Columbia Sportswear manufactures outdoor clothing and gear for a wide range of activities including skiing, hiking, climbing, mountaineering, camping, fishing, hunting, snowboarding, and more.
Its main focus is to provide apparel and gear for people who love the outdoors. So, the Columbia Sportwear target market is anyone who loves spending time outside!
Columbia’s products are designed to keep the wearer comfortable and safe while enjoying the great outdoors, no matter the activity they’re engaged in.
Their products include jackets, pants, shirts, footwear, and more for both men and women. Columbia Sportswear also offers a wide variety of gear for different outdoor activities, such as tents, sleeping bags, and backpacks.
In this article, we’ll study the Columbia Sportswear target market and understand why and when they turn to Columbia Sportswear for their outdoor needs.
Who is the Columbia Sportswear Target Market?
To best understand the Columbia Sportswear target market, we need to ask ourselves why (or when) do people need to purchase outdoor clothing and gear. And when they have this need, what is their motivation to buy a Columbia Sportswear product as opposed to one from another outdoor brand?
By asking such questions to isolate the consumers’ needs and motivations, we can divide the Columbia Sportswear Target Market into the following segments:
- People who love the outdoors
- People looking for a specific outdoor clothing
- People who trust and like the Columbia Sportswear brand
- People looking to get fit
- People who participate in adventure tourism
- People who prefer outdoor clothing over regular clothing
- Parents buying outdoor clothing for their children
Let’s look closely at each of these consumer segments of Columbia Sportswear.
#1. People who love the outdoors
By far the largest consumer segment of the Columbia Sportswear target market are people who love spending time outdoors and enjoy outdoor recreation. This includes activities such as hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, snowboarding, and more.
These consumers need outdoor clothing and gear to protect them from the elements and keep them comfortable while enjoying their favorite activities.
Columbia Sportswear makes products are designed to meet these needs, with a wide variety of jackets, pants, shirts, and footwear for both men and women. Columbia also offers a wide variety of gear for different outdoor activities, such as tents, sleeping bags, and backpacks.
People who love the outdoors are Columbia’s bread and butter, and the company focuses its marketing efforts on reaching this giant consumer segment.
#2. People looking for specific outdoor clothing or gear
Often when people need outdoor clothing, they’re usually looking for a specific piece of clothing or gear for a specific purpose or activity.
For example, someone who is going on a hiking trip may be looking for a hiking jacket, while someone who is going camping may be looking for a sleeping bag.
Likewise, someone who is going fishing may be looking for a fishing shirt or hat and someone going trail running may be in need of a new pair of trail running shoes.
Columbia Sportswear manufactures a wide variety of outdoor clothing and gear, making it a great destination for people who are looking for specific items.
Columbia’s website and retail stores that carry their products are designed to make it easy for shoppers to find what they’re looking for making this segment an important part of the Columbia Sportswear target market.
#3. People who trust and like the Columbia Sportswear brand
This group of people trusts and likes the Columbia Sportswear brand, and they are loyal to the company. They may have tried Columbia’s products in the past and been satisfied with the quality, or they may simply like the company’s image and can associate themselves with it.
People who trust and like Columbia Sportswear are more likely to buy the company’s products, even if they’re not necessarily in need of outdoor clothing or gear at the time. This makes this group an important part of the Columbia Sportswear target market.
Columbia Sportswear has built up a great deal of brand equity over the years, and it is one of the most well-known outdoor clothing brands in the world. The company’s marketing efforts are focused on continuing to build the Columbia Sportswear brand and maintaining its loyal customer base.
#4. People looking to get fit
When someone’s New Year’s resolution is to get in shape, they may start looking for outdoor clothing and gear as they begin to explore different activities that can help them reach their fitness goals.
Columbia Sportswear products are often seen as being high-quality and durable, making them a popular choice for people who are looking to get fit. Columbia’s products are also often seen as being stylish and fashionable, which is another appeal for this consumer segment.
Columbia Sportswear’s marketing efforts are focused on reaching people who are looking to get fit and helping them see the company’s products as being the best choice for their needs. Columbia often sponsors fitness events and partners with fitness influencers to reach this target market.
#5. People who participate in adventure tourism
In recent years, there has been a growing trend of people participating in adventure tourism.
Adventure Tourism can involve activities like hiking to the base camp of Mount Everest, White water rafting in the Rockies, Ice Climbing in Norway, Scuba Diving in the Maldives, and sailing around the Cape of Good Hope, etc.
Columbia Sportswear is a popular choice for people who participate in adventure tourism. Columbia has done a great job associating its brand with adventure and excitement, which makes this target market particularly important for the company.
#6. People who prefer outdoor clothing over regular clothing
Many people, who may or may not be outdoor enthusiasts, prefer to wear outdoor clothing over regular clothing even when they are indoors. So they could be people who work in an office but wear Columbia Sportswear sweatshirts and pants because they prefer the style, fit, and feel of outdoor clothing.
When people choose to wear casual outdoor clothing like that from Columbia Sportswear, it sends a message that they are relaxed and approachable. Also, many office cultures are changing and becoming more casual, which is another reason why this target market is important for Columbia Sportswear.
#7. Parents buying outdoor clothing for their children
The final segment of the Columbia Sportswear target market that we will review includes parents who are buying outdoor clothing for their children.
Many parents want their children to be able to enjoy the outdoors and have a positive association and with that goes Columbia Sportswear. Columbia offers a wide range of children’s clothing that is both stylish and functional, making it a popular choice for parents.
Also, since children tend to outgrow their clothing quickly, parents are often looking for affordable options. Columbia Sportswear’s products are typically very reasonably priced, making the company a great choice for parents on a budget.
Conclusion
The Columbia Sportswear target market includes, first and foremost, those who love the outdoors. These people are most likely to need outdoor clothing and gear all the time and Columbia, being a well-known brand, stands to benefit from this.
People looking for specific outdoor clothing for a specific outdoor activity and those who trust and like the Columbia Sportswear brand are also an important segment of the Columbia Sportswear target market as they are likely to choose a product from Columbia over its competitors, everything else being equal.
People looking to get fit and those participating in adventure tourism are also potential customers of Columbia Sportswear as are those who prefer outdoor clothing over regular clothing and parents buying outdoor clothing for their children.