brand analysis: the north face

The North Face - Brand Analysis

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I. Executive Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

II. Brand (Description) Company Description & Brief History ------------------------------------------------------------------- 4

Brands Owned & Managed -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 o Outerwear ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8 o Footwear ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9 o Equipment ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10 o TNF Sustainable Journey ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10

Company Business Model ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11

Sales ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 13 o Market Share ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14

Advertising & Customer Support ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14

Brand Management & Structure ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15 o Brand Management Conclusions ------------------------------------------------------------------ 18

III. Internal Brand Environment Introduction ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18

Key Company Accomplishments (Internal & Community) ------------------------------------------ 19

Sustainability Partners -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20 o Partnership Analysis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21

Employee Training & Moral -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21

Visit to North Face Retail Store (Part I) ----------------------------------------------------------------- 22 o Employee Interview ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22

SWOT Analysis & Summary -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23

Research & Development ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25 o Research, Design & Development Process ----------------------------------------------------- 25 o Product Technology ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26 o Customer Surveys ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 28 o R&D Conclusion --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30

IV. External Brand Environment State of the Economy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30

Selling Place ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 o Retail Store Environment ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31 o The North Face Official Website ------------------------------------------------------------------- 33 o Third Party Retailers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34 o Expansion ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 35

Category Analysis --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36

Competitive Analysis ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36 o Patagonia ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 36 o Columbia Sportswear --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39 o Nike ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41 o SWOT Analysis ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 44 o SWOT Summary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44


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V. Identity Interrogative

Prospect -- Customer Behavioral Groups ---------------------------------------------------------------- 45 o Demographics ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46 o Geographic Profile -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46 o Behavioral Characteristics ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46 o Psychographics ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47 o Internal Research: Survey ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47

Brand Positioning ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53

Strategic Personality ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 53

Brand Identity Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53

Emotional Context ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------53

Brand Contact Summary ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 53

New Product Opportunities --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 54

Visit to the North Face Store (Part II) --------------------------------------------------------------------- 55

VI. The “Brand Plan” Brand Plan Overview & Objectives ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 58

Brand Strategies - How to Position the Brand ---------------------------------------------------------- 59

Brand Tactics --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 59

Brand Identity ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 59

Brand Communications ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 59

Brand Promotions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 60

E-brand program --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61

Brand Research ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 61

Brand Calendar ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 65

Brand Operations --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 65

VII. Summary & Conclusions ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 66

VIII. Addendums, Research, & Other Data ---------------------------------------------------------- 66


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I. EXCECUTIVE SUMMARY

The North Face, a subsidiary of the Vanity Fair Corporation, was founded in 1966 and opened its first retail store in 1968. Headquartered in San Leandro, California, the company offers the most technically advanced products in the market to accomplished climbers, mountaineers, extreme skiers and explorers. The company's products are sold in specialty mountaineering, backpacking, skiing retailers, premium sporting goods retailers and major outdoor specialty retail chains. The company outfits professional and amateur athletes and enthusiasts in high-quality, technical outerwear. The North Face sponsors major events to maintain increase its public profile. In 2010, The North Face sponsored the Ski Challenge, the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc in France and the Lavaredo Ultra Trail in the Italian Dolomite mountains. Although the company filed for bankruptcy in the late 90's, in the last quarter of 2010 its profits rose by around 20 percent, driven by sales in Asian markets and the high visibility of The North Face brand during the Winter X-Games. The North Face brand delivers high performance, quality and style. It has earned a reputation as the ultimate, authentic outdoor brand. The company’s goal is to inspire outdoor enthusiasts to get outside and explore more. Its slogan,”Never Stop Exploring,” has become in the mantra of their athletes who are considered the core operating expense and leveraged across the marketing and product strategies. They have enabled this brand to be what it is today. Although The North Face Brand has achieved cult status among trendy outdoor enthusiasts, there are a few areas in which they can still improve: product technology communications, customer loyalty and expand product lines. In this company brand analysis, we will present a comprehensive brand strategy, as well as tactics, to accomplish these goals.

II. THE BRAND (Description)

o Company Description & Brief History

The North Face is a wholly owned subsidiary of the VF Corporation, one of the world's largest fashion apparel manufacturers, with $7 billion in sales. VF designs and produces a diverse portfolio of clothing products for both the U.S. and international markets and owns an array of well-known brands in several categories that are sold through a variety of retail sales channels, including department, specialty, mass-merchant and discount stores. VF is the leading maker of jeans in the United States, dominating about one-quarter of the market with brands like Wrangler, Lee, Rustler and Riders. Approximately half of the company's revenues come from just the sale of jeanswear. Intimate apparel, which includes the Vanity Fair, Lily of France, Vassarette and Bestform brands, generates about 16 percent of sales. Another 10 percent comes from marketing occupational apparel under the Red Kap, Penn State Textile and Bulwark brands. VF also sells children's playwear under the Healthtex and Lee brands, The North Face outdoor apparel and equipment, and JanSport and Eastpak daypacks and bookbags. Other operations include a chain of about 50 VF retail outlet stores located across the United States, selling a wide range of company products. More than 80 percent of company revenues are derived


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domestically; the remainder primarily generated abroad in Europe. South America and Asia contribute to a small portion of overall sales. The company is dedicated to their retail partners because they believe in treating their associates, colleagues and all those who serve in the course of doing business with the highest levels of honesty, integrity, consideration and respect.

F.1. Kami Sernick, 2010 USATF Ultra Runner of the Year Award

In 1974 the Morning Glory tent was introduced, and in 1975 the Geodesic tent design replaced the traditional A-shaped tent with introduction of the Oval Intention, which became a standard for lightweight, high-performance tents. A sleeping bag was introduced in the same year and it also became an industry standard.

In 1976, North Face began sponsoring expeditions to the most far-flung untouched corners of the globe. This launched a proud tradition that continues in full force today and constantly reinforces The North Face mantra of “Never Stop Exploring. Some of the most memorable expeditions have been the Annapurna Expedition in Nepal in which a team of 13 American women made an incredible ascent; touting the t-shirt slogan “A Woman’s Place is on Top.” Another great expedition was in 1989 when the North Face spearheaded the Outdoor Industry Conservation Alliance Trans-Antarctica Expedition. In this adventure, an international team of cold weather hard-men made the first crossing of 4000 miles of the coldest continent during seven months.

How the story of North Face begins…

The North Face legend begins on the beach of San Francisco by 1966 when two hiking enthusiasts opened a small mountaineering retail store in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood, at an altitude of 150 feet above sea level. Since then, the company has helped explorers to reach the most unforgivable adventures to the heights of the Himalayas. The company was named “The North Face” because in the Northern Hemisphere, the north face of a mountain is generally the coldest, iciest and the most difficult face to climb. By that time, the company was positioned as a retailer of high-performance climbing and backpacking equipment. Thereafter, in 1968, the company moved its store to the other side of San Francisco Bay and began designing and manufacturing in the back of the store, its own brand of technical mountaineering apparel and equipment.


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By 1992, The North Face Team begins with 8 extreme athletes who make the longest ascents and descents in the most amazing and coldest paradises. Today, the company has a team of more than 60 professional global athletes from around the world, which includes snowboarders, skiers, rock climbers, mountaineers and endurance runners.

F.2. Lizzy Hawker, Endurance athlete and 100km world champion.

