maintaining an always-on engagement strategy is crucial, especially in digital marketing for outdoor brands. A consistent brand presence through paid media, influencer partnerships, and immersive storytelling keeps Lovers connected, reinforcing their enthusiasm and sustaining long-term engagement.
Understanding what fuels Lovers—excitement, exclusivity, and adventure—brands can design marketing campaigns that align with their mindset. When positioned correctly, Lovers not only become repeat customers but also the most vocal champions of outdoor recreation brands, spreading enthusiasm and inspiring others to follow their lead. When activated effectively, Lovers can become powerful brand advocates across social media and outdoor communities.
A Unified Marketing Strategy
A successful outdoor recreation marketing strategy requires a balance between tailored messaging and a cohesive brand approach that resonates with all audience segments in your outdoor activity advertising strategy. While Seekers, Doers, and Lovers each have distinct motivations, they share a common interest in stress relief, relaxation, and health benefits.
Anchor your messaging around these shared themes and fine-tune your approach based on each group’s mindset. For Seekers, content should emphasize accessibility and ease of entry, while Doers respond well to messages about efficiency and work-life balance. Lovers, driven by excitement and exclusivity, are best engaged through adventure-driven narratives and premium experiences.
Leveraging digital and social engagement is key to reaching each group where they’re the most active. Seekers, heavily influenced by social media and peer recommendations, are best reached through influencer partnerships and aspirational content. Doers, who appreciate convenience and structure, benefit from personalized email campaigns and retargeting strategies that nurture their participation. Lovers require an always-on digital presence, with ongoing engagement through storytelling, exclusive content, and high-energy campaigns that fuel their passion for adventure.
Seasonal and behavioral triggers provide additional opportunities to engage audiences at the right moments. Seekers are most likely to engage during health and wellness peaks, such as New Year’s resolutions or seasonal fitness trends. Doers, who juggle outdoor activities with their responsibilities, are most responsive to time-saving solutions and stress relief messaging, particularly during high-pressure times of the year. Lovers thrive on exclusivity and peak-season experiences, making it essential to offer limited-time promotions and members-only access to special events or gear launches.
Optimizing the conversion funnel for each group ensures that initial engagement turns into long-term participation. Seekers need a simplified entry process with beginner-friendly content and easy onboarding. Doers respond well to structured guides, pre-planned experiences, and digital challenges that remove the guesswork from participation. Lovers, driven by urgency and exclusivity, are best converted through loyalty incentives, VIP access, and limited-time promotions.
Marketing Strategies Put Into Practice
A number of successful outdoor brand marketers are putting these strategies into practice and building engaging marketing campaigns to support all three audiences.
- Distance, a Paris-based sportswear retailer, is known for its immersive and rather surprising approach to reaching its customers. One of these campaigns encouraged their customers to steal from the store, and if they could outrun an elite sprinter, they could keep the merchandise. This type of campaign excites Lovers by creating an exclusive and unique opportunity in adventure brand marketing to engage with the brand. This brand also appeals to Seekers by hosting events that make outdoor activities more accessible and exciting. For Doers, they offer structured community runs and training sessions, providing convenience and fostering a sense of community. These layered experiences make it easier to engage different customer mindsets without fragmenting your message.
- Simms Fishing leverages its strong brand identity to appeal to all segments of outdoor enthusiasts. For Seekers, they provide educational content and beginner-friendly products that highlight the stress-relief and relaxation benefits of fishing. Doers appreciate Simms’ high-quality gear that offers reliability and efficiency, aligning with their need for convenient and time-saving solutions. Lovers are engaged through exclusive product lines and storytelling that emphasizes the brand’s craftsmanship and commitment to the fishing community. This multifaceted approach ensures that Simms Fishing resonates with a broad audience while maintaining a cohesive brand message.
A Holistic Approach to Outdoor Recreation Marketing
Successful outdoor marketing strategies begin with recognizing the distinct mindsets of Seekers, Doers, and Lovers. Each group engages with the outdoors differently, but all share motivations around wellness, connection, and exploration. So, by understanding their unique mindsets, outdoor brands can craft targeted marketing strategies that effectively engage each audience while reinforcing shared motivations. Whether it’s making outdoor recreation more accessible for first-time participants, streamlining experiences for busy adventurers, or fueling the passion of dedicated enthusiasts, the key lies in thoughtful messaging and strategic engagement.
A well-rounded approach—one that incorporates social influence, seasonal triggers, and digital touchpoints—ensures brands remain relevant and top-of-mind for all audience segments. By leveraging these insights and refining their marketing efforts, outdoor brands can foster deeper connections, drive long-term loyalty, and ultimately grow their customer base in a meaningful and sustainable way.
Now is the time to refine your outdoor marketing strategies and connect with every type of outdoor participant in a meaningful way.
