Science of the Outdoors

Knowing that part of its success as an outdoor retailer hinged on the expertise of its staff, the REI co-op had invested much to ensure expansive and deep gear and activity knowledge among its employees. Online, the Expert Advice section of its site featured over a hundred articles, each a rabbit hole of details, terms, science, explanations, and recommendations.

Unfortunately, market research also revealed that some customers, and potential customers, found all that expertise and information intimidating. Furthermore, attention spans were shortening while social media content was growing. Creating content that was engaging, approachable, and informative became a goal.

The Science of the Outdoors was a passion project that doubled as blog content and an organic social campaign, successfully distilling common outdoor gear technologies into brief, accessible content.