Pachamama Outdoor Innovation: The voice of the field at the heart of Trail R&D
In an ultra-competitive outdoor industry where 40% of new products fail due to lack of market relevance, one agency has decided to change the game. Pachamama Outdoor Innovation is the missing link between engineers and real outdoor enthusiasts. By offering rigorous user testing and co-creation, this service has been nominated for the Trail Running Awards in the "Service of the Year" category.
The conclusion: The end of the "Buddy Test
The idea for Pachamama arose from a systemic flaw in the industry. All too often, brands validate their innovations internally or via close ambassadors. This creates major cognitive biases: overly benevolent feedback, overly homogeneous physical profiles and a disconnect with the actual use of the "lambda runner".
The figures are relentless: according to Bain & Company, 80% of companies think they know their customers, but only 8% of customers agree. Pachamama bridges this perception gap by replacing intuition with objective field data.
An army of 1,700 "profiled" testers
Pachamama's strength lies in its community: the first qualified panel of outdoor testers in Europe.
1,700+ active participants, 72% of whom are trail runners.
Surgical segmentation: testers are recruited according to 30 criteria (morphology, level, frequency, eco-responsible values).
This precision makes it possible to build customized panels. Need to test the ergonomics of a vest on short-busted women? Validate the durability of a sole with heavy ultra-trailers? Pachamama mobilizes the right profiles to guarantee representativeness.
A hybrid methodology: Science and Feeling
The agency doesn't just distribute products. It orchestrates a rigorous protocol combining :
Objective measurements: Use of sensors and biomechanical analyses in partnership with laboratories.
Qualitative feedback: Interviews, scoring and precise verbatims.
The results are delivered to the R&D and Marketing teams in the form of clear, usable dashboards. This approach makes it possible not only to validate a product, but also to significantly improve it before its release.
Results: Reduce risk, accelerate success
The impact of the service is measurable and direct for footwear, textile and nutrition brands:
Product improvement: +32% perceived improvement on key criteria such as rebound and comfort.
User satisfaction: An increase of 28% to 40% after integration of recommended patches.
Business security: a 20-35% reduction in the risk of commercial failure.
Beyond the data, it's the involvement of users that makes the service so valuable. For testers, it's an opportunity to become involved in their passion. Gilbert Da Costa, a 51-year-old ultra-trail runner, testifies:
"This test allowed me to feel really involved in the development of a product that I'll be using next. It's motivating to see that our feedback is taken into account."
