Beyond is quite a hit at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. About a year or so ago, I sat down with front man Rick Elder and he shared his brand strategy with us. I know a lot of you have been chomping at the bit wanting to see product, and it’s here. For example, you may remember the Helios Alpha Jacket we showed you over last summer was recently featured in “Outside” magazine. It’s paired with a Brokk pant, a lightweight, super breathable, technical outdoor pant that features articulated knees.
They’ve also introduced both a softshell pant and jacket in the Rig. They both utilize a proprietary fabric and the pant integrates a proprietary 2-way stretch Cordura. Naturally, they are articulated and have several features that we will cover over the next few weeks.
In fact, the booth is packed with new styles. They pride themselves on helping their customers survive in any environment in the world and they are investing in new tech and design to make that more than just a desire. Beyond looks at themselves as a tech company who happens to specialize in the medium of specialized clothing. Garments are being wear tested in the environment they are built for and designs updated real time based on feedback. With a 90 day development cycle, they are nimble enough to give the customer exactly what they want.
You may notice a bit of an urban design influence but colorways are limited edition so if you see something you want, you’d better jump on it before it sells out because the next time it’s offered it may well be in a different color combination.
Naturally, this isn’t the case for the Mission community. Products for this group are customized for the purpose and colors are available as needed. As for the term ‘Mission Community’ I can’t think of a better way to describe it. It isn’t limited to military, LE, or contractors, but also encompasses First Responders, SAR and even NGOs. It’s that group of users that go beyond recreation.
I visited Beyond’s headquarters in November and got to take a peak behind the curtain as they developed several of the designs I saw today at OR. Beyond keeps one leg planted firmly in the outdoor market and this drives their innovation engine. As mission customers we reap the benefits of this focus. You need to keep a constant eye on Beyond. New products will be constantly hitting the street.
