Since 2020, the global outdoor sports user base has shown significant growth. Data indicates that by 2027, the number of outdoor sports enthusiasts will reach 1.71 billion people. This substantial audience has given rise to a multi-billion-dollar consumer market. In 2022, the global outdoor equipment industry had a revenue of approximately $200.2 billion, with a 10% year-on-year growth. It is expected that by 2025, the global outdoor equipment market's revenue will reach $236.3 billion.

Due to the impact of the pandemic, there has been a significant rise in people's demand for outdoor activities, with camping and cycling as the mainstream outdoor activities that are widely popular. Chinese brand Naturehike serves as a typical success case of an outdoor brand expanding internationally. Mature brands employ various distinctive strategies when venturing into foreign markets

Part 1: From OEM Factory to Independent Brand - Naturehike's Journey of Steady Progress

Camping culture has a longer history of development in Europe and the United States compared to China. The founder of modern leisure camping, Thomas Hiram Holding, wrote the "Camper's Handbook" as early as 1908, highlighting the beauty of the camping lifestyle. In regions like North America, the rise of camping culture can be traced back to the 1960s when camping activities offered a wide range of choices, including horseback riding and canoe trips. During this time, North America saw the emergence of clubs and organizations dedicated to serving campers.

If we count the years, camping culture in North America has a history of over a century. Before the 1880s, camping was primarily enjoyed by the affluent middle class in the United States. With the widespread adoption of automobiles, camping styles diversified, and the demand for camping became more diverse.

Founded in 2010, Naturehike is a subsidiary of Ningbo Nokle Outdoor Products Co., Ltd. In their introduction, Naturehike is dedicated to providing camping equipment for families and friends who enjoy outdoor activities. The company produces durable and environmentally friendly products with the goal of supplying everyone with the equipment they need to break free from the confines of the city and return to nature.

In terms of marketing, Naturehike has performed well on overseas platforms like AliExpress and Amazon. Furthermore, their independent website is quite mature.

Ken, an individual seller with experience in independent websites, mentioned that 59% of Naturehike's traffic comes from search, and 30% comes from organic traffic. They have excelled in SEO and brand building.

In fact, the Naturehike brand has a longer history, dating back to 2003 when it was originally an outdoor equipment OEM factory in the Jiangsu-Zhejiang region, primarily selling its products in Europe and other regions.

Having been involved in OEM manufacturing for many years, the company developed a deeper understanding of the outdoor equipment market. At that time, domestic outdoor activities were on the rise, and there were several outdoor activity organizations in the Ningbo region. Through interactions with these organizations, the company gained inspiration for product development and developed a deeper understanding of the outdoor equipment market.

This eventually led to the creation of the Naturehike brand. In essence, behind the facade of what appears to be a relatively young brand is nearly two decades of accumulated product experience, making them a true "veteran" in the outdoor industry.

While Naturehike had a keen understanding of the overseas market opportunities, in its early days, the brand primarily targeted the domestic audience. The establishment of the Naturehike brand coincided with the rapid development of e-commerce in China. Leveraging e-commerce channels, Naturehike achieved remarkable success. They secured the top sales position in outdoor and camping products on Tmall 618 for six consecutive years.

The decision to expand internationally came six years after the establishment of the Naturehike brand. Naturehike initially focused on the European and American markets and later expanded into regions like Japan and South Korea. As of now, Naturehike has a presence in 72 countries and regions worldwide, including North America, Western Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Their international expansion has been quite impressive.

In March 2022, Naturehike successfully secured nearly a hundred million yuan in funding.

Part 2: In-Depth Product Differentiation - How Naturehike Seeks Uniqueness in International Markets

In the domestic market, Naturehike is a representative brand of mid to high-end outdoor equipment. However, when expanding overseas, Naturehike chose not to position itself as a higher-end brand. Instead, they opted for a broader target audience.

In general, in markets with a more mature outdoor culture, such as the United States, people tend to value product quality. Brands with market experience might position themselves as higher-end brands in such markets, allowing them to command premium pricing and higher profits.

However, Naturehike did not follow this typical strategy.

A Japanese distributor once commented on Naturehike, stating that their products are both well-designed and competitively priced. Throughout their international expansion, Naturehike managed to offer affordability while infusing innovative ideas into their products.

For instance, Naturehike has introduced the concept of "Light Outdoors, Light Travel," emphasizing the principles of lightweight, reliability, performance, adventure, and innovation. These "lightweight" concepts align more with the modern camping consumer's needs compared to traditional outdoor products, making it easier for new products to enter the market.

While maintaining a strong visual appeal, Naturehike's pricing is also quite attractive. Although considered a mid to high-end outdoor brand in China, Naturehike offers a range of products at various price points in international markets.

Take tents as an example. On the Naturehike independent website, tent prices vary from $69 to $1,661, with most products falling in the one to two hundred-dollar range, and many tents even have discounted prices. In comparison to well-selling tent products on Amazon, prices typically range from a few tens of dollars to over a hundred dollars. This demonstrates Naturehike's emphasis on the value proposition of their products.

