How to Launch Outdoor Gear on Kickstarter


Crowdfunding

The outdoor equipment industry is booming, especially on Kickstarter and Indiegogo. If you have an outdoor product idea and hope to launch it through crowdfunding, follow these tips to ensure you stand out from the competition and execute a successful campaign.

Tips for Crowdfunding Outdoor Products

With summer just around the corner, many of us are looking forward to enjoying the great outdoors again. Whether you prefer hiking at the mountains, relaxing at the beach, exploring national parks, or enjoying your local greenway, there’s no denying the power of some fresh air and good company.

No matter what your preferred outdoor activity may be, we’ll bet that you’ve thought to yourself at one point, “wow, someone should invent this.” Some of the most innovative outdoor products currently available on the market started on Kickstarter, including GRAYL, Rumpl and BioLite. No matter what your big idea for the great outdoors may be, you can tap into the outdoor market via Kickstarter or Indiegogo to launch your big idea.

 

Validate Your Idea and Identify Your Target Markets

Just because you deal with a regular inconvenience or run into the same problem while outdoors doesn’t mean that everyone has the same issue. If you want to launch an outdoor project on Kickstarter, you need to make sure that the majority of people within your target market will see the value in your big idea.

Try networking with members within your community who regularly hike, camp, fish, boat, or whatever would be applicable to your product. What do they think? If you receive a positive response, then you may be onto something.

Brainstorm Different Use-Case Scenarios

What may be a solution for one group of people may also be a solution for another group. Take, for example, the RinseKit campaign. The portable shower solution was applicable for so many target groups: beachgoers, dog owners, campers, boat owners, and even those who just want to wash their car.

Think about use-case scenarios beyond the obvious. In our experience, outdoor-focused products almost always overlap with other groups. Running pre-launch advertisements will be able to help pinpoint who these other groups may be, too.

Consider When Your Target Audience Would Use Your Product

Is your product something that’s designed for warm weather or cold weather? In our experience, seasonality is an important factor when launching your product. If you have something that would be better suited in the winter, we suggest launching before or after the holiday season while it’s cold outside. On the other hand, if your product is intended to be used during the warmer months, then consider launching your project in the early spring or summer.

Once you validate your idea and pull a timeline together, you can plan your pre-launch campaign efforts, including marketplace research, capturing high-quality assets, collecting leads, and developing your campaign page. If you would like to add some credibility to your campaign, consider sending out samples prior to launching your project so influencers and journalists can test the product beforehand.

 

Invest in Great Assets

After you pinpoint who you plan to target, be sure to invest in capturing high-quality campaign assets. High-quality assets are vital to any crowdfunding campaign and are especially true for outdoor products. These assets include your project video and a variety of images showing a diverse group of models and locations.

The outdoor community is a passionate and knowledgeable group of people. Be sure to tell your story and form a connection with your future backers, too. What made you come up with this idea? Why are you passionate about this project?

Capture Images that are Relatable to Your Audiences

It’s vital to capture lifestyle shots in every possible use-case scenario or environment possible. Think: who will be using your product? Where will (or where can) they use it?

Be sure to capture product-only shots and close-up shots in addition to the lifestyle shots mentioned above. Backers will want to see fabrics, finishes, and every other little detail. If your product is waterproof or makes an elaborate claim, prove it via images or videos!

 

Listen to Your Backers Once You Launch

Backer comments are free, unsolicited opinions and feedback on your product. Don’t take anything personally, good or bad. Listen to your backers after you launch and consider what they have to say, and post backer updates regularly to build trust with your newfound community.

Assuming you fully fund, you’ll be able to consider and announce stretch goals to backers. This is a great way to keep your project moment high and potentially offer some add-ons, upgrades, or improvements that backers may want to see.

 

Need Help Launching Your Outdoor Project?

If you need help launching your big idea and want to discuss the best time to launch your outdoor-focused campaign, reach out to us at Enventys Partners. We’ve worked on numerous outdoor projects on Kickstarter and can help prepare you for a successful launch.

 

 

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