In the early 1980s, The North Face was taking exploration to the outer limits of the ski world and added extreme skiwear to its product line. By the end of the decade, the company became the only supplier in the United States to offer a comprehensive collection of high-performance outerwear, skiwear, sleeping bags, packs, and tents. The North Face entered in the sportswear market in 1996, with the launch of Tekware, an innovative collection of high-performance sportswear. The company launched its own line of trekking and trail running shoes in 1999. Despite the continuous growth of the brand, the company had a few stumbles a long the way; for example, by the end of the 1980s the company was acquired by a holding company that, five years later, filed for bankruptcy. It also becomes a major target for counterfeiters. The brand was so trendy that its popularity skyrocketed, even further outside its target market. Unfortunately, the trendiness led the company to face and alarming trend of counterfeit products. In March 2006, the company won a judgment of over $1 million dollars in a New York court against a family that was selling fake North Face jackets. What ultimately saved the company was its strategy to enter the leisure apparel market in the mid-1990s. The company’s status as a tent supplier to the U.S. Marine Corps also helped boost its sales. It also has invested heavily in high-performance athletic events. For example, “The North Face Endurance Challenge Series,” includes four regional events and one championship event. Other brand building initiatives have included innovative in-store kiosks, on which customers can watch videos of expeditions. The company also launched an online magazine called Epic that features photography and articles appealing to the people who are passionate about backcountry sports.

The brand maintains strong links with the outdoor community through its sponsored athlete program. Athletes such as Lizzy Hawker who recently won the Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc have benefited greatly from the program.


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Today, North Face is based in San Leandro, California. The facility is located near its corporate sibling JanSport. JanSport is the world’s largest backpack maker, and together, both companies manufacture nearly half of all small backpacks sold in the United States. Additional information about The North Face® can be found on the company's website, www.thenorthface.com.

F.3. Online Magazine


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o Brands Owned & Managed

The North face is the world’s leader supplier of innovative an outdoor product specializing in outerwear, footwear and equipment. The outerwear and equipment lines are catered towards wilderness chic climbers, mountaineers, skiers, snowboarders, hikers, and endurance athletes.

F.4. TNF Mountaineers Team The summit series is The North Face’s legendary mountain apparel and equipments range aimed to hardcore athletes, mountaineers, alpinists and climbers. It has been exhaustively tested in extreme weather conditions and terrain, in order to deliver the highest level of performance, versatility, comfort and durability to its customers. The North Face is constantly driving its research and development to use advanced materials and produce innovative designs. One example of this is the GORE-TEX outwear technology to deliver waterproof, windproof, and breathable fabrics. In Fall 2009, the line was re-launched to introduce a higher level of quality and the next level of technical gear. The line also offers a new color palette that refreshes the series and differentiates it from other The North Face products.

F.5. GORE-TEX outwear technology

GORE-TEX is a two-layer construction membrane that is laminated to lightweight, strong nylon textiles to produce garments that are extremely breathable, compressible, and durably waterproof. Engineered with the most rugged, most breathable, durably waterproof and windproof fabrics. This technology helps the company to meet the high demands of hardcore outdoor athletes. (http://uk.thenorthface.com/technologies/outerwear/gore-tex-outerwear-fabrics)


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Some products using this technology are the women’s Heathen jacket, men’s Primavera Triclimate jackets, women and men’s pants and women’s Southerland jacket. The company also offers an array line of the accessories, which includes gloves, beanies, caps and scarves designed for any activity.

The North Face’s footwear products are ideal for everyday walks and high-altitude base camps alike. They are ready to be worn in the most extreme cold weather. The company offers a diversity of high-performance and innovative shoes for any weather conditions and lifestyle. The products are filtered by color, size, TNF technologies and TNF types. Most of these products are featured as durable, breathable and water-resistant, with streamlined design and made of with the most innovative technology, such as the Snake Plate and the Vapor Wick to appeal better the needs of outdoor athletes, differentiate the products in the market and provide competitive advantages. The Snake Plate consists of a forefoot plate that wind back and forth between the medial and lateral sides of the foot. Because it is not one solid element, it is not as uncompromisingly rigid from side to side and front to back. The result is a forefoot plate that allows the foot to do what it is physiologically designed to do: flex, bend, and contort to changing terrain. At the same time, the Snake Plate™ delivers rigidity where and when it is still needed. The thickness, composition and size of the Snake Plate™ vary from style to style as appropriate. On the other hand, Vapor Wick moves moisture and sweat away from the skin to the outer surface of the fabric where it can readily evaporate. This process is accomplished by the capillary action of hydrophobic fibers. Capillary action moves moisture and sweat in all directions from where it is abundant (the user's skin) and transports it to areas of lesser density (the fabric's outer surface). The removal and evaporation of sweat and excess moisture helps to keep the skin dry and comfortable. (http://eu.thenorthface.com/technologies/footwear/snake-plate)

Today, there are 10 footwear items in the market using this formidable technology.


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c) Equipment The North Face has developed a sizable number of equipment that satisfies the needs of different activities such as climbing, hiking, trek and travel, running and snow sports. The brand has original and ergonomic designs classified by color family, size and TNF type and technology. The products deliver exceptional accommodation with the most innovative of technical features. The product line includes daypacks, sleeping bags, tents,

Tech packs and travel bags. F.6. Mountaineer Athlete

The company develops five tech packs items using the X-Radial Suspension System, which allows swaying motion and eliminates the additional burden of kinetic friction that packs typically induce. This system brings more support and ventilation back panels that share the same durable, shape retaining, and comfortable characteristics utilized in the North Face EVA footwear line. (http://eu.thenorthface.com/technologies/equipment/x-radial-suspension-system) Sustainability, innovation and high performance are the core features of the company brands. The North Face counts with an assortment of items that makes easier the customer search to satisfy their needs.

o TNF Sustainable Journey The North Face has been coming out with more sustainable products like the recycled polyester Denaly jacket. The company refers to sustainability as a journey and the brand heritage. They are making products out of recycled materials or organic cotton and have very strong sustainability initiatives and a platform to change how they people think, act and operate. For the company, product innovation involves using technologies and fabrics that continue to provide the high performance that not only their customers are accustomed to, but also to eliminate the use of harsh chemicals and excess materials. PrimaLoft Eco Insulation is a good example of the type of environmental preferred ingredients the company uses to make their products. In fall 2008, they transitioned the entire line of insulated boot collection to the PrimaLoft Eco insulation that contains 50% recycled content. PrimaLoft Eco fibers are produced from post-consumer products and post-industrial plastic waste. In August of 2008, the company announced more green initiatives. One of them offset 100 percent all North American facilities’ energy use. The company also buys renewable energy credits from Bonneville Environmental Foundation. It has also signed on with BlueSign, an organization that helps the textile industry understand the chemical impact of the production process.


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The company is also supporting the Recreational Performance Outerwear Apparel Act, the new legislation that supports consumers and promotes advanced U.S. textile technologies. We will cover more about The North Face sustainability and conservation journey in the next section.

o Company business model

The brand is sold through retailers in all channels of distribution from mass to department to special retailers in USA and in international markets. TNF products are distributed in specialty sporting goods stores in North and South America, Europe and Asia, throughout more than 250 namesake stores operated by third parties in Europe and Asia, some 50 company-owned European and US outlets and on the internet. The company sells the products directly to consumer over the website and other online partners.

Of the company’s total revenues, 30% are in international markets, primarily in Asia and 17% are direct-to-consumer through TNF-operated retail stores and e-commerce sites (which includes stores and internet sites in international markets).

F.8. TNF channel of distribution and production plants.

The North Face business model supports the individuality of their lifestyle brands, each of which has their own management team focused on their consumers and customers. The company wants its customers to take a hike -- or take a stab at climbing Mount Everest -- as long as they're packed with its products. F.7. The North Face USA store (the photo on the left)

Today, 16% of the products sold are manufactured in TNF-owned facilities and 84% are products obtained from contractors, primarily in Asia. A combination of TNF-owned and contracted production from different geographic regions provides flexibility and a competitive advantage in their product sourcing.


