s and encouraging people from all walks of life to enjoy the outdoors.
“When we look at our competitors around the world, they’re very serious, masculine and achievement-focused – you see people climbing up a mountain in the snow and rain. That’s not us. Kiwis and Aussies like to get out there and have fun with their mates, that’s the spirit and attitude that we want to foster with our customers,” Casey told Inside Retail.
“We want customers to get out and have fun and remind people what’s special about being outdoors. It’s carefree and fun, it’s not as serious as climbing a mountain in the snow.”
“Our new purpose is to improve the wellbeing of the world through the outdoors.”
Outdoor advertising, TVCs, video on demand and a series of campaigns via social and digital have all been unveiled today, showcasing Kathmandu’s new tone of voice and tagline: “We’re out there”.
Kathmandu’s global rebrand is also evident in its latest collections, spearheaded by general manager of product Robert Fry, who came on board last month, bringing international and wholesale expertise from previous roles at North Face, Black Diamond and Mountain Hardwear.
With a renewed focus on style as well as function, Kathmandu’s new product range is aimed at luring in the 25-34 demographic, while also remaining relevant to its existing customer base. Instead of just the traditional black, grey and “intimidating” products, the latest range features backpacks and jackets in bright, vibrant colours.
“We know our customers know and trust our gear to be functional, it keeps you warm and dry and it protects you from the sun. That’s a given, we don’t want to lose that, but we want customers to want [our products] from a desirability point of view,” Casey noted.
“I think globally, outdoor apparel has become more and more part of mainstream everyday wear. You see people wearing puffas on the catwalk and in fashion shows now. People are walking around Paris in Gore-tex rainwear and shoes! It’s about looking stylish as well as serving that functional need.”
The world’s most loved outdoor brand
Kathmandu’s rebrand serves to solidify the B Corp business’ differentiated point of view in the sector, its purpose and values, as it seeks to enter overseas markets via wholesale in the near future.
“Our vision is to be the world’s most loved outdoor brand, we’ve always had that aspiration,” Casey explained, commenting on the existing strength of the brand in the Australian and New Zealand markets. Outside of those regions, Kathmandu is currently available online in the UK.
“Now’s the time to make sure we have the foundation to launch into other markets as well. We’ll start Europe in the next season or so. The Ripcurl brand [in our group] is established there already, so we’ll use their infrastructure there to help us with that,” Casey said.
He added that as the business now looks towards overseas growth, it’s critical that it has the Australian and New Zealand markets remain successful and the brand positioning, purpose and tone of voice is consistent, wherever Kathmandu is in the world.
