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LaCrosse Footwear and Danner Boots asked us to conduct consumer and product research that would established a deep understanding of their audience, and guide product innovation and development.

Research Approach

Through focus groups and ethnographic research we created distinct audience personas that celebrated the unique personality and needs of the brands people.

For each archetype we learned about their mindset while spending time in the outdoors, shopping, considering products, and engaging with trends or culture.

We then used their mindset to future forecast product trends.

Our insights went into the nitty gritty with detailed data analysis from a color, materials, design, and tech perspective, but also called on general cultural insight to better understand the future of outdoors and the expectations from consumers at every moment of exploring.

Strategy & Insight

A couple of my favorite findings include predicting a widening gap between multifunction and purpose-built products in the outdoor space, driven by the need for the outdoor category to become more inclusive. Our insight suggested a reformation in brand positioning, where brands either promote mass inclusivity or stand for a hyper-technical use case.

Additionally, we predicted a shift in color theory towards more neutral colors that act as a bare canvas for brighter pastel accents. This is due to consumers' need to balance uncertainty, turning to brands and products that represent a sense of care, connection, and community at heart.

Our insights helped the LaCrosse and Danner teams consider changes in product development and how they would reach their customers through communication planning.