How to diversify your ambassador & athlete teams

LEARN HOW OUTDOOR RESEARCH, SCARPA, ANd UNDER ARMOUR ARE diversifying their teams

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A CHECKLIST TO GET STARTED

BIPOC athletes and adventurers in the outdoor industry have been historically underrepresented and it’s this absence of representation that is yet another barrier adding to the lack of diversity in the outdoors. In order to grow participation in the sports we love, brands need to continue to evaluate who we are working with and help elevate voices of those with diverse backgrounds and stories.

We need a more diverse group of athletes, influencers and ambassadors to encourage participation and create a safe and inviting industry for all. While it may take a bit more time and effort, it will pay dividends on multiple levels.

How can you begin diversifying your athletes and ambassadors?

To help answer this question, we’re highlighting three Verde clients that have done an excellent job of creating more diverse athlete and ambassador rosters.

To start, you want to be aware of the need for representation among different cultures and communities. By reaching out and inviting in new voices and perspectives, you will gain an in-depth understanding of how to better serve BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities and potentially open up new product feedback channels. By having a diverse and inclusive team and content creators, those new perspectives will come out and lead to new and exciting initiatives for your brand.

Building diversity into your team is more than just adding individuals. When those individuals are included in the discussion it adds a deeper level of understanding about your current customers and provides new points of view that can lead to innovative new products or ways to reach new market segments in our industry.

Below, we look at a few examples from brands that are expanding beyond their ‘go-to’ athlete and ambassador relationships and who are laying the groundwork to make inroads for better representation in the sports and activities we love.

Outdoor Research:

We caught up with Outdoor Research’s Ambassador Marketing Manager, Kelsey Scott, to hear his perspective on diversifying the brand’s team of athletes, ambassadors, and content creators. He pointed out that historically in the outdoor industry, those in leadership get caught up in seeing people who look the same. Knowing that there are already many diverse people in the industry, it is evident that the brands are not reaching out or offering opportunities to people of color.

“[BIPOC outdoor voices] are leading the direction of the industry,” said Scott. “Historically, the industry has been driven by white males. But what does it look like ten years from now? We want everyone and anyone to be able to purchase our goods.”

He described the many benefits that come from working with more diverse ambassadors and athletes, from the creative process to expanding outreach. Outside partners and ambassadors who represent the brand are in touch with their communities and bring an untarnished perspective on what’s happening in their circles.

Scott said, “it’s important to be an empathetic person, and stop and listen to what these communities are saying. Create space to allow the team to tell the stories.”

Over the past 1-2 years, Outdoor Research (OR) has been able to tap into content creators to develop new campaigns and initiatives that they would have not been able to do on their own. With this storytelling approach, OR has been able to and is featuring more diversity, from their storytelling to the faces they feature, as well as valuable product feedback.

Under Armour:

With its background in team sports, Baltimore-based Under Armour has always worked with a diverse team of athletes and ambassadors. Under Armour’s introduction to the running sphere is relatively new, and the company has committed to creating a pro run team that is diverse and representative of all running communities.

Additionally, Under Armour sponsors Run Crews across the country. These Run Crews—in cities such as Baltimore, Brooklyn, and beyond—have diverse members and crew leaders. By supporting these crews, UA authentically connects diverse runners to their brand and creates a space for inclusion in the running industry.

Last year, the UA Running social channels used their platforms to elevate Black voices on Global Running Day, to host a conversation about representation in the running community. Pivoting from the planned Global Running Day activation, UA gave Black runners a chance to discuss how the Black Lives Matter movement and events of early 2020 impacted the Black running community, and how we can take action. In the fall of 2020, UA hosted the #RunToVote Challenge, which tasked Run Crews to encourage a diverse turnout at the polls in Baltimore, a city that consistently registers one of the lowest voter turnouts of metropolitan areas in the country.

SCARPA:

Boulder-based SCARPA has made considerable progress in diversifying its ambassador and athlete team. In early 2021, the company launched its inaugural “SCARPA Stands for Guiding Growth – Athlete Mentorship Initiative.” This program will connect and engage the SCARPA Athlete team with accomplished athletes from historically marginalized communities who are aspiring to take their sport or career to the next level.

As SCARPA ramps up the program, you can follow along as they announce the mentors and mentees. In addition, take note of how their team has created an advisory board that includes a ‘Creative Steering Committee’ and collaborates with BIPOC outdoor organizations as well as inviting other brands into the program, including Outdoor Research, Patagonia, The North Face, Rab, and other industry leaders to expand its reach and impact.

You can read more about the program over in the Seattle Times: Mountain Athletes With Roots In Washington Join Mentorship Program Hoping To Make The Outdoors More Inclusive. This article also appeared as a full page spread in the Sunday print edition, along with a mention on the front page above the fold.

Recently, Kristin Carpenter, CEO and founder of Verde, interviewed Kim Miller, CEO of SCARPA North America on the Channel Mastery Podcast to discuss this innovative program. In the episode, Kim and Kristin discuss the steps SCARPA has taken to take action towards equity, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, and how Kim and his team are working towards being a vehicle for positive change.

“My belief is if you’re a CEO or a leader of a brand or an organization right now, and you’re not thinking about equity, diversity, inclusion, and sustainability, you might be missing two of the most important brand attributes that will carry you forward into the future with a much more solid and durable business and business culture.”

To listen to the full episode, click here.

As you can see, these three brands, of varying sizes and resources, have taken several different approaches to become more inclusive to current and new customers, all while advancing their brands and society. Data show that consumers want diversity in marketing, but so many brands lack the cultural intelligence they have for the audience they are serving. Immersion is mandatory and consumers are demanding it.

More real world examples our how our clients at being more inclusive

Life Time's UNBOUND Gravel event awards first non-binary/genderqueer category finisher:

“I’m driving home, and I’m holding this plaque in my hands,” they said, “and the only thing I can think is — the only thing better than winning first in non-binary next year is to win second or third or have the field so stacked that I won’t even get on the podium," said Abi Robins, Verde client UNBOUND Gravel's first-ever non-binary/genderqueer category finisher.

Your Checklist:

Here is a checklist on how to get started on diversifying your team of influencers and ambassadors.

Getting Started:

Create a mission statement and purpose for your initiative - this doesn’t have to be long or in-depth, just something to guide your team.

Ideation:

How can you leverage the strengths of your organization, products, and sport?

Plan:

Remember, because you are moving beyond your ‘go-to’s’, this will require a bit more time and effort to find people to work with
Talk to other brands
Ask for referrals
Research organizations (here is a list we put together)

Execute:

Provide a framework and space for your new ambassadors to tell their story
Stop and listen for understanding and points of relatability
Find out what is important to them
Learn and engage with new perspectives

In order for our industry to thrive and grow, we recommend you start taking the first steps now to ensure we are fully representing participants and becoming an example industry, one of which others will look too.

Please reach out to us if you have any questions or would like to discuss how you can diversify your team to include more voices and perspectives.