Articles
Media-Driven Brand Building in the Outdoor Industry: What Works
Aug 25, 2025
Outdoor brands like YETI, Huckberry, and MeatEater aren’t just selling products—they’re pioneering a new era of media-driven brand building. In an industry where authentic storytelling and commerce integration matter more than ever, these brands are outpacing competitors by building audiences before ever pitching a product. But for every success story, there are dozens of missteps from brands following a superficial media playbook. Here’s what works, what fails, and how outdoor brands can build sustainable growth through content-first strategies.
Table of Contents
What Is Media-Driven Brand Building?
Key Takeaway #1: Authenticity & Audience Value Above All
Key Takeaway #2: Integrate Content and Commerce
Key Takeaway #3: Build on Internal Strength, Not Just Trends
Killara’s Approach: Media as a Growth Engine
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Conclusion: Craft Your Media-Driven Playbook
What Is Media-Driven Brand Building?
Media-driven brand building flips the script—content isn’t a marketing side project; it’s the core of your business strategy. Successful outdoor and DTC brands leverage content, original video, podcasts, and founder voice to create trust, build community, and turn followers into customers (and evangelists).
Example: Brands like YETI, Huckberry, and MeatEater pioneered this approach by developing loyal audiences who share their values long before ever pitching them a product.
Why Does This Matter for Outdoor Brands?
Outdoor markets are saturated with transactional brands.
Shoppers today demand authenticity, expertise, and community.
Content (done right) creates emotional connections, drives measurable sales, and fuels word-of-mouth.
Key Takeaway #1: Authenticity & Audience Value Above All
Winning Content:
YETI’s films, Black Rifle Coffee’s YouTube, Huckberry’s Journal all put authentic storytelling and outdoor culture first.
Result: Audience trust, engagement, and loyalty—even among non-customers.
What Fails:
Superficial “Instagrammable” content, paid influencer partnerships, and product-first videos don’t drive loyalty (or sales).
Content that feels insincere or disconnected quickly becomes noise.
Action Steps for Brands:
Ask, “Does this content serve our outdoor audience’s passion—or just promote products?”
Prioritize founder stories, original video, and storytelling that highlight your brand’s values and community, not just your catalog.
Operator Playbook:
Map every content series back to a customer benefit or community value.
Invest in 1–2 signature content formats (e.g., docu-series, brand journal, podcast) where your team is credible.
Key Takeaway #2: Integrate Content and Commerce
Best-in-Class:
Huckberry—every journal post, gear guide, or adventure story leads directly to shoppable products, email signups, or exclusive deals.
Outcome: Content consumption directly fuels product sales and retention.
What Fails:
Content “silos” (abandoned blogs, unlinked videos) become a cost center.
Expensive stories that don’t tie into the customer journey waste resources and fail to prove ROI.
Action Steps for Brands:
Integrate shoppable links and product placements into your editorial.
Connect newsletters and editorial stories to product drops and exclusive offers.
Use analytics to measure every content asset’s path to purchase.
Operator Playbook:
Build templates for guides and newsletters that always include calls-to-action (CTAs) and shoppable widgets.
Test and track which content formats drive the most sales, not just engagement.
Key Takeaway #3: Build on Internal Strength, Not Just Trends
Winning Play:
MeatEater grew from Steven Rinella’s podcast to a leading CPG and media brand by deepening its community and operational strengths before jumping to new platforms or products.
Outcome: Highly engaged audiences and strong merchandise launches—but only after community trust was cemented.
What Fails:
Chasing every new platform (TikTok, influencer collabs) spreads teams thin, burns budget, and creates scattered messaging.
Unfocused content strategies lead to inconsistent results.
Action Steps for Brands:
Focus on core channels where your brand’s expertise resonates (podcasts, Youtube, long-form editorials).
Expand only after proving engagement and sales lift.
Ignore “vanity metrics”—only scale what drives retention and conversion.
Operator Playbook:
Identify your brand’s authentic voice and unique expertise.
Choose 1–2 channels to own deeply; kill what doesn’t work.
Killara’s Approach: Media as a Growth Engine
At Killara, we don’t chase media trends. Our mission: Build media-driven outdoor brands with measurable, founder-led content that drives real growth.
Our Framework:
Authentic storytelling aligned with core values
Founder and team-led content (not big budget, agency-driven campaigns)
Each piece of content directly tied to a sales, retention, or community outcome
Relentless measurement and iteration on what works
Ready to build your own media-driven growth engine? Contact Killara today for a free strategy audit.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: What content formats work best for outdoor and DTC brands?
A: Long-form video, documentaries, founder-led podcasts, gear guides, and interactive journals tied to shoppable products.
Q: How should I measure media ROI for my brand?
A: Link every content series to revenue, retention, and email growth. Use UTM codes, last-click attribution, and retention analysis.
Q: Should I invest in influencer partnerships or build owned media?
A: Owned media creates sustainable audiences and defensible brand value; influencer campaigns can support but shouldn’t replace it.
Conclusion: Craft Your Media-Driven Playbook
Media-driven brand building is the future of the outdoor industry—but only for operators who tie content to core mission, measurable sales, and authentic storytelling. Avoid vanity content, focus on what makes your brand unique, and always connect the dots between story and commerce.
Want to see how this playbook fits your outdoor brand?
Book a consult with Killara and turn content into a true growth engine.