Nomad started out as a manufacturer of travel and camping products such as sleeping bags, backpacks, tents,
Question:
Nomad started out as a manufacturer of travel and camping products such as sleeping bags, backpacks, tents, (hiking) boots and functional clothing. Established in the 1980s, the brand quickly managed to gain a leading position within the traditional distribution channels, including shops specialising in outdoor sporting goods, sports shops with an Outdoor department, chain stores and camping-supply shops.
The experience of the Nomad brand revolves around the nomadic existence: the brand explicitly aims at people who seek meaningful experience by going on trips, both far away and nearby. This sociocultural point of departure (i.e. the idea of travelling specifically for the interaction with the environment) distinguishes Nomad from most of its competitors that are explicitly concerned with (extreme) mountaineering and thus cater to those who are concerned with accomplishing something as a way of confirming their own abilities, whereby the environment is often seen as an opponent rather than as a destination.
Nomad makes a distinction between performance-driven brands (basic outdoor) and experience-driven brands (travel). As this distinction was not self-evident for the public, Nomad was forced to make clearer choices. They translated the romance of and longing for the nomadic life into a Western motive like ‘going wherever you want to go’—the ultimate sign of independence. Which group is truly independent at this point in their life? This question brought Nomad back to its beginnings. By zooming in even closer on this specific group, they could identify a ‘role model’ for the ideal Nomad customer: ‘the backpacker just before starting to work’. The boundary of this group was easy to determine: it lies at the birth of one’s first child, since that is where the absolute lack of freedom begins. Nomad uses a lifecycle approach here in asking when in one’s life one’s emotions are strongest? It turns out that there are three such moments in one’s life: 1) one has the most independence just before starting work (average age: 24); 2) one has the least independence around the age of 34; and 3) one as fully regained one’s independence around the age of 48. In this way, the company managed to create a real focus.
‘Adventurous travel is like a virus for many people,’ says Barry Kooijmans, Nomad director. ‘Once they’ve been to some far-away destination completely on their own—often during their studies or after secondary school—it’s often as if a switch has been flipped. They’ve caught the travel bug, and from that moment on they are constantly thinking about their next trip. Unfortunately, the role Nomad plays in that is subordinate to that experience: the Nomad product helps them in their travel, but is never the experience itself. A Nomad backpack, for instance, is covered with all kinds of traces of past trips and will one day end up somewhere in the attic as a lasting reminder of the trip for when the individual is old and grey. That’s especially the case for the backpack (the Nomad product icon). Unfortunately, our other products don’t have the prospect of an extended life in the “attic of memories”.’
The company initially tried to infuse a certain atmosphere and sense of experience in the product. Examples of ideas that could enhance the experience of the product include special pockets in backpacks for your travel diary, a free CD with world music and free translation guides. But these fail to penetrate the hearts and souls of those who use them. Nomad therefore decided to create an environment in which the experience would be the focus. ‘Too often, existing travel organisations still assume that the traveller wants to visit the highlights of a particular country. It is still possible to make real discoveries if you let go of the ‘visitor mentality’ and start organising trips on the basis of an ‘experience mentality’. Considering that the number of trips on offer is still highly limited, Nomad has put together a ‘pilot’ trip, together with an external firm. In this, Nomad is working on the principle that discovery is still possible, as long as you are looking to deepen your understanding of the roots of a country or a culture. Nomad now organises trips to Ecuador (‘Amazon under your skin’), Tibet and Nepal, Argentina (‘Pure Patagonia’) and Iceland (‘Discover Nordic walking’).
The basic situation
In coming up with ideas for Nomad trips, the vision of doing everything possible to bring about a transformation is essential. This is no simple task, considering that transformations are highly personal and thus strongly influenced by personal and situational circumstances. Moreover, adventurous travel is not new and already available in varying degrees. As experienced travellers, the people at Nomad initially looked into what they themselves still considered to be a challenge. Everyone at Nomad had his or her own dream trips, and one of the best of those was developed into a ‘pilot’.
Under the title ‘Discover Buddhism’, a (unique) trip was created, in which learning about Tibetan Buddhism is divided into ‘a journey within’ and ‘a journey outside’. The process of getting acquainted starts well before departure, when all those who will be going on the trip, but also their non-travelling partners, take part in a number of different, authentic meditation workshops in the Netherlands. The journey continues in Nepal, where the group remains for five days in silence at an authentic Tibetan monastery. After having undergone a Buddhist experience that has stimulated all their senses, the group resumes its journey in a more sports-oriented way. A nine-day trek past various monasteries in Tibet brings the participants to great heights—both spiritually and physically (5000 metres). This dual character of the journey not only makes the trip unique but also symbolises what Nomad stands for as a brand: beautiful on the inside, sturdy on the outside, the urge to discover, cultural interest, masculine and feminine, yin and yang, and young at heart.
What does Nomad offer the participants?
What does this mean for the staff at Nomad and their culture?
What is the business model with which money is being made?