This fall, US outdoor brand Columbia Sportswear unveiled its new “Engineered for Whatever” campaign, which is part of a comprehensive brand relaunch. With this campaign, Columbia skillfully combines its own tradition of previous advertising measures with a modern approach to unite both its historical identity and its appeal to new target groups.
The US sportswear giant is setting its course for the next decade. As part of its comprehensive strategic realignment, the company has launched its new global campaign, “Engineered for Whatever,” demonstrating how it intends to meet modern consumer demands while remaining true to the brand’s outdoor heritage. There is certainly a lot to adjust: In its most recent quarterly report, Columbia reported a 42 percent decline in net income, driven by weak US sales and $29 million in impairment charges. At the same time, international markets, such as Europe, posted strong growth.
In this interview, Romain Cancilleri-Michy, Senior Brand Marketing Manager Europe at Columbia, explains how the company and modern consumers understand outdoor today and how it is positioning itself for long-term growth in a highly competitive market.
SGI Europe: You’ve just completed a brand relaunch. What motivated this initiative, and what role does it play in Columbia’s overall strategy?
Romain Cancilleri-Michy: The campaign is part of a new global brand platform that strategically positions Columbia for the next ten years. It’s not a short-term marketing push, but a central component of the company’s long-term global growth plan. Within this platform, two pillars play a key role: how Columbia interacts with consumers – through events, content, and activations – and what the brand stands for at its core. To redefine this foundation, Columbia initiated an international agency review, which led to the selection of Adam & Eve from London as the lead creative agency.
Why did you choose this exaggerated, humorous campaign?
Adam & Eve analyzed the outdoor market and found that many brands today use similar, interchangeable nature imagery. The visual style alone no longer creates distinction. Columbia therefore wanted to return to its own DNA; the warm, humorous tone that characterized the brand back in the 1980s. At that time, founder Gert Boyle and her son were at the center of a campaign known for its wit and self-deprecating humor, which made Columbia stand out from the crowd.
With this new, playful tone, Columbia reconnects with its roots while creating a clear point of differentiation in an increasingly uniform outdoor market. The message: anything can happen outside – and that’s exactly what makes the outdoors so exciting.
What’s the central idea behind the new campaign approach?
The campaign shows nature as it truly is: unpredictable, challenging, sometimes surprising. Columbia doesn’t position itself as a brand that “fights” nature, but as a reliable companion, ready for whatever comes. The motto “Engineered for whatever” perfectly sums up this mindset: no matter what happens out there, you’re prepared with Columbia.
The word “engineered” draws on the legacy of founder Gert Boyle, who emphasized back in the 1980s that Columbia didn’t just make products – it engineered them. That spirit of innovation continues to define the company today.
Did you choose this new perspective on outdoor sports because you’re targeting new audiences?
Yes, indeed. Like many brands, we’re looking at younger consumers, that’s not unique to us. Over the past ten years, we’ve seen cultural trends like gorpcore, quiet outdoor, or even normcore influencing how people interact with outdoor products. There’s now a much more integrated culture between outdoor and urban lifestyles. This is not something we can fight; it’s simply the reality of how people live today. Many younger consumers live in cities but have a strong desire to experience nature, something that grew even stronger after COVID. That’s why we created Columbia Hike Society, a free guiding program that helps people get outdoors more easily.
For us, it’s about connection. Giving younger people a reason to engage with Columbia while staying true to our roots. We’re still about real outdoor experiences, but we’re speaking in a way that feels relevant to modern lifestyles. Today we’re not only competing with outdoor brands but also with fashion retailers like H&M, Uniqlo, Shein, and Temu, who all offer “outdoor-inspired” products. Our goal is to make the difference clear through authenticity, innovation, and a genuine invitation to step outside.
How do you ensure that your traditional target groups aren’t alienated by this new direction?
I would say that what we are producing speaks more to a mindset than to age. Both younger and older audiences have responded positively and around 90% of the feedback so far has been great.
For many from the older generation, it actually feels like a return to Columbia’s roots. Our long-time partners and PR contacts, some of whom worked with Columbia in the 1990s, were excited to see the brand’s authentic, humorous tone revived.
So rather than alienating anyone, this approach reconnects with Columbia’s heritage in a way that resonates broadly — staying true to who we are while opening up to new audiences.
To what extent is this a brand relaunch?
To its full extent. It’s much more than a new tagline or campaign — it’s a complete transformation of how Columbia presents itself. Beyond advertising, we’ve reworked everything from product and lifestyle imagery to how the brand appears across touchpoints.
