Insights: 5 Things I've Learned Commissioning Creative Work In The Outdoor Industry
Outdoor industry marketing vet Joe White on what creatives can learn from brands.
It's November, and Saturday morning at Kendal Mountain Festival. I'm sitting in a Helinox chair in a freezing cold warehouse, as you do.
A bunch of creative outdoor industry folk (and me) are gathered for a panel discussion that has been organised by the Aline Collective - a group formed to challenge the systemic issues around creativity and creative remuneration they perceive to be endemic in our industry.
What follows is a lively, meandering, and sometimes awkward discussion that navigates topics such as DEI, the democratisation of content commissioning, a hatred of modern content formats (shoutout to the “Death to TikTok” soundbite); and the odd attempt to remind people that good work does occasionally happen in this industry.
Honestly? I didn't have a great time. I couldn't help feeling we collectively missed a good opportunity to discuss some helpful and pragmatic ways to help freelancer creatives get better work. The right people were in the room. But the discussion just didn't get there.
And that’s reflective of the way this conversation tends to unfold right now. Wherever you look, LinkedIn, Substack newsletters and podcasts are full of commentary about falling freelancer rates, and how tough the business environment is right now for gigging creatives. Here’s one Matt wrote a few years ago, above.
And I get it. Budgets are shrinking, and AI is supposedly about to steal your lunch (though I’m not convinced). The mood is understandably pessimistic.
But what seems to be missing from these conversations are practical solutions, and a clear explanation of what brands actually want—and how creatives can meet them in a space that enables both sides to feel the value exchange is fair.
This panel discussion felt no different, and the only thing colder than that warehouse was my frosty ranting to Mr. Looking Sideways, Matt Barr, on the way to the exit.
So, Matt did what he does: challenged me to write something that could help the situation. And here we are.
Insights is my new Looking Sideways section, exclusively for my paid subscribing community.
It’s an absolute treasure trove of the - well - insights and wisdom imparted by over 250 Looking Sideways guests; as well as from the 25 plus years I’ve been pissing about for a living as a journalist, author, podcaster, business owner, mentor and speaker.
It’s where you’ll find exclusive blogs, podcasts, video chats, guest posts and articles all geared towards answering that two fundamental questions:
How can I spend more time doing the things I’m passionate about?
What does a ‘successful’ creative life actually look like?
Here are a few recent Insights articles to whet your appetite:
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