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‘Don’t Condescend
Me Man’
Either way – a lasting cultural direc-
tion or temporary imagery – marketers
looking to leverage the lumbersexual
mystique should move forward with
some caution. After all, the term “lum-
bersexual” itself can have negative
connotations, used by some primarily as
a derogatory term when poking fun at
the trend and its adherents, suggests our
informal survey of industry contestants.
This likely stems from the “poser”
mentality, or a perception those who
truly live the outdoor lifestyle can have
toward folks who narcissistically adopt
the “look” but not the ethos of that
lifestyle. While possibly legitimate at
times, such sentiments are certainly not
conducive to growth or the inclusive
spirit one would hope permeates the
outdoor marketplace.
“The outdoor industry has a huge
opportunity to gain from the current
trend, but if we reinforce terms like
[lumbersexual] we will alienate the
very consumer we are looking to sell
to: the millennial,” says Nate Borne,
general manager at Snow Peak USA.
Borne prefers the term “urban woods-
man,” which is currently used by market-
ers and designers in the fashion industry.
“However,
whatever the term
we want to use, we
should make sure
we are marketing
our lifestyle as posi-
tive as possible no
matter the consumer,
no matter the trend,”
he says.
“As aguy who
loves the outdoor
lifestyle, lumber-
sexual just seems
like a costume for
someone who wants to play outdoors,”
adds Craven. “But if it brings awareness
to the outdoors and maybe turns a few
people onto the outdoor lifestyle, then
I’m all for it.”
So what are some ways to entice
lumbersexuals to try camping? Heidi
Allen, marketing director at Nikwax,
suggests tapping into the desire to
portray “manliness” combined with
the group’s product-focused nature to
create a scene she describes as “man
glamping.”
“Highlight how the experience can
be rugged, yet highly design-attuned,”
she says. That means thinking along
the lines of “urban-rugged,” says Allen,
including concepts such as “campfire
cocktails,” complete with high-end bour-
bon, or a local (possibly tattooed) chef
discussing the best meats to cook over
an open flame.
Highlighted camping products – or
at least the accessories merchandised
alongside of traditional campsite gear –
should convey a sense of craftsmanship
and authenticity, says Allen, in agree-
ment with many other experts in our
panel. Such merchandising examples
could include a hand-sewn, canvas
Beckel log carrier or a beautiful, crafts-
man-made knife from Helle of Norway
or Snow Peak’s eloquent-yet-very-
masculine Copper Head Peg Hammer,
as just a few examples.
Of course, that’s not to suggest style
or design trumps substance.
“Unfortunately, a lot of lumbersexu-
ally designed products push pastiche
over function, and many lumbersexuals
have consequently had a bad experi-
ence using their stuff outdoor,” says
Robert Fry, director of product at
Mountain Hardwear.
After all, a major part to being “au-
thentic,” and inherent to craftsmanship,
are the concepts of reliability and built-
for-purpose. “This consumer is attracted
to well-designed, classic products that
both work and last,” says Borne. And
that plays to the strengths of specialty
brands and retailers.
“Outdoor, similar to workwear, has
designs that are much more based on
function, and those functions, those fab-
rics and those historic styles tell a story
that is attractive,” says Borne.
Snow
Peak’s
Stacking
Shelf Center is
not only a stylish way for
the urban woodsman to store
his accoutrements, but it’s also a
nice campground merchandising piece
for in-store.
This Beckel Canvas Log Carrier can
be merchandised so “a lumbersexual
can instantly picture himself standing
on the edge of the forest, this carrier
swung nonchalantly over his plaid-clad
shoulder, as he adjusts his man-bun,”
says Nikwax’s Allen.
Inside
Outdoor
|
Spring
2015
20