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The company will continue to manage its supply chain from a global perspective and adjust as needed to changes in the global production environment. The North Face operates manufacturing facilities (primarily cutting, sewing and finishing) located in Mexico, Central America, Poland and the Middle East. TNF purchases raw materials from numerous domestic and international suppliers to meet scheduled production needs. In some instances, TNF contracts the sewing of VF-owned raw materials into finished product with independent contractors in the United States, Mexico and Central America. Product obtained from contractors in the Western Hemisphere generally has a higher cost than product obtained from contractors in the Far East but gives the company greater flexibility and shorter lead times and allows for lower inventory levels.

All TNF-owned production facilities throughout the world, as well as all independent contractor facilities that manufacture TNF-branded products, must comply with the company's Global Compliance Principles. These principles, established in 1997 and consistent with international labor standards, are a set of strict standards covering legal and ethical business practices, workers' ages, work hours, health and safety conditions, environment sustainability or standards, compliance with local laws and reputations. The graphic below sums up the channel of distribution of the company:

F.9. TNF Channel of Distribution


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o Sales information & Market Share As it was mentioned in the company description, The North Face is owned by the VF Corporation, which also owns the well-known brands Lee, Wrangler and Vans. VF doesn't provide sales figures for its outdoor unit, and publishes only the division's revenues. The North Face’s internal company policies don’t allow them to provide their financial information. For the purposes of this project, the information is presented under the outdoor brand category. Historically, V.F.'s revenue has largely been derived from its holdings in mass-market jeanswear (e.g. Lee, Wrangler, and Rustler jeanswear), as well as intimate apparel. But as the company sought out brands with higher growth prospects, it sold its intimate apparel unit and acquired several luxury demin and sportswear lines. In addition to these higher-end brands, a significant portion of the revenue is derived from the company's outdoor apparel holdings, which includes brands such as Reef, Vans and the North Face. For the full year of 2009, VF revenues were $7.2 million, down 6% from the total revenues of $7.6 million in 2008. Between 2008 and 2009, net income declined from $603 million in 2008 to $458 million in 2009. The higher pension expense and foreign currency were the mains causes that impacted earnings in 2009.

Despite the declines of 2009, the numbers look more positive for this year. VF expects 2010 revenue to rise by 3 to 4 percent as well as revenue growth in Asia to top 25 percent. The company plans to increase its locations in China by 40 percent in this year. The company plans to add $35 million in investment spending behind their strongest brands and biggest opportunities for profitable growth, bringing the total increase in investment spending in this year to approximately $85 million. These growth investments have been targeted toward specific opportunities, including the following:

To launch The North Face first television advertising campaign in the U.S.

To enhance thenorthface.com consumer experience to drive market share gains in Europe in order to reach new consumer segments.

To boost VF global product development and innovation platforms. In the first half of 2010's fiscal year, the Outdoor & Action Sports businesses achieved outstanding results. Revenues grew 10% with operating income and margin each reaching record levels for the period.


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Global revenues of The North Face and Vans brands grew 9% and 20%, respectively. Total revenues in the Americas businesses rose 11%, while international revenues were up 8%. Total direct-to-consumer revenues for our Outdoor & Action Sports businesses rose 28% in the first half, with double-digit growth in The North Face and Vans. (“The North Face Apparel Corporation Facts”, http://www.ehow.com/facts_7397189_north-face-apparel corporation.html#ixzz15b9P3kYh In the second half of 2010, The North Face turnover also increased by 12% compared to the same period in 2009. At the same time, VF International’s Action Sport brands (The North Face, Vance & Lucy) jumped 13%. The profits raised by around 20% in the third quarter of 2010, driven by sales in Asian markets, the high visibility of the North Face brand during the X-Games, store sales gains, and new store openings. In the article, “VF raises 2010 forecast, eyes acquisition”, Chief Financial Officer Robert Shearer said VF was looking into possible acquisitions, especially in the outdoor and action sports segments. He also mentioned that their gross margins in 2011 would be close to levels seen this year, and its stock closed lower, although the apparel maker raised its forecast for 2010 and posted higher-than-expected quarterly profit. (Phil Wahba, http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63T3ZL20100430?pageNumber=2)

o Market Share Despite all the years of poor financial performance, The North Face brand has increased its profits and revenues considerably in the last two years. The market share year to date is a proof of the effective changes in its financial and marketing strategy that have helped the company improve the management of its economic resources. The market share has increased considerably from 0.4% in 2007 to 51.6% in 2010, leaving Nike and Columbia behind.

F.10. TNF Market Share results, 2010.

http://www.ehow.com/facts_7397189_north-face-apparel-corporation.html#ixzz15b9P3kYh


http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63T3ZL20100430?pageNumber=2


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F.10. TNF Market Share results, 2010.

According to these graphics, the outdoor apparel sales were up because of the higher prices. Retailers are less likely to discount and manufacturers are strictly enforcing minimum advertised pricing agreements. Outdoor skirts, dresses and skorts also showed strong results year-to-date. The positive results from the brand during this year have encouraged the CEO, Steve Rendell, to invest more money in the company for the next year and support new initiatives. o Advertising and Customer Support

F.11. Dave Short’s Blog, TNF-sponsored athlete

During 2009, The North Face advertising and promotion spending was 4.6% of Net Sales. The company advertises in consumer and trade publications, on national and local radio, on Internet and recently on television. It also participates in cooperative advertising on a shared cost basis with major retailers in print media, radio, internet and television. TNF sponsor various sporting, and other special events and sponsor a number of athletes and other personalities. It employs marketing sciences to optimize the impact of advertising and promotional spending and to identify the types of spending that provide the greatest return on its marketing investments.


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The company also participates in various retail customer incentive programs. Incentive programs with retailers include discounts, allowances and cooperative advertising funds. It also offers sales incentive programs directly to consumers in the form of rebate and coupon offers. Sales incentives offers with retailers and, with consumers are recognized as sales discounts in arriving at reported Net Sales (except that cooperative advertising reimbursements of documented retailer advertising costs are reported as Advertising Expense, and free product with purchase offers are reported in Cost of Goods Sold). Internet websites are maintained for most of their product lines. Many of them are business-to-consumer e-commerce sites where consumers can order products directly from TNF. Other consumer websites provide information about its products and may direct consumers to its wholesale customers where they can purchase its products. The company also operates several business-to-business sites where its retail customers can order TNF products. TNF employs a staff of in-store marketing and merchandising coordinators located in major cities across the United States. These individuals visit customers' retail locations to ensure that its products are properly presented on the merchandise sales floor and to inform the customers' sales force about its products and related promotions.

F.12. The Red Flag Campaign, TNF Asia


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o Brand Management & Structure

The North Face has a formal brand management structure, consisting of 23 people including vice-presidents, directors, managers, coordinators and brand analysts. In 2008, the company announced changes in several key management positions, which were designed to support the company’s turnaround strategy. Adam Ketcheson was appointed Vice President of Brand Management, and he reports directly to the Vice President of Marketing, Aaron Carpenter. Ketcheson, along with his team of 8 people have combined the efforts of the product development and marketing departments to ensure that the company’s highly technical and expedition-based tradition remains. The North Face’s marketing and product management team is equipped to promote growth, stability and the company’s traditional exploration-based heritage. The brand management team is well prepared and many of them have extensive knowledge of the outdoor retail and sportswear market. With their rich business and market knowledge, outdoor industry experience and familiarity with The North Face’s core customers, the team has sustained the company’s position as the industry and market leader. The diagram of the company’s structure better illustrates the relationship between the brand director and his subordinates.

