Fall - InsideOutdoor Magazine

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ing an Earnout r Consideration • Earnout Amount contractually forbidden from employing • Earnout Period both the Gore-Tex and eVent brands. • Performance Goals A quick, informal survey of outdoor • Payment products Schedule currently on the market shows • Operational that, while Integration vendors have been given the choice to incorporate eVent as a house brand or otherwise, most, though not all, have decided to stick with using the name eVent in their marketing and on rns change spec sheets. u already This stock probably comes as some relief selling to direct Polartec, which has spent significant eb sitemoney supporting the launch of its NeoShell breathable waterproof category. 11% Billed as “the most breathable waterproof 19% fabric ever made,” Polartec NeoShell utilizes an exclusive sub-micron fiber membrane 34% that blocks water but allows for two-way air exchange to efficiently 13% move moisture away from the body, says Polartec. 23% Whereas most waterproof/ breathable systems on the market rely on diffusion, in which moisture and heat within the microclimate create enough pressure to push moisture through the fabric, NeoShell uses convection or a constant, two-way exchange of air that Polartec NeoShell Outperforms in Dynamic Breathability Testing HIGH breathability LOW breathability Water Vapor Flux g/m 2 /24hrs Source: Polartec 18000 16000 14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 Pressure Drop Across Sample (PA) Forces air through fabric to illustrate the effect of wind and movement on breathability No air movement Slight air movement allows more moisture to be pulled out, even at extremely low levels of pressure. The new fabric yields competitive scores on traditional waterproof breathability measures like RET and MVTR, but Polartec believes these static testing methods fail to replicate what garments Increasing air movement Polartec® Classic 200 Polartec® Power Shield®Pro Polartec® NeoShell® Competitor WPB - 1 Competitor WPB - 2 Competitor WPB - 3 and wearers encounter during actual use outside. Polartec says its technology out-breathes competitors during “dynamic breathability” testing, which more closely emulate real-world experience. The company is encouraging the industry to adopt Dynamic Moisture 006 to 2010 0.1 Billion 10.1 Billion SuperFabric material ® by HDM, Inc. TM brand 37.8 Billion 137.9 Billion 48.9% 48.6% 2009 2010 any been actively involved in ed touch-points for employees 18% 49% 2011 2010 70% ® HDM HDM, Inc. 570 Hale Ave. Oakdale, MN 55128 (651)-730-6203 email: outdoor@superfabric.com www.SuperFabric.com 4% 18 | InsideOutdoor | Fall 2011
Permeation Cell (ASTM 2298), a test used by the United States military to evaluate fabrics because it more closely predicts actual user experience. As for the branding, Polartec is selling its new fabrics only as Polartec NeoShell and says it has no intention of white labeling the collection. Similar to eVent, however, Polartec is actively collaborating with partner mills, converters and vendors to develop fabric packages with specific performance capabilities. “This is a point of differentiation, and I think a competitive advantage for Polartec NeoShell,” says Fielding Miller, who handles Polartec for marketing and PR firm Backbone Media. Outdoor apparel brands such as Westcomb, Rab, 66North and Eider are using more lightweight hardshell-like iterations of Polartec NeoShell with a nylon face and a flat tricot back, says Miller, while others such as The North Face and Marmot are using more thermal softshell-like versions of NeoShell with a stretch woven face and fleece backs. And Mammut is using “a superbomber, stretchy version that’s kind of in between,” he says. “So there’s a lot Polartec can do in terms of sandwiching the membrane between different face and back fabrics,” says Miller. Retailers, for their part, appear somewhat split as to whether or not branded fabrics and components are crucial to sell through, at least when it comes to backpacks. About half of retailers (48 percent) who were surveyed by CORDURA and Inside Outdoor said branded components were very or somewhat important to the packs they carry in their stores. The remaining 52 percent were either neutral or said branded components were unimportant. Incidentally, retailers do want their packs adorned with informative hangtags and labels. Nearly eight out of 10 retailers said information tags and labels were very or somewhat important. Still, regardless of the route breathable waterproof fabric contestants take, it’s never easy to challenge a large, established and respected incumbent such as Gore-Tex. On the other hand, there’s never been a better time for competitive providers and market attackers. One would have to be living under a rock not to see and have experienced the disruption wrought by the increasing fragmentation of media, communications and consumer shopping behavior. Power has shifted decidedly into the hands of the individual, and critical mass in marketing can be built in an increasing number of ways. Nowadays, it’s quite possible that an independent specialty retailer, such as Moosejaw, that understands social marketing, mobility and the power of the “network effect” (that a network grows stronger with every node or user that connects to it) can be more influential than a million-dollar branding campaign and a team of intellectual property attorneys. That’s not to suggest Gore-Tex’s market share will suddenly drop precipitously. It’s just that competitive providers have more tools and opportunities than ever before to gain chunks of loyal and vocal followers. brand Anti-Chafe Balm ® #1 top seller since 1996 For Rubbing That Causes Chafing and Blisters since 2001 the necessary accessory © 2011 BODYGLIDE, Bellevue, WA USA Fall 2011 | InsideOutdoor | 19
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