Research Outline

Psychographics: Gen Z Outdoor Enthusiasts

Goals

To understand what motivates the outdoor enthusiasts of Gen Z to align with a particular retail brand, outfitter, or travel service. Build a psychographic profile for young people born after 1994 who enjoy outdoor activities such as biking, hiking, camping, climbing, and/or travel. Answer the following questions: 1) What is the role of monetary value vs. purpose-driven value in this group? 2) What motivates this group to become an ongoing member of a service or program related to their outdoor activity interests? 3) How is the nature and value of membership (i.e. services, gyms, credit cards, etc.) changing with Gen Z? Regional focus is the US. Research will be used in the development of a business pitch.

Early Findings

This initial hour of research found that pyschographic data for Gen Z outdoor enthusiasts in particular is limited, although there is a great deal of publicly available information about Gen Z consumer motivations and brand loyalty in general. Gen Z is a markedly digital generation, and 74% prefers to spend any free time it has online. We were able to find a Business Insider list of Gen Z's 100 favorite brands and used this to evaluate what motivates its loyalty to any sporting goods, athletics, or outdoor brands that made the list.

Gen Z's Favorite Sporting Goods, Athletics, and Outdoor Brands

  • Nike and Adidas are two favorite Gen Z brands for their sneakers in particular.
  • The Northface is a top Gen Z brand because of its focus on environmentalism and women's empowerment.
  • Celebrity endorsements for Under Armour and Gatorade make them two additional favorite brands for Gen Z.
  • Another popular brand with Gen Z is Dick's Sporting Goods for reasons that include its recent ban on AR-15 weapons.
  • Gen Z has a preference for "vitamin-enhanced" beverages, and Powerade is another favorite brand for this generation.

Gen Z Consumers in General

  • Product quality is the most important aspect of making a purchase for 66% of Gen Z.
  • 65% of Gen Z is looking for value when it shops via sales, promo codes, and/or coupons.
  • Privacy and security are important factors for Gen Z when choosing a brand. 61% wants brands to "keep personal data secure."
  • The majority of Gen Z consumers spend money on clothing (55%), books and music (52%), apps (52%), and games (50%).
  • 48% spend money on special events and outings, 31% spend on sports equipment, and 26% spend on travel.
  • Unlike millennials and Gen X, 67% of Gen Z prefers in-store shopping to online shopping.

Proprietary Research

In addition to this public search, we scanned our proprietary research database of over 1 million sources and were unable to find any specific research reports that address your goals.