Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2018 - 14

THE PULSE

New Rules for an
Activist Economy
Follow these guiding principles to navigate a new retail and
cultural landscape that demands businesses not only
stick to their values, but live by them, too. by Mike Geraci
THE ACTIVIST ECONOMY HAS ARRIVED.
Earlier this year, REI and MEC joined retail
giants Dick's Sporting Goods and, to a lesser
extent, Walmart in diving into the seemingly unrelated waters of gun control politics.
After the February shooting that left 17 dead
at Florida's Stoneman Douglas High School,
Walmart, one of the country's largest gun sellers, raised the minimum age for gun buyers
to 21. Dick's, a major hunting outfitter, did the
same and also stopped selling assault-style
rifles. Meanwhile, REI and MEC put orders
on hold from outdoor and bike brands Giro,
Bell, CamelBak, Camp Chef, Bollé, Bushnell,
Jimmy Styks, and Blackburn because those
brands' parent company, Vista Outdoors, also
owns gun manufacturer Savage Arms and
made no statement outlining a clear plan of
action on the sale of guns like those used in the
majority of U.S. shootings.
In a company statement, REI noted: "This
morning we learned that Vista does not plan
to make a public statement that outlines a
clear plan of action. As a result, we have decided to place a hold on future orders of products
that Vista sells through REI while we assess
how Vista proceeds. Companies are showing
they can contribute if they are willing to lead.
We encourage Vista to do just that."
On its face, making the connection between
brands like CamelBak and Savage Arms is a
big jump-but not to the outdoor community.
By suspending orders of the Vista Outdoor
brands, REI and MEC were sending a message that whatever layers of bureaucracy Vista
pointed to as proof of independence, they were
not enough. That message had teeth, too, as
Vista is now considering selling Savage Arms.

14 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ Summer 2018

In the midst of today's daily political theater,
outdoor consumers are frustrated. They feel
powerless. So they are turning to and rewarding their allies who join their fight for what's
right. While the emerging paradigm requires
manufacturers to wear their purpose on their
sleeves, retailers-who have traditionally
stayed relatively neutral on highly charged po-

litical issues in order to appease as many people as possible-are now joining the fray. But
be warned, before jumping in heed the following New Rules for a Brand Activist Economy:
RULE #1

THE RISKYWAY IS THE SAFE WAY
According to Edelman's latest Earned Brand
report, 57 percent of consumers are more likely to buy from or boycott a brand because of its
stance on a social or political issue. That's an
increase of 30 percent from three years ago.
RULE #2

NAME THE ENEMY
As issues and politics become more clearly
defined and divisive, there's an opportunity
to embrace known "enemies" to leverage the
energy of cultural tensions that are already
well established in the market. Renewable
energy company Ovo Energy's latest cam-

FUN AND AMMO
Consumer pressure has
caused many retailers to
rethink whether what they
stock on theri shelves
aligns with their values.

Andrew Kornylak

MARKETING

Outdoor Retailer - Summer 2018

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