In the outdoor industry, “innovation is paramount” to get consumers to continue buying product, says Matt Eby, CEO of private equity firm Seawall Capital. “The best brands in outdoors are the brands that are product-first: build an amazing product that delivers on what the brand promises, delivers performance … but it also has to be new, exciting or innovative.”
Responsibility and sustainability are key, but the messaging must be authentic. “You can’t just slap a sticker on a product that says ‘carbon neutral,’” Eby said. “Consumers will see through that.”