Yeti
Created a digital space for a luxury outdoor brand to engage an online subculture and allow associated users to connect with each other.
TL;DR
Creating a community based space for Yeti, a popular drinkware brand, for overlanders from Reddit.
My Role
Researcher and UX Designer
My Team
Madeline Edwards, Art Director
Christine Choe, Art Director
My Research Tools
Digital ethnography into various online resources and stakeholder interviewing
Project Deliverables
Primary and secondary research into overlanders, including history, overall perceptions of the subculture and key values, and Yeti Land mobile and web designs.
See the full project breakdown below. ⬇️
The Problem
YETI must authentically connect with overlanders who reject luxury, glamour and commercialism.
The Solution
Attract overlanders to Yeti using Yeti’s own forum-based online space, Yeti Land.
The Context
Certain communities on Reddit are very sensitive to brands coming directly into their subreddits to sell products.
My Design Tools
Figma
Why Yeti is the Right Drinkware Brand for Overlanders & How It Can
Yeti was initially popular with south and southeastern fishing and hunting communities in the U.S. before catching the attention of the general public in 2014, when the brand expanded into drinkware for the first time.
This brand has coined itself as ‘relatable’ and marketed the durability of its products - a key selling point for users who like to spend more time outdoors than on shopping for outdoorsy products.
However, Yeti has also earned its reputation as a luxury outdoor brand for men because of its key product creations, such as its coolers, which start at over $200. Comparing the brand’s versatility with other brands such as Stanley 1913, which is known for their Stanley Cup product and its connection to younger women, Yeti has an opportunity to be a luxury brand that also appeals to its audience’s sense of rugged rusticness.
Sources:
Algofy Outdoors. (n.d.). Yeti’s marketing strategy: Understanding your community. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://www.algofyoutdoors.com/post/yetis-marketing-strategy-understanding-your-community
Core Moment. (n.d.). Why are Yeti coolers so expensive? Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://www.coremoment.com/why-are-yeti-coolers-so-expensive/
The Drum. (2023, August 14). Yeti campaign shows how its products stand the test of time. https://www.thedrum.com/news/2023/08/14/yeti-campaign-shows-how-its-products-stand-the-test-time
The Drum. (2024, January 3). Yeti CMO on how he’ll never cede control to the whims of influencers and celebs. https://www.thedrum.com/news/2024/01/03/yeti-cmo-how-he-ll-never-cede-control-the-whims-influencers-and-celebs
Fenn, D. (2022, September 26). How YETI coolers became a status symbol. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2022/09/yeti-drink-cooler-popularity-status-symbol/671335/
YouTube. (n.d.). YETI vs. 500 lb Man | YETI Coolers. YouTube. Retrieved December 3, 2024, from https://youtu.be/TxjSbj6zrb
Yeti Ad IRL & Yeti Ad on YouTube
The Ask
How can Yeti tap into a shared culture and authentically align itself with the community’s passions?
Research Findings
Our research objective was to understand the overlanding subculture and its challenges.
To achieve this objective, I moved outside of overlander-specific publications and into car magazines (because overlanding often involves a lot of driving), men's interest magazines (as overlanding has traditionally been male-dominated), social media, as well as news and scientific sources.
Please view the research cloud below to check view my array of resources. ⬇️
1
Overlanding =/= vanlife or glamping. Unlike vanlife and glamping, which focus on carefree vehicle-based travel and luxurious outdoor experiences respectively, overlanding emphasizes venturing deep into the wilderness away from common routes and camping there.
Source: Chang, Andrea. "Meet overlanding, the love child of off-roading and #vanlife." Los Angeles Times, 2021, Web, February 9th, 2024. Article Link.
2
Overlanding has evolved into a “its own market space embracing a dynamic consumer mix” and is a “state of mind for true enthusiasts.” Many participants got into overlanding from other more common outdoor activities such as camping and sports. Overlanding as an activity also emphasizes self-reliance and living in the wilderness, not just traveling over tough terrain.
Lindsay Hubley, managing partner for Lodestone Events LLC (presenters of the Overland Expo Series):
“They [Overlanders] were maybe birdwatchers, mountain bikers or climbers interested in life off the grid during travel, so they sourced the off-road products needed to do that journey.”
“Overlanding can be expensive, as it often requires investing in a suitable vehicle, vehicle modifications, gear, and supplies. Fuel, insurance, and maintenance costs can also add up, especially during extended trips.”
