Born on a bike, CLIF understands the power of movement. For over 30 years, the company has generated positive energy through its products, athletes, and community partnerships. At CLIF time spent reflecting outdoors or pushing oneself through sports is time well spent. We also recognize significant inequities in who gets to enjoy these benefits, uncovering an opportunity to channel our positive energy to make a greater impact in the communities that need it most.
CLIF aimed to build a program that deepened connection to consumers through purpose-driven storytelling measured in dollars donated, awareness generated, and the collective positive impact on our to help advance equity and access to the outdoors and sports.
Through this campaign, CLIF activated digital content, community engagement, impactful donations and earned media results to build a more equitable future for aspiring athletes, outdoor enthusiasts and everyday CLIF consumers.
As CLIF aimed to consolidate its efforts around a singular goal of creating positive energy in the world, we dug into the barriers that might keep various communities from accessing the outdoors and sport. Research showed that BIPOC communities are less likely to engage in nature-based outdoor recreation activities, with historical discrimination being a large factor.
Additionally, 2022 was a benchmark year for gender equity in sports as it marked the 50th anniversary of Title IX. Conversations examining both the growth and remaining barriers to further women representation in sport were top of mind. But despite positive momentum to dismantle barriers in the sports and outdoors industries, equity gaps persist.
Considering this, CLIF centered its platform on continuing to dismantle barriers and systemic issues diverse communities face. CLIF established an insights-driven, strategic platform based on its heritage, driving action toward increasing equity and access to the outdoors and sport.
The CLIF CORPS Athlete Coalition programming was “big” in its simplicity: rally current athletes and non-profits around a singular mission and focus earned and owned storytelling to inspire change. Athletes and nonprofits involved in the CLIF CORPS Athlete Coalition were a mix of new and existing partners strategically selected and paired based on shared values.
CLIF partnered with Venus Williams and Outdoor Afro to inspire Black connections and leadership in nature. Outdoor Afro also offered a range of CLIF-supported outdoor experiences across the country with activities such as hiking, paddleboarding and kayaking with products and gear provided by CLIF. This partnership kicked off a series of giving and service partnerships with community organizations that provide opportunities for individuals across the U.S. to participate in activities otherwise deemed inaccessible or unwelcoming for economic, social or emotional reasons.
Sunisa Lee and the VOICEINSPORT Foundation helped close the opportunity gap in sports and support women at critical development stages of their sports journey. CLIF pledged funds to the VIS Advocacy Program and supported the establishment of 20 VOICEINSPORT Foundation Advocacy Chapters and 20 Title IX trainings on school campuses. Advocates receive formal Title IX Training to evaluate their school for Title IX compliance, creating a collective VOICE to drive change.
To drive positive, equitable change in sports and the outdoors on a community and national level, CLIF also leveraged paralympic athlete Daniel Romanchuk to encourage more wheelchair accessibility in the outdoors and everyday public spaces, Elena Hight to highlight the 50th anniversary of Title IX, and Jordyn Barratt to encourage the increased visibility of women athletes through an event at The Sports Bra, a women’s focused sports bar in Portland, OR.
CLIF CORPS achieved impressive earned media results with 51 media placements which garnered over 1.25 billion impressions. The impact of CLIF CORPS appeared in top tier media outlets including:
A feature on CLIF CORPS highlighting the partnership with Jordyn Barratt in Adweek
A feature on CLIF CORPS spotlighting the partnerships with Venus Williams and Outdoor Afro in Ebony
A profile on Daniel Romanchuk in The New York Times
A discussion with Elena Hight on the impact of Title IX in The Manual
A feature on Suni Lee and her partnership with the Voice in Sport Foundation in Forbes
YouTube videos highlighting the partnership with Venus and Outdoor Afro saw a 1.82% lift in Brand Favorability, (Google Brand Lift Study).
Outdoor Afro named CLIF “Partner of the Year” in 2022.
The media run on YouTube highlighting the partnership with Sunisa and the VOICEINSPORT Foundation achieved Google's top tier qualification of "Best in Class Ad Recall" with an ad recall of 5.82%. (This signified that this work had higher ad recall than competitors’ media running at the same time).
