Leading digital adventure travel platform, The Outbound Collective, announced its #EveryoneOutside initiative today. This new effort is focused on creating a more inclusive and culturally diverse outdoor community by elevating and empowering underrepresented voices through digital amplification and improved access to real-world skill-building events. This public-facing initiative will be promoted to The Outbound’s audience of over 12 million outdoor and travel enthusiasts across its website, iOS and Android apps, social media channels, and dedicated #EveryoneOutside website.
#EveryoneOutside is a long-term commitment by The Outbound Collective, a minority-owned business, to increase diversity in the outdoors. The initial 2019 campaign features five key components: 1) producing and promoting a four-part video series profiling athletes from underrepresented communities; 2) featuring and promoting leaders, organizations, non-profits, and affinity groups working to grow diversity in the outdoors; 3) highlighting and promoting adventure travel-focused images and stories from using the #EveryoneOutside hashtag; 4) distributing free passes to attend The Outbound’s Pursuit Series events for members of partnering non-profits and affinity groups; 5) diversifying The Outbound’s network of photographers and influencers.
The #EveryoneOutside concept directly results from the work The Outbound Collective has been doing as a signatory of Teresa Baker’s Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge. “We’re proud to take the Pledge, and we’re excited to follow Teresa’s lead and the example that she’s setting within the industry,” stated Brian Hefferon, CEO / Co-Founder of The Outbound Collective. “This initiative is really about finding the best ways to support and elevate the many athletes, leaders, organizations, and affinity groups who are already engaged in the hard work of expanding access to the outdoors and creating structures to diversify an industry that is currently not representative of our society at large.”
Teresa Baker, Founder of the Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge, adds, “I’m excited to see how this campaign grows. Underrepresented communities have always been in these amazing outdoor spaces. I’m happy to see The Outbound Collective taking the lead in sharing some of our stories.”
Community partners at launch include Run4 All Women, Latino Outdoors, Natives Outdoors, The Venture Out Project, Color Outside, Girl Ventures, Outdoor Asian, Latin X Hikers, Brown People Camping, Fat Girls Hiking, Brown Folks Fishing, The Great Outchea, and Peak Explorations. Run 4 All Women’s Founder Alison Désir said, “We are thrilled to be a community partner for this much-needed and timely initiative. Representation matters, and we are excited about how this campaign will showcase the diversity of the outdoors, telling our stories all while creating opportunities for newcomers.”
Industry partners at launch include HOKA ONE ONE, Kamgrounds of America (KOA), Eddie Bauer, and LEKI. HOKA’s Director of Global Brand Communications, Martha Garcia, said, “Empowerment, authenticity, and inclusivity are part of the core values of HOKA ONE ONE. These values are reflected in our products and our partnerships. We all must take responsibility for conversations around diversity, equality, and inclusion in our respective industries. Bringing these values to the outdoors and ensuring that all consumers see themselves represented in our brands is imperative. We are honored to support The Outbound Collective’s #EveryoneOutside initiative, helping to give a voice and empower the underrepresented communities.”
The Outbound Collective is excited to launch with these leading partners. It will continue to onboard new non-profits, affinity groups, and corporate partners over the 2019 campaign.