“Overlanding as a way of life is not the reserve of the hard-core, live-on-the-road extremist, it is a lifestyle which is achievable by anyone with a passion for the outdoors and a set of wheels.”
Sources:
Imlay, Mike. "The Rise of Overlanders: Who are they and what are they searching for?" Sema, May 2021, Web, February 9th, 2024. Article Link.
The Nomadist. "The Pros and Cons of Overlanding." Web. Article Link.
Bennett, Elizabeth. "Overlanding as a way of life." Overland Bound, November 2018, Web, February 9th, 2024. Article Link.
3
“Leave no trace” is a rule that overlanders emphasize among each other and feel compelled to follow.
Emerson Tedder (they/them), Overlander:
“Leave no trace goes into everything you do as an overlander. If you use the bathroom, take your waste with you. Be mindful of the ecological processes around you. Do not build rock cairns or carve your initials on trees.”
Source:
In-person Stakeholder Interview with Emerson Tedder Conducted on February 20th, 2024
Important User Experience & Product Considerations
The research collected revealed issues related to user experience for us to solve.
What can Yeti create to show overlanders that it prioritizes their craft over products sales?
What can Yeti create for overlanders while still maintaining control over that creation as a brand?
How can we ensure that Yeti is still inclusive without making controversial terms like ‘diversity’ a main selling point?
Question
So, how can we apply this knowledge to connecting with Overlanders in a genuine manner?
Our Solution
Yeti Land, an online space and mobile app to help overlanders connect to the brand and each other. Yeti Land is key in helping overlanders find their own spots outdoors and connect to Yeti as a brand at places such as the Overland Expo, a popular event which Overlanders go to every year.
Yeti Land Strategic Design
We made YetiLand available as both an app and a portal through the Yeti website for two main reasons.
We wanted Reddit overlanders to feel comfortable with a familiar app structure.
We needed a space for Yeti to connect with overlanders outside of certain subreddit rules, which often restrict commercial posts. Posting on r/overlanding, for example, would not be welcomed due to user and moderator concerns about commercializing the hobby.
The YetiLand app provides a Reddit-like experience, allowing users to like posts, create new ones, join groups, add overlanding trips to a calendar, view chats, and check their map.
On the web, YetiLand is integrated into the Yeti website with a large banner to attract overlanders and begin onboarding. After onboarding, users can also access their YetiLand feed from the site.
Step-by-step User Experience Walkthrough: Mobile
The web walkthrough shows the user journey for someone who already has an established YetiLand account.
YetiLand on mobile is its own stand-alone application, similar to Reddit. An accustomed user will be able to click to begin.
2. The user is greeted with their feed on their homepage, which includes a setup similar to Reddit.
3. The user can view their calendar, which will have all the events they’ve signed up for. There are also options to change how their calendar style.
4. Under the map tab, the user can claim available spots that Yeti has mapped out. This supports the user in taking advantage of desired solitude should they so choose.
Step-by-step User Experience Walkthrough: Web
The web walkthrough shows the user journey for someone new to YetiLanding experience.
YetiLand on web is integrated into the website as its own section. A new user will be able to click on the banner to get involved.
3. The user will fill out a membership page with their basic information along with their social preferences, skills and challenges and related health conditions.
3.1. The user will scroll down to view the membership pledge at the bottom of the page, which reiterates values that are integral to the community such as respect for other overlanders and ‘leave no trace.’
4. The user’s new membership will then be confirmed, allowing them to view their feed.
2. The user will be taken to an introductory page, which explains Yeti’s place in connecting with overlanders and what the brand does for users from this group, before inviting the user to join.
5. The user’s feed has tabs for Home, their calendar, post creation, chat viewing and their map, along with a general feed with a series of subgroups that has communications from Yeti at the top. On the right side, the user can also access other Yeti services and products.
Why This Works
YetiLand is our way of connecting Yeti with overlanders on Reddit, a social media application which uniquely allows users with differing interests and social preferences to splinter off into their own spaces and form their own rules. As a group, we wanted Yeti to be able to make a similar set up, albeit with more explicit connections to the brand and overlanding as an activity.
Additionally, some overlanders prefer more social interaction than others.
Using YetiLand as a platform allows overlanders to choose the areas they want to explore based on how isolated they wish to be while respecting each others’ space and having access to a community of like-minded individuals.
Project Reflection
I am pleased with the quality of secondary and primary research that I did for this project. Delving into such a socially private community and being able to understand how they function was my favorite part.