How we got thousands of people to #OptOutside on Black Friday
Friday the 27th kicks off the holiday shopping season so what better time to ask ourselves the question, what should we buy?
- Stuff, or time with loved ones?!
- Presents, or presence?!
- More junk to clutter our home, or a local junket to nature?
We get sucked into our phones, the ads, endless work, and the feeling of being more connected digitally, but less connected in real life.
There’s a crisis of connection — a lack of real community. And as world population grows more urban and more screen-obsessed, recent research confirms that loneliness may be one the next big public health issues.
And while you’ve got family or friends in for Thanksgiving, Black Friday promos push us to opt-in and buy more stuff.
The Holiday-Industrial-Complex says opt-in to the stores. Opt-in to the mall. Opt-in to stay in front of your screens and shop.
That’s why I was so impressed with REI’s call to #OptOutside. REI — one of the largest retailers of outdoor gear and clothing — is a co-op (a community!) — and they did the brave, bold, hopeful, joyful act of telling their customers to get outside instead of to their stores. They are the first major retailer to close stores on Black Friday.
…which is fascinating because I’ve come to see the power of Outdoors Meetups. The warmth & welcomingness is profound. Knowing that millions of people have joined Meetups to get outside, we asked REI: “How can Meetup opt-in to support #OptOutside?”
Together, we decided the best thing to do was invite our Meetup Organizers to do what they do best — lead their communities to meetup.
So last week, we reached out to our Outdoor Meetup Organizers across the United States — who represent 4 million members — and suggested they host an #OptOutside Meetup on Black Friday. And now hundreds of #OptOutside Meetups are scheduled across the US!
Join them!
Scott Heiferman is Co-founder and CEO of Meetup. Meetup connects people around common interests in thousands of towns, spreading community among 23 million members. In the United States alone, nearly 4 million of these members belong to Outdoors Meetups making it one of Meetup’s largest and most active categories — and making it one of the world’s largest networks of local outdoors communities.
Get Meetup for iOS or Android or find us on the web to find a Meetup near you.
