Salomon’s Strategic Vision for Trail Running

Matt Walsh shares an interview with Scott Mellin, Global Chief Brand Officer at Salomon in his Trailmix newsletter:

Underpinning this vision for the future of trail running was an acceleration of the professionalisation of the sport. With that change comes improvements, but also a loss of the wildness of trail running.

Part of what drives Salomon here is their internal restructuring and probably cost savings that come from it – they are a business and that’s what keeps them a business.

When reading Mellin’s words, one can easily feel turned off. It sounds too strategic, too structured and calculated, and Matt closes the article off with that sentiment:

What happens when the last sport where winning could coexist with simplicity becomes yet another domain conquered by optimization? Something is gained, certainly. But something irreplaceable may also slip away. Not just from trail running, but from our relationship with mountains, movement, and the messy human experience of pushing our limits in wild places.

Salomon’s vision isn’t wrong. It may even be inevitable. But as trail running transforms from community to content, from experiences to products, it’s worth pausing to consider what we’re optimising for – and what we might be optimising away.

But the thought I had after a bit of reflection is that Salomon has been one of THE driving forces in trail running, trail media and trail events for many years, decades even. Who better to take a stab at the next iteration, or rather the continued evolution of the sport, than Salomon. Over the last few years there are several high profile – and highly profitable brands – that have emerged and seem to have taken a more passive seat: support (monetarily), but focus mainly on value extraction for themselves. I’ve been calling for brands to get more involved. What Salomon is doing, is what that looks like. And I rather have them, a player that’s been in the sport for decades, make these moves than a complete outsider. So, are there inherent dangers in this calculated effort? Yes, absolutely. As there are with apathy, or non-action. Maintaining the status quo at all costs for the sake of nostalgia or fear isn’t a good solution either.