This also confirms Naturehike's approach to price positioning across its entire product range. They can meet the basic needs of the average outdoor enthusiast while also providing higher-quality products for luxury camping consumers, thus expanding the coverage of their product line.

Another key aspect is product design differentiation, and in this regard, Naturehike's product development advantages become particularly evident.

An "adapt to local conditions" approach is applied in Naturehike's product design. For example, once a hiking tent is created, it undergoes iterative development every year, building upon the existing product. Even aspects of military product technology may be integrated into Naturehike's products.

Differentiating flagship products requires creative thinking, and Naturehike's products often incorporate Chinese elements, highlighting cultural characteristics as a selling point. Furthermore, when it comes to the specific needs of niche consumers, Naturehike can even turn camping products into toys, combining functionality and fun.

In a sense, for a brand to stand out, finding unique design inspiration is essential. The outdoor gear market is highly competitive, and the traditional product development approach can only meet existing needs; it cannot guide or unearth new ones.

Part 3: Differentiated Products Make Channel Partnerships and Product Marketing More Focused

In the current outdoor gear market environment, consumers demand practicality, fashion, and technology in their outdoor equipment. Therefore, a thorough product analysis through methods like "种草" (planting the seed of interest) is a crucial marketing channel for outdoor brands.

Overseas, Naturehike also understands the importance of KOL (Key Opinion Leader) marketing and has a comprehensive presence on social media channels.

Currently, Naturehike has official accounts on mainstream social media platforms such as Facebook, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok.

On TikTok, Naturehike collaborates with several outdoor influencers. For example, a collaboration video between Naturehike and travel blogger "hikenrun" garnered nearly 400,000 views and almost 20,000 likes. Another video featuring Naturehike's "flying fish" tent by travel blogger "campingkelana" received 500,000 views.

Of course, traditional marketing methods still rely on high-quality products. For mature brands looking to expand into international markets rapidly, leveraging platform support often proves to be highly effective.

Naturehike has significantly benefited from this during its journey into Lazada. Five years after expanding internationally, in 2021, Lazada's official operators paid a special visit to Naturehike to help it establish a stronger presence in the Southeast Asian market through Lazada.

One noteworthy detail is that Lazada provided Naturehike with a full day of high exposure on its homepage, resulting in substantial traffic redirection. In just one day, Naturehike's GMV on Lazada approached nearly $100,000.

Differentiated product designs can provide better support for product promotion and marketing. However, Naturehike's success in marketing lies in its solid product foundation, which is compelling enough to attract platforms to actively support its growth. While some brands still need to invest in platform advertising, mature brands venturing abroad have already received preferential treatment from the platform. For quality product companies, leveraging the platform can be a shortcut for international expansion.

Part 4: Traditional Market Competition Is Limited – Where Are the Opportunities in Emerging Outdoor Markets?

The outdoor economy has matured in many countries, such as Europe, the United States, and Australia. These regions face significant market competition and limited growth opportunities in the future. For enterprises looking to enter these markets, the cost of expansion is higher. So, in the global outdoor products market, where are the new opportunities, and what product categories are emerging growth points?

Firstly, the Southeast Asian market is an essential growth point for outdoor products that cannot be ignored.

Data indicates that the outdoor sports market in Southeast Asia has surpassed 300 million USD, with annual category growth rates exceeding 100%. The Philippines and Thailand are considered core markets for outdoor sports, with camping, fishing, and cycling being the three main core categories. Products such as tents, fishing gear, and sports protective equipment have gained significant attention in Southeast Asia.

During the 2022 Double 12 event on Lazada, sports apparel and footwear were among the best-selling categories, which is directly related to the development of outdoor activity concepts in the Southeast Asian region.

Secondly, in terms of product sales, different from the consumer demands in traditional outdoor sports regions like Europe and America, Southeast Asia's unique geographical environment leads to a higher preference for water sports.

Starting with traditional sports activities like camping and cycling, these are preferred by many outdoor enthusiasts in most countries. To meet these needs, products like camping lighting and bicycle accessories have a considerable market in Southeast Asian countries. Research shows that in Southeast Asia, the primary consumers of outdoor power products are young people who are passionate about emerging sports and new lifestyles. As the demand for sophisticated camping continues to rise, these consumers seek quality and design in camping lighting products. Therefore, innovative design brands and high-end products still have significant development potential in this direction.

In emerging outdoor activities, countries like Vietnam and Thailand show a strong interest in fishing, making the market for fishing gear and accessories more promising. Additionally, people in Southeast Asian countries are highly enthusiastic about water sports such as surfing. There is a substantial market for water sports equipment, including surfboards, paddleboards, and similar gear.

While the outdoor economy has been developing for a long time, consumer demand is becoming more refined. The market is continuously fragmenting, and consumers are expanding their product requirements. This necessitates that brands approach product development from a more detailed perspective. Moreover, the rise of emerging consumer groups, such as Generation Z, is expected to bring about a broader consumer market.

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