Men on cliffs syndrome

When we lead with assumptions we loose insight

Assumptions are a dangerous thing. They build barriers to knowledge and even bigger barriers to access. Go to some ultralight websites or general gear sites and pay attention to the number of white guys on cliffs you see. The more this image is pasted in our brains the less we can see ourselves and other non-white non-males doing the same thing. 

Dying on hills started because I got very annoyed getting ads that all contained micro-versions of the same tired image. The algorithms seemed to have assumed that I was shopping for a man in my life and not myself—very much not a 6 foot man who stares off of cliffs. If they knew the man in my life they would know he’s also not a 6 foot man who stares off of cliffs. I’m a huge proponent of same-height marriages. You never have to move the drivers seats. And wouldn’t the world be a better place if we were all a little more secure in ourselves?

My background is in brand and in untangling difficult concepts. I know the topic of audiences well. So it especially grinds my gears when I see companies alienating entire swaths of the population who would benefit from their product. My new ultralight day pack was purchased because it was given a female origin story by the company. Yes, it looks amazing and serves every need I have but at the end of the day I pulled the trigger because I felt a connection to the brand (and it has an ice axe loop, which can be hard to find in a minimalist bag). 

How often have you made a purchase because you felt seen? I bet the less seen you are the higher your purchase power is when the rare moment happens. 

Thinking beyond the circle

My brand philosophy is around building the audience you aspire to have, not the one you currently have. Why? Because your first audience is probably your friends, people who look like you and act like you and have similar interests. When we continue to cater to those around us we miss out on opportunities to grow, morph, fill more needs, reach more people, build better products. This first audience is important, you have access to them, they help you, and they probably don’t charge to be used in marketing. But once you’ve gotten somewhere, think about how to start expanding beyond that group. 

Expanding beyond that group isn’t pasting a Midjourney image of a diverse hiker (who will probably still come out hot and white, I’ve tried this several times and it’s brutal. Wacky how machines trained on biased data still produce biased results) it’s about seeing the humans that find your gear. Finding them before they find your gear, and asking questions, listening to feedback, and celebrating all bodies, not just the ones around you, or the ones that we’re conditioned to think are the “best”—which isn’t a real concept by the way. 

Look around the trail on your next hike. Make note of who you see. You might be surprised at how few tall white men you see and how many black, brown, old, fat, child-toting humans you share this community with. What image do you see in your mind when you envision an ultralight hiker? A climber? A mountaineer? It doesn’t matter how many mountains I climb, I never see myself as a mountaineer, a climber, the actual badass that I am. If it’s the same for you—Let’s fix that.

One last thought on assumptions

Remember when I said that assumptions are dangerous? They're dangerous and common. Wired into our brains to make life and decisions easier. What matters is noticing that assumption and taking a pause. I'm making an assumption that every man on the cover image of this post is both; a man, and white. I don't know these things. What I know is how the images are portrayed in a group, and in a brand by brand setting. When you see the pattern, you can see the message. There's also nothing wrong with men on cliffs. I'm friends with some, related to some, and they've been pivotal in gaining me access to sports and knowledge I want to pursue. They've had my back, and they can take a joke. The point and message of my view is that brands are seeing one group of users and forgetting dozens of groups on the sidelines.

Be as powerful as you are

The next time you see a man staring off of a cliff, take a screen shot. Send it to me, we can make a collage. Then you can think about how much more capable you are than them because you pursue the outdoors even when it doesn’t pursue you. You find inspiration on your own because you see yourself more than silly ads see you. You only need the validation of your own sense of achievement because you’re stronger than the fictional cliff man who needs a whole army of brands and a camera crew behind him to slog it up a mountain. 

And when it’s time for new gear, think about the brands you want to support. Do they see you when they think of a mountaineer? Do they think of you when designing a new product?