Marketing to the Fit vs. the Outdoorsy

Hanson Dodge Creative is a creative agency that serves manufacturers in both the fitness and outdoor industries. The company produces "white papers" (or, as they are known to marketers: advertorials) that highlight distinctions they see while working for their clients.

Their August 19, 2008 release, "Actively Different: Fitness vs. Outdoor Messaging" (http://research.hansondodge.com/), didn't teach me much since I'm familiar with both industries, but the company did leave me with a memorable quote:

[The outdoor-oriented person asks, "What could I do today?" The fitness-oriented person asks, "What should I do today?"]

I suppose that's an accurate description of the motives behind each market: outdoorsy people are in it for enjoyment. Fitness people are in it to compete.