The brand of #doingthings
Outdoor Voices is an activewear brand that focuses on recreational and lifestyle use and is made for everyone who enjoys getting out, moving your body and enjoying time with others. Two years ago, my sister introduced me to the brand. They are based out of Austin, Texas, where my sister lives and she was instantly attracted to the ease of wearing this brand. So much so, that she has adopted a more active lifestyle because of finding an activewear wardrobe that finally fits her needs. Once they opened a store in Los Angeles, my mom, sister and I all visited and I got my very own OV set to test out. I'm not the most active person and am not a fan of workout wear brands who focus on competition or winning. I also don't like sportwear brands that are insanely expensive for one sportsbra or pair of leggings that I won't even wear often. Thankfully, OV found the sweet spot for a target audience who needs the inbetween.
I am always on Instagram and recently have begun to use it as a main source of my e-commerce buys. I think that a brands image on social media is one of the most important parts of sharing their story and OV does a great job of that. I mostly interact with them through their instagram profile and have even become one of their campus brand ambassadors. OV's mission statement is one that I like to apply to my everyday life, and one that I am proud to share with others. Their Instagram shows normal people being active through different recreational activities like skiing, yoga, biking, hiking or even just running some errands for the day. They also created a hashtag for themselves called #doingthings. I love the simplicity of that statement and think it is important for a brand like OV. It takes the stress off of real intense workouts and focuses on the importance of being active throughout your day no matter how simple it may be. As a brand ambassador I often share this hashtag when I post pictures in their activewear. For me, #doingthings, means going skiing on the weekends with my college's ski team, doing morning yoga through classes I found on my phone in my room, walking places instead of driving, or attempting the grocery store at 6pm on a Sunday. I am more motivated to be active when I have activewear that is easy to throw on, fashionable for any occasion and most importantly non-restrictive. The Instagram, their website design, and their brand mission is what really sold me, they focus on real people doing real things and it inspires me to do the same. It is not as intimidating as other workout brands and that is key.
I now recommend this brand to my friends and tell them they HAVE to try it out. However, what I am learning is that not many people are aware of OV. Maybe OV is still starting up or maybe they need to explore different marketing tactics to reach out to a larger crowd. While this is usually seen as a negative, in this case it could also just mean that they have their cult following already who support OV enough to the point that they do not need to expand to a larger audience. When someone discovers and loves OV the way that myself and my sister do, then they throw out any other activewear brand out the window and remain loyal. Just like the brand Glossier, OV created a community for itself that encourages followers to remain loyal to them. Through their hashtags and active based events held in Los Angeles, OV is a lifestyle. Through them, I learned how important a cohesive brand image is and how important building a community for your brand is. If a brand doesn't have a mission that taps into an untouched market and an unknown social media presence, then there is little to no reason to purchase from them. It is now more important than ever to be authentic and take a stand, selling just good product doesn't cut it anymore.
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