F.13. TNF Brand & Product Structure


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In summary, the company’s operational functions are complex but they are well organized and complete. The brands are segmented by product and market type, including: retail, online, promotions, communications and product development. The main North Face manufacturing plants have their own brand management structure which makes it easy for the headquarters site to communicate and implement its marketing strategies. It’s also important that the company standardizes the communication tools in all the sites, as well as customize its advertising, to better fulfill its customer needs in any location.

III. INTERNAL BRAND ENVIRONMENT

o Company Culture and Environment

According to The North Face’s official website, “sustainability and conservation form the core of

The North Face pledge to advance the well-being of the planet, its citizens and those who enjoy

exploring it.” The commitment to sustainability is reflected throughout all the company

operations, everything from the product manufacturing to the employees on the sales floor—

so much that it’s truly a core component of the company’s brand culture.

The North Face has accomplished many successful sustainability initiatives, like reducing their

carbon emissions by installing a solar panel system in their distribution system, partnering with

other organizations like stopwaste.org to reduce operational waste, implementing a 100%

recycling policy and encouraging their employees to seek alternative modes of

transportation—all with the goal of creating a more sustainable environment.

F.14. TNF exploring the demand of backpacking, trekking and travel.

Their motto, “Never Stop Exploring” is a value deeply entrenched within the company and the

employees that work there. According to anonymous employee surveys on Glassdoor.com,

almost all of the employees cited the passion for the outdoor lifestyle as one of the benefits of

working for The North Face.


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The relaxed working environment and contribution to the community also topped the list. The

North Face “aspire[s] to enrich [their] communities and the environment in every place they do

business.”

The difference between The North Face and most companies that claim to be “socially

responsible,” is that The North Face actually follows through on their promise to their

community to be socially responsible in every aspect of their business, from their culture-

infused employee programs and energy efficient operations to their strategic partnerships with

organizations that share a similar mission and values.

Key Company Accomplishments

Community

Established 20 partnerships with philanthropic organizations with similar

environmental and social missions.

North Face employees work with local organizations to clean up beaches and

community parks, restore native wetlands, plant tree and remove invasive species in

appreciation for Earth Day.

Volunteers logged 700+ hours in 2008 and nearly 120 hours for the Save the Bay event

in the San Francisco Bay.

Developed an employee program that inspires employees to “Never Stop Exploring.”

Implements a fair labor code of conduct throughout all company operations.

Planet

EPA Green Power Partner: They offset 100% of their North American operations use

with wind energy through the Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Green-e Climate

Certified Renewable Energy Credits.

Alternative Transportation Program: Developed a program that encourages

employees to commute via a carpool, mass transit, walking or biking.

Adopted the Outdoor Industry Association’s Sustainable Packaging Guidelines, which

allowed them to redesign their hangtags and shoeboxes, and ultimately reduced a

significant amount of electricity, water and paper resources.

Installed a solar panel system at their Visalia, CA distribution center and reduced

carbon emissions by an estimated 1300 metric tons per year. The system provides

about 25% of the facility’s energy requirement.

Based on a Stopwaste.org audit, made a commitment to reduce corporate

headquarter waste sent to landfills by 25% (in 2009) by redesigning office waste

system to include mixed recycling and organic, compostable waste.

Drinking Water Initiative: The North Face banned single-serving plastic water bottles

at their corporate headquarters.

Recycling: All paper and corrugated cardboard are recycled.

Commitment to use sustainable materials and recycled content


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The North Face company is a founding member of the Outdoor Industry Associations

Eco-Working Group, dedicated to developing tools that evaluate product life cycles

(and their impact on the environment.)

Sustainability Partners

Business for Innovative Climate & Energy Policy (BICEP), an organization that works with key allies in the business community and relevant members of Congress to pass energy and climate change legislation.

Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a nonprofit organization and key player in the carbon offset marketing.

Conservation Fund, Go Zero, a program that allows individuals, corporations and communities to measure their carbon dioxide emissions and learn helpful ways to reduce those emissions and offset the remaining by planting trees.

EPA Climate Leaders, a voluntary EPA industry-government partnership that works with companies to develop complete climate change strategies.

Recurrent Energy, a leading solar power developer, and The

North Face are working together to increase the amount of solar

energy The North Face uses in the future.

Suntech Energy Solutions, one of California’s fastest-growing providers of commercial and utility-scale solar power systems.

Stopwaste.org, an organization that provides waste audits for

corporations in Alameda County.

BD, help The North Face reduce the environmental emissions.


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o Partnership Analysis

The North Face’s strategic partnership with a variety of socially responsible partners, focused

on the environment and sustainability, contributes to their overall brand character. They truly

follow through on their promise to the environment, and that integrity is something their

customer’s value. Without these partnerships and initiatives, The North Face is just another

“cause-washing,” “green washing” corporation.

Furthermore, it is rare to find a company so dedicated to their brand culture that they develop

programs to infuse the company culture within their employees and throughout all aspects of

their operations. The North Face has done an incredible job of developing a strong brand

culture through their employee volunteer and alternative transportation programs.

Employee Training and Morale

F.15. Employee Athletes

According to Glassdoor.com, employees enjoy the fringe benefits of working at North Face, the

50% employee discount, community involvement, the company commitment to sustainability,

and the pride of selling products for a market leader. Most employees enjoy working with their

colleagues, the relaxed teamwork-oriented atmosphere, and the outdoor lifestyle the company

promotes.

While all of the employees that left a review approve of company president Steve Rendall’s

leadership, most of them did not approve of the senior management and believe that there

should be a better system in place to evaluate senior management performance. A few

employees felt that great performance should be rewarded and would like more upward

mobility within the company.

The overall company culture is strong. It appears that most of the employees that left a review

believe in the company’s mission and values. Employees value the active outdoor lifestyle that

the North Face brand represents and their commitment to sustainability. Employees generally

enjoy working with their colleagues. It’s also a huge plus for employees to be working for a

market leader, a company that focuses on product quality and product innovation at its core.


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There seems to be a huge opportunity on the side of the senior management to really work on

improving communication from the top down, help contribute to the growth of their

employees, give credit where credit is due and share accountability for performance.

Employee morale is never high when employees are forced to work with incompetent

managers.

Visit to North Face Store (Beverly Hills)

Our team visited the North Face retail store in Beverly Hills (on Beverly Dr.) and we chatted

with the assistant manager at that location. Here’s what we found out about the internal

culture:

Q. “What do you like most about working at The North Face?”

A. “Employees really like working here because we have the best products (quality wise);

we love the lifestyle, and the company culture. It’s really laid back and we all share a

love for the outdoors.”

Q. "What are the company's biggest strengths? And what are some things you would like to

improve?"

A. “We have a great marketing team and huge brand building efforts. One thing I would

like to see us push more would be to develop a more formal community outreach

program. Nike right down the street organizes weekly runs and their programs have

been really successful. And also Lululemon down the street organizes runs, yoga

sessions, and other weekly workouts. The North Face hasn’t really pushed the

community outreach that much, especially here in Beverly Hills where retail sales are

mostly a result of tourism activity.”

F.16. Beverly Hills Store


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Our primary research confirmed our original findings that The North Face employees love the

company culture, its products and the lifestyle the company promotes. The North Face is

largely a lifestyle brand and its employees and customers love that their products reflect the

love for the outdoors and the environment.