It’s a phased process: in the U.S., the new direction will roll out more quickly, while in Europe it will evolve gradually through 2026. But overall, this is a full-scale brand relaunch that redefines how Columbia communicates and connects with consumers.
How does the new direction affect product and positioning?
We began redefining our product positioning some time ago; it’s one of the six key pillars of our overall strategy. In Europe, our clear goal is to establish Columbia as the leading brand in hiking. That’s where we want to anchor the brand.
At the core, we have technical outdoor — represented by our Columbia Titanium line — which demonstrates our expertise and innovation. Alongside that, we naturally have an outdoor lifestyle segment, inspired by authentic outdoor gear but designed for everyday wear. It’s essential that we maintain our outdoor DNA and technical credibility. That foundation allows us to grow into lifestyle distribution without losing authenticity. If we lose that, we become just another brand.
Our product strategy focuses on delivering strong value for money, with hiking footwear as a second major growth pillar, offering both performance and versatility for everyday use.
How has Columbia developed across different product categories?
In Europe, Columbia has seen strong, steady growth — we’ve tripled our business over the past ten years, placing us among the top performers in the outdoor industry. This growth is broad-based rather than driven by a single product line.
Our strongest categories include fleeces (both technical and casual) and insulated jackets — down and synthetic. Footwear has also become an increasingly important and fast-growing segment. Unlike some competitors, we’re not heavily dependent on ski apparel; our product mix is much more diversified.
We’re also strong in spring and summer products, offering innovations such as Insect Shield® and cooling technologies, which help maintain year-round relevance. Overall, Columbia’s portfolio is built around hiking and outdoor activity, balanced across seasons — even if, like the rest of the industry, Q4 remains the key performance period.
How did Columbia manage to become more fashionable and relevant to younger consumers in recent years?
We’re not claiming to be the most iconic youth brand yet — but we’ve made real progress. The shift began during the COVID period, which fundamentally changed how younger generations viewed outdoor brands.
Columbia already had strong credibility in fleeces, a category that became hugely popular when people were staying home and wanted comfort. With great value and strong digital partnerships — on platforms like Zalando and ASOS — we were well-positioned to reach that audience.
As life returned to normal, we focused on understanding what “outdoor” means to younger consumers. They connect with nature differently. They want functionality and comfort, but not to look like their parents on a hiking trip. So we’ve evolved our product design and positioning to reflect that mindset, balancing our technical heritage with modern, everyday style.
What role do your community programs play in engaging consumers?
Columbia’s community programs, like Columbia Hike Society, are central to engaging both new and younger audiences. They provide guided, free hiking events that make the outdoors accessible, safe, and social — especially for those unfamiliar with hiking or hesitant to go alone.
These programs help the brand bring people together, foster shared experiences, and strengthen connections with Columbia beyond products. By offering opportunities to explore and enjoy nature, they turn participants into returning members of a broader outdoor community, reinforcing the brand’s mission to “unlock the outdoors for everyone.”
Talking about retail: Can you give an overview of Columbia’s retail network across Europe?
In Europe, Columbia is present in over 3,000 accounts and growing across all distribution channels — specialty outdoor, apparel, footwear, and digital — but the pace and volume differ depending on the channel. The focus is on balancing the network rather than relying on one channel.
Market trends show that modern retail is slowing, prompting caution among retailers. With a highly fragmented market and many competing brands, Columbia aims to strengthen its position across channels, ensuring it can adapt to changes while maintaining broad consumer reach.
Are you planning to open new stores?
In Europe, Columbia focuses primarily on partner and franchise stores, rather than opening company-owned locations. We also operate some outlets directly. Recently, we’ve opened new stores in Barcelona, Madrid, Prague, Oviedo, and San Sebastian, while also refitting existing stores in France and elsewhere to enhance the customer experience. Expansion takes time because the right partners and locations are key.
What are your growth plans for the next year?
For growth, the strategy is threefold: strengthen the brand, bring the right products to market, and optimize sales strategy and merchandising. While external factors like economic or political conditions can influence results, Columbia’s track record gives confidence in continued growth.
Rather than launching entirely new product lines, the focus is on reinforcing existing strengths — technical outdoor gear, footwear, and franchise performance — and capturing market share in a more competitive environment where overall market growth has slowed. Success depends on balancing brand strength, product appeal, and strategic distribution.
