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The North Face

As the premier supplier of authentic, innovative and technically advanced outdoor apparel, equipment and footwear, The North Face looked to Ruder Finn to increase national and key market awareness of The North Face brand among the mainstream consumers, while staying true to the brand's unique heritage. Since 2003, Ruder Finn continues to support the iconic brand through targeted media placements, new product initiatives, retail store openings and special events, as well as issues management. In a highly competitive outerwear/equipment market where many companies trade on a name rather than quality of product, The North Face remains committed to developing products that will perform in the worst of all conditions.

 

 

OBJECTIVES

• Generate awareness of The North Face's superiority and proprietary Research Development & Design (RD&D) process.
• Create excitement for The North Face store openings as retail destinations for technically advanced, authentic outdoor apparel, equipment, footwear and accessories.

PROGRAM

• Establish The North Face News Bureau that includes seasonal and holiday media outreach, servicing editor and stylist product requests, supplying apparel and accessories for on-air personalities and showcasing The North Face product line initiatives (e.g. The Summit and Flight Series).
• Tailor The North Face store-opening programs to include press previews such as hard-hat tours, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, opening day special events (e.g. cocktail events, photo exhibits, athlete appearances, etc.) involving company executives and The North Face athlete team members such as world-class mountaineers Pete Athans and Conrad Anker.
• Manage the Spring and Fall showrooms, inviting and guiding media through the new collection.

RESULTS

• To date, Ruder Finn has garnered more than 264 million media impressions in media outlets from national and local broadcast, major men's, women's and lifestyle magazines, key market newspapers, etc. National media highlights included The Today Show and MTV, as well as multiple product features in Esquire, Newsweek, GQ, Men's Fitness, Men's Health, Outside, Elle, Time, FHM, Teen People, US Weekly, Woman's Day, Family Circle and Conde Nast Traveler, among many others.
• In 2005, Ruder Finn focused on and timed a full-page product review in Popular Science for The North Face Spectrum 23 Tent. The major ‘authentic' placement was merchandised throughout The North Face sales force and generated trade show buzz during the National Outdoor Retailer Show.
• Ruder Finn cultivated an ‘out of the box' media placement with the mega Sports Illustrated Swim Suit issue. The North Face apparel and accessories were featured on the models during the winter-themed photo shoot, as well as worn by the crew and photographers driving home the authenticity message both in front and behind-the-scenes during the photo shoot.
• Ruder Finn has established The North Face seasonal showroom events as being ‘must attend' previews among long lead editors, freelance writers and stylists alike. Each season, more than 25 one-on-one media appointments are booked allowing the team to discuss and spotlight key technical product and design highlights, as well as to seed potential media stories.
• Supporting The North Face retail markets, Ruder Finn has established solid media relationships resulting in numerous placements in such publications as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Rocky Mountain News and The Record, as well as collaborating with Paragon's Sporting Goods for several segments on Today in New York.
• Ruder Finn successfully created consumer and business media excitement for The North Face retail store openings. For the New York debut at the landmark Ansonia building, media highlights included front-page coverage in The New York Times real estate section, and New York Magazine declared, "One of stores in the U.S. offering a comprehensive selection of what is arguably the best camping and hiking equipment in the world." New York Daily News, New York Post (twice) and Newsday covered the store opening, as did trade media such as Women's Wear Daily, Chain Store Age, Footwear News, DNR, AdWeek and BrandWeek, etc. Other key market coverage included The Boston Globe, as well as an at-length exclusive in The Oregonian.