SWOT Analysis

Strengths

Strong brand (well known, especially with

the outdoor community)

Strong company culture

Huge focus on product technology (huge

component of marketing/branding

strategy)

Store experience (innovative kiosks,

friendly employees)

Commitment to sustainability & the

community (The North Face Explore Fund)

– embedded throughout company

Opportunities

Improve internal culture

Improve employee morale by giving more

feedback, welcoming contributions of

ideas from stuff (e.g. help to make

processes more efficient)

More training for senior management (&

improve accountability)

Provide professional development for

employees

Increase community involvement and

outreach projects

Expand product offerings (e.g. cycling)

and sponsor athletes in those sports

Weaknesses

Employee morale is low (both at the retail

level and at the corporate level)

Employees do not have high opinion of

management

Products perceived as “too expensive” to

many people

Difficulty communicating technological

innovation

Community outreach efforts not as

successful as other active lifestyle brands

like Nike (e.g. running club)

Threats

Competitors, like Patagonia, have a much

stronger company culture, better benefits

(i.e. in a way that can attract higher

quality talent)

Other competition, like Columbia

Sportswear is perceived as “more

affordable” and “better value”

Knockoffs rampant in Asia (& also theft of

products) which impacts the brand

Involved in a frivolous lawsuit with “The

South Butt”

SWOT Summary

Strengths

The North Face’s biggest strength by far is a strong brand that resonates with the outdoor

community and their company culture, which is deeply rooted in a commitment to the

environment and sustainability. Another huge strength is their investment in research and

development in order to make the most high tech gear available.


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Their investment paid off because according to our independent customer survey, most of the

respondents believed that The North Face offers the highest quality products. The store

experience is another plus. The environment inspires any visitor to go out in the world and

explore. It allows people to aspire for that lifestyle.

Weaknesses

On the outside looking in, The North Face seems like a powerful force to be reckoned with.

They are adventurous, rugged, and powerful. However, according to recent employee surveys

and our own independent customer surveys, there are a few issues to address. One of their

biggest weaknesses, according to Glassdoor.com, employee morale is low—both at the retail

level and at the corporate level—and employees generally do not have a high opinion of the

senior management.

Another problem that the company faces is that there’s a disconnect between their perception

of their own product and customers perception of their products. Their customers often

perceive their products as too expensive. Also, while most people think “quality” when they

think of The North Face brand, they don’t think “innovation” or “technology.” It could be that

there’s difficulty communicating these aspects of the brand to their customers or it could mean

that product technology might not be as important to their customers as other product

attributes like comfort and durability.

Lastly, community outreach efforts have been largely unorganized and unsuccessful. The

assistant manager at the North Face store in Beverly Hills lamented that community outreach

efforts at their store were not as successful as other active lifestyle brand, like Nike. Nike in

Beverly Hills has a very popular and successful running club.

Opportunities

There are plenty of opportunities to improve internal company culture. For example,

management can improve employee morale by giving more feedback to their employees and

welcome contributions to, for example, make processes more efficient. They could also

implement a 360-performance review, where a manager directs reports as well as peers,

review their performance. This way, managers are held more accountable to act with

transparency.

Other opportunities for The North Face include increasing local community involvement like

running clubs, hiking clubs, excursions and activities. Each retail store could also be encouraged

to develop its own regional volunteer programs. Lastly, since many of their current customers

(as indicated in the results of our customer survey) also participate in cycling or running, a huge

opportunity for the brand would be to expand their product offerings and sponsor the best

athletes in those sports.


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Threats

The North Face’s biggest threats come in the form of competitors that target the same type of

customer. Patagonia, for example, has a much stronger company culture and they have better

benefits (Glassdoor.com). There’s more “unity” in the Patagonia brand. Another threat would

be lower priced competitors like Columbia Sportswear. According to the results of our own

survey, companies like Columbia Sportswear have lower prices and are therefore perceived as

“more affordable” and “better value” than The North Face.

A potential threat to the brand is the rampant counterfeiting in Asia, in addition to product

theft. If the counterfeit problem increases, the brand image risks erosion. People will think

less of the brand when they see it,

Research and Development

F.17. Extreme mountaineering athlete

The R&D process undergoes four stages:

1. Research & Design – In this phase, The North Face Athlete Team try products and provide feedback to the company, making suggestions on how to improve the products, evaluate the product performance and product quality for future improvements, and so on.

Research, Design and Development Process

The North Face invests heavily on research and development and quality improvement. They believe in integrating consumer research with their product development. And while The North Face sponsors many top athletes, they don’t just use their athletes for marketing purposes—they use their athletes for product development, to help them test out new products and improve the quality of these products. They go through great lengths to find out what their customers want in their products. These are some of the product attributes that are examined: comfort, whether products can withstand varying weather conditions, quality, durability and product technology.


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2. Advance Material Research & Development - The North Face works with leading materials engineers in order to create the most “technically advanced fabrics” for clothing and equipment. Their athletes have extremely high standards and will expect nothing but the best. An example of a fabric they created is the GORE-TEX fabric, which is very lightweight and intended for use at high altitudes.

3. Innovative Design & Construction – In this stage, the materials engineers put the technology to the test. For example, The North Face engineers test out the resilience of their tents by placing them in the back of a C130 plane. Needless to say, their tents blow the competition away.

4. Laboratory Tested & Expedition Proven – The last step of the research and development phase of a product includes sending out products to the field and put them to a REAL test. They send the apparel and equipment on athlete expeditions to see how prototypes perform in the real world. For example, they tested one of their tents in the highest slopes on 7 different continents! After they receive feedback from their athletes, they refine each product until it meets everyone’s seal of approval. That’s real dedication to product development.

F.17. Extreme mountaineering athlete

o Product Technology

F.18. TNF Product Technologies


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The North Face provides an extensive amount of product technology on their website. They categorize product by benefits:

Waterproof & Breathable: Hyvent

Thermal Insulation (Goose Down Fill)

Thermal Fabrics: TKA Series, Polartec

Wind Protection: TNF Apex, Windwall

Moisture Management: VaporWick

Odor Management: Minerale, Cocona

Element Protection: Ultraviolet Protection, Durable Water Repellent

Fabric Technology: Pertex, Merino Wool, Nylon Ripstop, Pertex Eco

A few product technologies more in depth…

Hyvent: Hyvent is a “superior, waterproof, breathable technology utilizing a polyurethane coating that consists of a tri-component, multi-layer formula for waterproof protection, moisture permeability and durability.” Hyvent is used in men and women’s apparel and is ideal for skiing and climbing.

VaporWick – VaporWick is a type of technology, made up of “specifically engineered, high-performance fibers, yarn types, fabric constructions and finishes” that help remove moisture or sweat evaporate quickly. It is used in men and women’s apparel.

Boa Lacing System: The Boa lacing system is use predominantly on their footwear and they’ve also implemented in into their daypacks. This system is made with “replaceable, ultra high-strength, stainless steel lace cables that slide easily through the patented elongated lace guide.” This technology is renowned for its performance and durability in snow, water, and ice and works like a suspension system.

F.19. Product Technology


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Customer Surveys: The North Face distributes and collects customer surveys at all retail locations.

F.20. Customer Research Survey in The North Face Store (Part I)


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F.21. Customer Research Survey in The North Face Store (Part II)


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In summary, The North Face implements a very comprehensive and advanced R&D program, from engineering the perfect materials to creating the perfect product and from testing those products out in real expeditions with real athletes to conducting customer research surveys. The lengths they go through to develop and test their products are a testament to the kind of lifestyle the company lives by.

IV. EXTERNAL BRAND ENVIRONMENT

o State of the economy

High-end brands with high profit margins are more or less insulated from dips in the economy.

