REI Explores Truth in Advertising

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-ct-neil1-2009dec01,0,4996693.column

The outdoor retailer and BBDO have made the daring creative choice to show the backcountry as it is frequently experienced by most of us: cold, wet , often dreary and miserable. Are they nuts?

[Truth would seem to be a concept that the News Opinion outlets should revisit.]

I only go to REI if I really, really need something. Otherwise I go to Cabelas. My REI benefit last year was $0.28 and this coming year it will be $0.00

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Vince
I only go to REI if I really, really need something. Otherwise I go to Cabelas. My REI benefit last year was $0.28 and this coming year it will be $0.00

Like any other shopping venue, if you are patient and observant, you can find deals at REI that even put the discounters to shame. I like the variety of products AND the ability to try things on, rather than spending valuable time returning-returning, and more returning when the catalogue clothing item doesn't pan out (I don't have the time to be running around trying things on and then ordering them, so I just wait until they are on sale so it becomes one stop shopping) I DO like the discount outlets for for gear, though. As far as the "reverse" marketing goes, well, I know the seasonal weather patterns, so nothing surprises me when I am packed correctly.

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Bee

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Vince
I only go to REI if I really, really need something. Otherwise I go to Cabelas. My REI benefit last year was $0.28 and this coming year it will be $0.00

Like any other shopping venue, if you are patient and observant, you can find deals at REI that even put the discounters to shame. I like the variety of products AND the ability to try things on, rather than spending valuable time returning-returning, and more returning when the catalogue clothing item doesn't pan out (I don't have the time to be running around trying things on and then ordering them, so I just wait until they are on sale so it becomes one stop shopping) I DO like the discount outlets for for gear, though. As far as the "reverse" marketing goes, well, I know the seasonal weather patterns, so nothing surprises me when I am packed correctly.

I love finding a deal. If I'm in town I'll check out the Sierra Trading Post Outlet in Reno. Closer to home I've gone to Wilderness Exchange in Berkeley or Sports Basement. Any Mountain is pretty good with clearance specials. Some of the best deals I've ever gotten were at Ross.

There are some items I know fairly well. I got a Mountain Hardwear Windstopper Tech jacket for under $80 from STP with assorted VIP discounts for being a regular customer. I already have one (which is aging gracefully) and I figured it was too good a deal to pass up.

REI is a co-op. Not for profit. They'll do just fine.
Plenty of people know what they're getting into when they venture out.

Gotta love Negative Nancy's comments:
"REI and BBDO have, in other words, made the daring creative choice to portray the backcountry as it is frequently experienced by most of us: cold, wet, often dreary, disappointing and downright uncomfortable."

Remind me to stay clear of wherever the heck this schmuck is going to.
Maybe people need more of the reality check. Perhaps we'd need less S&R...

Basically this guy is against ads for outerwear because they show outerwear being used as intended? Sounds like he was in need of material for an article but the well was dry. So, he comes up with this.

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bill-e-g
REI is a co-op. Not for profit. They'll do just fine.
Plenty of people know what they're getting into when they venture out.

Gotta love Negative Nancy's comments:
"REI and BBDO have, in other words, made the daring creative choice to portray the backcountry as it is frequently experienced by most of us: cold, wet, often dreary, disappointing and downright uncomfortable."

Remind me to stay clear of wherever the heck this schmuck is going to.
Maybe people need more of the reality check. Perhaps we'd need less S&R...

A lot of people question how "non-profit" REI is. REI doesn't refer to its co-op history in its advertising, and most of what I heard in its advertising sounds just like any other for-profit store.

However - showing a really nasty environment isn't exactly groundbreaking. Nissan used to have ads with hard-pounding music in the background and (one example) showing people bloodied after falling off mountain bikes and then going back to their Nissan Xterra to patch themselves up with their included first aid kit.




Of course they also tend to show people doing all sorts of things in their driving that would probably leave people stranded - at least eventually. I remember reading about a Jeep commercial where the direction from the marketing dept was that one tire had to be off the ground at all times during the commercial. Apparently they drove it hard through rugged terrain and ten jeeps had to be towed away because of broken suspension/transmission components and fluid lines.

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y_p_w
A lot of people question how "non-profit" REI is. REI doesn't refer to its co-op history in its advertising, and most of what I heard in its advertising sounds just like any other for-profit store.

Yeah, I dunno. I've glanced over their balance sheets when I've received my dividend...
Looks like non-profit to me.

You decide:

http://www.rei.com/aboutrei/financial.html

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bill-e-g

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y_p_w
A lot of people question how "non-profit" REI is. REI doesn't refer to its co-op history in its advertising, and most of what I heard in its advertising sounds just like any other for-profit store.

Yeah, I dunno. I've glanced over their balance sheets when I've received my dividend...
Looks like non-profit to me.

You decide:

http://www.rei.com/aboutrei/financial.html

However - their business practices really aren't that different than other for-profit enterprises. Their top executives all make six figures along with six figure bonuses dependent on revenues.

Technically speaking, Rolex is a nonprofit. No shareholders, although some think it's more or less a tax dodge.

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y_p_w
Their top executives all make six figures along with six figure bonuses dependent on revenues.

Which explains the change in benefits many years ago.

At just about any "non-profit" the people working there aren't doing charity work.
No idea if they deserve six figures or not... but REI is doing pretty good... so they got that.
Heck, plenty o people make six figures... don't mean they deserve it...

Love it when some baze-a-ball playa making 5 mil/year justifies his ridonkulous salary by saying "gotta feed my family".
Mmmm... 20 dolla hot dog.

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bill-e-g
At just about any "non-profit" the people working there aren't doing charity work.
No idea if they deserve six figures or not... but REI is doing pretty good... so they got that.
Heck, plenty o people make six figures... don't mean they deserve it...

Love it when some baze-a-ball playa making 5 mil/year justifies his ridonkulous salary by saying "gotta feed my family".
Mmmm... 20 dolla hot dog.

Of course they're no charity. They run the business side like any other business. They want to sell stuff and their primary target with large-scale ad campaigns is non-members.

To me they're not much different than a company like Newman's Own. They are in fact a for-profit company that pays taxes and then funnels much of their profit into charitable causes.