Marketing Profs

A few years ago, I began a recreational binge of sorts.

Bored with my usual menu of deepwater running and fitness walking, I signed up for yoga, Pilates, Frisbee golf, Tae Kwon Do and rowed crew on my local lake. I chopped a board in half with my bare foot, ran 10 miles in a relay and took an eight-day kayaking trip into Canada. I've always been an active person, but this was a whole new buffet of fresh experiences (and a few sore muscles!).

Why the sudden shift? It was time to shake up my comfortable, predictable life. I wanted excitement and longed to obliterate my safe routine. I was a woman seeking adventure—and I'm not alone.

Many industries are experiencing major growth, fueled by the purchasing power of the "adventure-seeking woman." This woman crosses all ages, family configurations and fitness levels. She's carving time in her schedule and finding wiggle room in her budget for new adventures that involve everything from rock climbing to Tuscan cooking to snowshoeing.

In many cases, she's entering traditionally male spaces with a "do-it-herself" attitude and trying her hand at auto repair, fly fishing and home improvement.

Dangerously Inconspicuous

The adventure-seeking woman is surprisingly hard to define with traditional demographics. She may be a single woman—of any age—who has extra time and disposable income. Or, she could be an empty-nest Boomer or a woman with kids in high school and beyond. New moms also often have a thirst for adventure, but they may need to scale it down to accommodate their extra-busy lives and additional demands.

In other words, the adventure-seeking woman is not an age or life stage—it's an attitude.

This influential woman may be hard to pinpoint, but she sure is fun to serve. She's open to new opportunities and has a spirited desire to play and learn. Often, she views her adventures as a way to connect with other people, especially friends, family and other women. She wants to feel a sense of accomplishment and conquer new territory, whether that means boating down the Amazon or trying an exotic new fruit from a Chinatown market.

There are four basic adventure categories:

1. Skill building: home improvements, auto repair, shooting and creating home movies, composing music with computer software and figuring out how to use all the features on her new digital camera
   
   
2. Outdoor: snowshoeing, kayaking, fly fishing, hunting, boating, adventure travel
   
   
3. Intellectual/cultural: wine tasting, fine dining, coffee, book clubs, gallery visits, opera tickets, Spanish lessons and salsa dancing
   
   
4. Spiritual: journaling, retreats, group or church membership, writing a personal memoir, yoga, meditation classes, Tai Chi