While the recession has impacted the overall sales of The North Face products, according to

the assistant manager at the Beverly Hills location, they have been steadily growing the past

several years and continue to expand worldwide.

In 2009, The North Face opened eight new stores, and six more stores are scheduled to open

within the next year. They have stores all over Asia—Hong Kong, Korea, Japan—and they have

stores around South America and Europe.

F.22. Vanity Fair Corporation Stock Quote (December 2000-December 2010)

F.23. Dow Jones Industrial Average (December 2000-December 2010)


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Comparing the trends in the Vanity Fair Corporation’s stock price versus the Dow Jones

Industrial average, we can see that while VFC stock prices tend to fluctuate with the overall

market, they aren’t as volatile.

According to the U.S. Securities Exchange and Commission (SEC) website, the Vanity Fair

Corporation (VF) acquired The North Face in 2000, so now The North Face is a wholly owned

subsidiary of VF. In 2000, right at the height of the dot com boom, VF stocks hovered around

$30-$40 per share. The stocks dipped a bit around September 11, 2001. However since VF

Corp acquired The North Face brand, its stock has steadily risen, where the company reached a

little over $90 per share at its highest point, right before the great recession in mid-2007. After

the stock market crashed the stocks dipped to a pre-recession price of $50-$60, and now the

stocks have almost reached a high again.

While most retail stores are still reeling from the weak economy, The North Face and Vanity

Fair Corporation have been doing really well since a low in January 2009, and they’ve been

growing steadily since they acquired The North Face in 2000. Their steady growth and

performance are a testament to the strength of their brand, especially since retail sales for

companies with weak brand identities have been lackluster over the past few years.

o Selling Place

From our primary research, via interviewing company

employees, we discovered that while they do operate

their own retail stores and sell directly to customers

online, they do most of their business through 3rd party

retailers. The North Face distributes their products to

thousands of wholesalers worldwide that then turn

around and sell the products directly to consumers. The

North Face also operates their own retail stores. There

are approximately 36 retail locations in the United States

and dozens more worldwide. The North Face’s authorized

retailers include Sports Authority, EMS, Moosejaw Mountaineering, Urban Outfitters, Hudson

Trail Outfitters, Great Outdoor Provision, Mountain Gear and REI.

o Retail Store Environment

The North Face retail store environment is unlike any other. As you walk into the store, you

will feel like you’re walking into a store full of possibilities for adventure. Water cascades down

one side of the entrance. Each visual element of the store, from carved out entrance way, to

the rocks laid out next to the merchandise, to the setup of the tents—makes the adventurer

inside of me feel right at home. Interactive kiosks are placed at the end of each aisle so that

customers shopping in the store can experience the great outdoors in these videos, which

typically display extreme athletes engaging in their outdoor sports and excursions.

F.24. The North Face, Beverly Hills


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F.25. More pics of The North Face store in Beverly Hills


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o Official Website

The North Face’s official website showcases the company’s athletes, from the snowboarders

and skiers to the divers and mountaineers. Web visitors can shop by equipment type, activity,

or product collection. The “Never Stop Exploring” blog features TNF athletes on their

adventures and expeditions, from big free wall free climbs around the world to the 3,000 El Cap

summit in Yosemite. The athletes record videos and write blog posts about their experiences.

The North Face is very much an aspirational brand. Their customers can aspire for the extreme

outdoor lifestyle that the company promotes, the “never stop exploring” lifestyle. The North

Face athletes can serve as role models and inspiration for their millions of customers. While

there is a huge emphasis on technological innovation and product quality, the images of

athletes and explorers on the website demonstrate what they can do with the actual products.

The hero in those stories is the athlete, not the product. The products allow them to explore

the depths of the world, and they help the athlete perform to the best of their potential

F.26. The North Face Official Web Site


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F.27. “Never Stop Exploring” blog for North Face Athletes and Community

o Third Party Retailers (Online and Physical Retail Locations)

We conducted a quick Google search for the term “north face” and a number of 3rd party

retailers popped up in the results including: Macy’s, Zappos, REI, Backcountry.com, MooseJaw,

Travel Country, Outdoor Brand Shop and dozens of others.


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F.28. Authorized Retailers via Google Search

F.29. Authorized Dealers and Vendors

o Expansion

The North Face is currently expanding worldwide. They are slated to open several more stores

internationally within the next year.

They are also expanding their target market to include other extreme action sports. This year,

they are sponsoring the Winter X-Games this upcoming snow season.


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Category Analysis

The North Face belongs in the “outdoor apparel” category. According to a recent press release

from the Outdoor Industry Association, outdoor product retail sales only grew slightly from

the previous year—2.3% to be exact. They attribute the slow growth to “lingering weakness in

the economy and continued lack of consumer confidence.” In the past, outdoor retail products

were more of a luxury, than a necessity, so since the economy is still weak, customers are

buying on an “as-needed” basis versus a “want” basis.

The Outdoor Industry Association does expect an increase in sales as the winter months

approach and when people will be engaging in more winter sports. In fact, outdoor apparel

sales increased 44% between the first week of October 2010 and previous week. In the

Independent Outdoor Specialty channel, sales increased a mere 0.4% from the previous month.

In contrast, the economy has not impacted The North Face in the same way the outdoor

apparel industry as a whole has been affected. This is most likely due to the fact that The

North Face is a premium brand, targeting educated high-income individuals or young

professionals, ones that have not been impacted too much by the weak economy. They have

been opening up new stores despite the recession and only have plans to grow and expand.

Competitive Analysis

We are going to compare The North Face to the following three brands: Patagonia, Columbia

Sportswear and Nike. Patagonia and Columbia are in the same category of “outdoor” lifestyle

brands, whereas Nike targets a broader audience. Nike, however, has recently entered the

outdoor sportswear category with their “Nike 6.0” outerwear product line.

Patagonia

The mountaineer Yvon Chouinard’s founded Patagonia. Patagonia, like The North Face, is a

company that is deeply committed to preserving the earth and creating sustainable products.

In fact, in 1972, Yvon Chouinard developed the idea of “clean climbing” after he found that the

steel pitons Patagonia manufactured damaged rocks. He then developed aluminum chocks to

replace steel pitons. This is just one example of their deep commitment to preserving nature.

Mission Statement: “Build the best

product, do no unnecessary harm, use

business to inspire and implement

solutions to the environmental crisis.”


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Core Value Proposition: Fabric technology (e.g. e-fibers, Gladiodor Garmet Odor Control,

Performance Baselayers); commitment to the environment and social responsibility.

Target Market: Slightly older market than The North Face group, serious about outdoor

adventure, socially responsible and committed to preserving nature

Brand Identity: “While actually a physical place, the name Patagonia also suggests an untamed

wilderness that transcends any one singular experience. In this way, the brand name is

aspirational for users seeking to interact with wild nature” (Patagonia Brand Analysis on

Slideshare.net)

Store Environment: They operate about 21 retail stores around the United States.

F.30. Screenshot of Patagonia Official Website


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F.31. Patagonia Store


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Columbia Sportswear

They believe that “the outdoors isn’t all about remote expeditions or climbing the world’s

highest mountains. Anyone can enjoy the outdoors.” They are definitely catering to a broader

crowd. Columbia Sportswear is sold in over 100 countries worldwide.

Core Value Proposition: Product technology, branded as the family of Omni technology,

focuses on comfort. Core technologies serve the following functions: thermal comfort, water

repellent, lightweight, advanced traction, sun protection, advanced evaporation, advanced

cooling, waterproof and breathable.

Target Market: The casual outdoor enthusiast

Brand Identity: “Family business gone global”

Store Environment: Of all the outerwear companies, Columbia Sportswear is the one that looks

and feels more like a traditional department store.

