2026

The outdoor cooking industry is booming, and that's great news for brands. It also means competition has never been tougher. Whether you sell pellet grills, pizza ovens, smokers, griddles, or fire pits, you're fighting for the same customers and the same attention.

If you've invested in influencer marketing before, you've probably experienced the same roller coaster as everyone else. A creator posts your product. Engagement pours in. The comments are full of people asking where they can buy it. Your team feels like the campaign is a win. Then the sales report comes in.

For years, the live versus artificial bait debate has focused on one question: Which catches more fish?

There is a reason some outdoor brands have customers who eagerly open every email, while other messages end up buried in the promotions tab. It usually is not because one brand has better discounts or more attractive photography. More often, it comes down to whether the email feels like it was written for a real person or as a blast to an entire mailing list.

For decades, the fishing industry has focused on convincing anglers to try artificial bait. New research suggests they’re solving the wrong problem. According to The Bait Switch: The Live vs. Artificial Bait Debate, released today by Unruled, most anglers already use artificial bait. The bigger opportunity is helping them trust it when success matters most.

Outdoor brands can reach customers through social media, paid search, email marketing, influencer partnerships, SEO, YouTube, and retail promotions. The opportunities are massive.

Outdoor consumers rarely discover a brand, research a product, and make a purchase in the same place. They might first see your brand through an Instagram Reel, watch a product review on YouTube a few days later, read a blog on your website while researching options, and finally purchase after receiving an email offer. 

We're proud to share that Unruled has earned a Bronze Telly Award for Raymarine's Earn Your Strikes, recognized in the Online Commercial (Craft / Editing) category.

Fishing brands spend a lot of money trying to get attention online through paid ads, social media campaigns, influencer partnerships, SEO, email marketing, and video production. The outdoor industry has become intensely competitive, and every brand is fighting for the same customers.

The outdoors doesn’t reward hesitation. Neither does marketing. Yet too many brands are running campaigns that feel like they were built in a boardroom, not out on the trail. Safe visuals. Predictable copy. Ads that look fine but perform like dead weight. Here’s the reality: Outdoor brand advertising strategies often fail because brands play it safe, miss their audience, and waste budget on weak creative.If your creative doesn’t stop someone mid-scroll or mid-hunt for their next purchase, it’s already lost.

Unruled Outdoor Agency has been awarded a Gold MUSE Creative Award for Raymarine’s “Earn Your Strikes,” a campaign that continues to gain recognition across the industry.

Fishbites, a pioneer in scented bait innovation, has expanded its partnership with Unruled, a marketing agency specializing in the outdoor lifestyle category, as the company continues to build momentum and scale its business.