F.32. Columbia Sportswear Official Website

The Columbia Sportswear Company is positioned directly against The North Face and Patagonia. While the former target the extreme outdoor adventurers, Columbia Sportswear appeals more to the casual outdoor enthusiast.


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F.33. Screenshot of Columbia Sportswear Official Website and Retail Stores


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o Nike

Nike’s marketing and branding strategy is a key component to their huge success. They are

positioned as a premium brand and their core focus is on product design. Their swoosh logo is

one of the most recognizable logos in the world, and their “just do it” slogan is just as

recognizable.

Nike contracts with factories in developing countries like China, Indonesia, Vietnam and

Mexico. They have been found to violate minimum wage laws in some of these countries.

Also, because Nike manufactures product at such a large scale, their operations make a

negative impact on the environment.

Core Value Proposition: Footwear design, they work with athletes to design the best shoe for

athletes

Target Market: Nike targets the mainstream athletic crowd. They believe that “if you have a

body, you are an athlete.”

Brand Identity: athleticism, driven, competitive

Store Environment: Each Niketown store is a huge multi-level wonderland of athletic apparel.

F.34. Screenshot of Nike homepage on official website

Nike is the world’s leading supplier of athletic shoes and apparel. Each product line is branded: Nike Golf, Nike Pro, Nike+, Air Jordan, Nike Skateboarding, etc. Nike sponsors top athletes from all over the world, from Tiger Woods in golf and Roger Federer in tennis, to Lance Armstrong in cycling.


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F.35. Nike Union Square, San Francisco

F.36. Nike 5th Ave. New York City


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F.37. Nike ID Store, London

F.38. Nike Downtown, London


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o Competitor SWOT Diagram & Summary

Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats

The North Face

Product Technology,

Company Culture, Trendy

Communicating product

technology

Product Line Expansion, Technology

Branding

Competitors seen as “better

value”

Patagonia

Product Technology,

Company Culture, Genuine

commitment to environment & social change

Limited sales channels could limit company growth, not as accessible as other brands

Seek partnerships

with more wholesalers and

retailers

Competitors more “trendy”

Columbia Sportswear

Product Technology, family brand

Not likely to become a cult

brand

Create sub-brands

All other competitors are

more popular

Nike Global Brand, Market Leader

Image problems, ran into troubles with labor laws

Can expand into the outdoor sportswear

Plenty of small niche brands

with very loyal followings

o Summary

Patagonia is the most serious threat to The North Face. Both companies target the serious

outdoor athletes and adventure seekers. The North Face is the trendy brand of the two, hugely

popular among college students and widely available nationwide in thousands of retail

locations. Thus, The North Face has more mass-market appeal. In contrast, Patagonia only

operates a handful of retail locations in areas that aren’t as populated, which is part of their

distribution strategy. Patagonia does not want to be a trendy brand.

The North Face’s marketing strategy focuses on the athlete, the potential of the athlete, the

athlete performing in TNF apparel and gear. In stark contrast to this strategy, Patagonia

focuses on the clothing, not the model. Patagonia places emphasis on fabric technology in

their marketing and only showcases the clothing on their website and catalogs. This is an area

where both companies can make an improvement. Since Patagonia is a lifestyle brand, their

images should inspire their target market and inspire them to explore the possibilities with

their amazing product technology.


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And while The North Face invests heavily in research and development, their customers only

think about comfort and durability when they think about the brand. Thus, there’s opportunity

for The North Face to ramp up their product technology marketing efforts.

While TNF, Patagonia and Nike all have passionate fans, Columbia Sportswear is the company

least likely to develop a cult following because they target such a mass audience. Their goal is

to provide comfortable clothing to “anyone” which is a poor way of defining their customer

profile. The casual outdoor enthusiast is not something most people would be fervently

passionate about, nor would anyone be jumping at the chance to identify with that customer

profile. “The extreme outdoor athlete,” “mountaineer,” “world-class athlete”—those are

terms that people can get excited about.

Nike recently started an outdoor apparel product line, but it has not gained the traction their

other brands have gained, so we have yet to see if this brand will be a success. While they are

one of the most popular and well-known brands in the world, and although millions love them

because they sponsor some of the top athletes in the world, the company has run into host of

image problems. They manufacture abroad in developing countries and have been found guilty

of violating child labor laws in Vietnam, as well as contributing a large amount of damage to

the environment through their manufacturing operations. Nike has recently implemented new

programs to offset that negative impact, but people don’t perceive it as a genuine commitment

to the environment, since it was never part of their corporate culture or their company culture.

It seems to be something they’re doing because it’s “trendy.”

In sum, all four companies have incredibly strong company cultures and each has their own set

of strengths and weaknesses, as mentioned in the SWOT analysis. TNF and Patagonia are both

extreme active lifestyle brands, deeply committed to corporate social responsibility, the

environment and social change. Columbia Sportswear is a more family oriented company that

also cares about the nature preservation and enjoying the outdoors. Lastly, Nike, one of the

most celebrated brands in the world, is committed to designing the best shoes for athletes.

V. IDENTITY INTERROGATIVE

Prospect -- Customer Behavioral Groups

The North Face wants its customers to take a hike -- or take a stab at climbing Mount Everest -- as long as they're packed with its products. The customers range from normal people who purchase branded clothing for simple activities such as running, biking and to great athletes who take part in Olympics and other physical activities.


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F.39. Fair labor and TNF people

F.40. Extreme athlete in 100 running marathon

Demographic Profile

The North face customers are usually single middle-middle or upper-middle class people, whose main occupation is teaching or having part time summer jobs. They are college or professional customers between 25 to 45 years old. Their income ranges between $40,000 to $60,000 dollars. They are consistent users with heavy frequency of purchase and conduct searches on the Internet.

Geographic Profile

The North Face is located in major areas like USA, London, Chile, Canada and Australia, where the weather and place conditions are optimal to practice extreme activities including hiking, mountain climbing and skiing. Customers in these locations usually live in suburbs or rural areas. They are mostly physical active and take great interest in these activities as part of their life or trends.

Behavioral Profile

The North Face customers are interested in running in marathons and they are environmentally aware. They enjoy being independent and typically purchase high performance products. They are always pushing themselves to the max.

F.16. Picture taken from the TNF online magazine


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F.41. Expedition in South America

We conducted a customer survey for current North Face customers. The survey consisted of seven questions and 30 people responded to the survey. The results are as follows:

What kind of outdoor activities do you participate in?

Almost half of the respondents practice hiking, followed by running and biking. The company is satisfying one of the activities that the market likes to do at most and its covering a little of the running target but no the people that do biking; so this could be a good opportunity for TNF to include another product line to its wide assortment of products.

What comes to your mind when you think of North Face?

With this question we measured the positioning of the brand: “What attributes comes first to the customer’s mind, when they think of The North Face brand?” Most of the people associate the brand with quality, outdoor gear and durability. This means that The North Face outdoor clothing line is well positioned in the market mainly because of its quality. But it’s important to mention that 7% of the people also think the brand is expensive. We are going to consider this information in the Brand Plan section to make some suggestions about how to improve the perception of the brand.

Psychographic Profile

The company targets prospect customers who are trying to explore new locations via outdoor activities like running. They are generally people who are trying to fit in the new environment or society. A great majority of West Los Angeles residents, for example, are into fitness.


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Reasons why you purchase North Face products and not other brands?

41% of the respondents usually buy the North Face products because of the quality of the materials; 23% for the style and, 20% for the versatility. Once again, quality is considered the core value of the brand that encourages the target market to buy.

What products do you buy most from North Face?

Jackets, backpacks and vests are the products that the respondents buy most from the channel of distritubtion. Some of them, mentioned the winter clothing as another product that they buy more. However, TNF clothing gear line is very extensive. For purposes of this analysis, we disregard these responses and selected the answers that provided more detailed information.


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According to the assistant manager of TNF store in Bervely Hills, the outdoor gear is the line with the highest revenues (60%); so this survey confirm our findings.

How do you perceive The North Face customer service?

The customer service of the company is perceived as good by 60% of the respondents. This result speaks very well about the company efforts in offering the right product at the right place with the best service possible. Since the brand is in the category of service sensitive with heavy competition; the company has developed an efficiently marketing strategy where achieving the customer’s needs and, finding new ways to satisfy them have become in its main objective.


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Positioning North Face faces competition with stores in the same category such as Patagonia, Columbia Sportswear and to a lesser extent, Nike. They all offer good quality, high performance products at a premium price and high-level of comfort. The North Face has positioned itself as offering high quality, durable and sustainable products—products that have proven to last longer and withstand extreme climatic conditions. The perceptual map below shows The North Face product positioning based on its performance and comfort. The chart of benefits offered by brand is another good source of information, illustrating how the customers perceive TNF brand compared to its main competitors on attributes such as affordability, durability and style. In general, the principle benefit that customers see in The North Face brand is comfort followed by performance. However, the brand is also perceived as unstylish and expensive. Competitors like Columbia Sportswear are better rated in performance but it does not have the same level of comfort that TNF and they are perceived as expensive and slightly durable. Meanwhile Nike is perceived as the most durable brand with a high level of comfort, good affordability but lacks performance for extreme sports. Mizuno is the brand with the highest score whose core benefits are affordability and durability. These graphics show useful information of the brand and its closest competitors. It helps us to understand the perception of the brand in the costumer’s mind, as well as indentify which benefits are the biggest opportunities of TNF. We will make some suggestions to the company, in the Brand Plan, based on all our findings in the Identity Interrogative. As customers, we feel committed to the brand and we would like to see it ahead of the competition in all its product lines.

F.42. Product Positioning – Perceptual Map


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F.43 Benefits Offered by Brand

The Target Market Discovery Grid chart shows the perception of the brand between the company and the target market. There are some interesting differences that might be influenced by the product line and the demographic and psychographic characteristics of this market.

F.44. Target Market Discovery Grid

According to our survey, customers would buy products that

o Are good quality o Supports their needs o Is a trust worthy brand o Most of them would like to be loyal customers to products that involve

physical activity like running shoes, winter jackets, etc.


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Quality comprises a large part of The North Face’s brand equity and it is included in the mission statement of the company. 56% of the respondents think that TNF products have excellent quality, 23% rated them as “good quality” and the rest think they are “Ok.” These answers demonstrate that the efforts of the company to communicate its core value proposition of high quality have been successful. The marketing campaigns driven by the slogan “Never Stop Exploring” and “We Never Stop Innovating” have spread the message of innovation and durability to almost half of their customers.

Strategic Personality Our research showed that The North Face is an active performance-oriented brand with an adventurous personality. The brand’s life motto encourages their customers to push themselves to the limit. Innovation and high performance are the core values that drive the brand personality.

Brand identity summary

North Face has been creating high-performance, high sustainable and innovative apparel, footwear and other accessories for intense outdoor activities, classy urbanites and other outdoor enthusiasts. They all seem to seek the best, comfortable and high endurance products. The brand is available in 3,000 retail locations around the world—the latest one is based at Beverly Hills—and as stated by the chairman Ken Nisch, “As The North Face always has discriminating wholesale distribution, its best-class positioning was an easy fit with the Beverly Hills location.”

The company believes in creating new and exciting products to maintain long-term customer relationships and keep their brand at a great and trustworthy position. And as they stand strong by their motto ”Never Stop Exploring,” they have established a brand that provides a sense of power and emotional connection. The technical aspects of their products gel well with the emotional journey. Their store itself has a great blend of interior designing material from all over the word; Indian wedding chests, contemporary decorations like stainless-steel columns, all of this sum up to North Face being a combination of an emotional and tech-savvy company that believes in providing the best.


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Emotional context

The brand has been created to give customers what exactly they need and their main essence lies in creating environmental friendly and high sustainability products, which would give the customers immense satisfaction and build trust between them and the brand. By using products, which support better performance and comfort at different locations and climatic conditions, creates a long-term relationship with the customers. Core Values & Essence: North Face touches customers emotionally and by satisfying their technology thirst. Every product created is made with the thought that each consumer is an explorer and they require a product with high quality, comfort and something they would value for the long –term. They value their customers and stick to their fabric made up of high quality, endless testing cycles, constant improvement and the end result is a high sustainable product fit for severe outdoor activity and endurance. Their main values are sustainability, quality, high-tech engineering and environmental friendly.

Brand Contact Summary

North Face known for its great customer service and maintaining long-term relationships, gets in touch with their target market through the following channel of distribution: o Online stores: The North Face has a detailed website, which is extremely easy to navigate

and browse around products. Customers can shop online with ease. o The store: This company has its stores in various locations, with great customer service.

Customers can go there directly to purchase their products. o Events: The brand conducts various outdoor activity events with famous athletes in order to

advertise and test their products. o Customer Service: North Face staff is extremely knowledgeable and have great empathy

towards customers, any concern/unsatisfactory products are responded immediately. o Offline: They have a good amount of Ad’s and billboards and articles written about them,

especially well spoken about the brand by customers taking part in Olympics and other award winning outdoor activities.

New product opportunities

As The North Face has been creating products with great quality and endurance, they plan to focus more on the four major factors:

o Reduce their greenhouse gas emissions o Design and innovate sustainable product o Reduce waste in their operations o Community Engagement


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Corporate Partners: They have locked in partnership with extensive professional ski instructors and ski patrol to work with Snowbird to host annual winter events. They are also contributing a significant amount of films; gallery shows and other events to make changes in the community-it include TGR film tour, Telluride Mountain Film Festival and more. Technology Partners: They believe in exploring and developing high-tech products for well accomplished mountaineers, Snowsport athletes and explorers, and in order to satisfy these outdoor enthusiasts they have partnerships with other companies like Vibram; known for their high quality and long lasting footwear, Primaloft; known to produce synthetic reliable insulation. Their products are patented and are water repellent microfibers, which helps to retain body warmth and repels moisture and Polartec; produces high-quality fabrics for better performance and withstand extreme climatic conditions. Non-Profit Organizations: The North Face has been known to be serving the community and hosting charity-based events, they are associated with The Conservation Alliance; supports grassroots citizen-action groups and they thrive in protecting outdoor areas. They also work with Access Fund’s Non-profit Climbers Organization, which strives to preserve climbing in United States and also finance climbers and other events. Leave no Trace is a non-profit organization which educates and conducts research and partnerships to preserve outdoor recreational areas and also work with American Mountain guide association and Alpine Ascents International Inc.


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Visit to North Face Store (Beverly Hills)

F.45. THE NORTH FACE BEVERLY HILLS (423 NORTH BEVERLY DRIVE BEVERLY HILLS, CA 90210)

Visit to North Face Store Our team visited the North Face retail store in Beverly Hills (on Beverly Dr.) and, we talked to with the manager at that location. Here’s what we found out:


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F.46. Inside of The North Face Store at Beverly Hills

Our primary research confirmed our secondary research that The North Face employees love the company culture, its products and the lifestyle the company promotes. The North Face is largely a lifestyle brand and its employees and customers love that their products reflect the love for the outdoors and the environment. Regarding to research & development and service, we asked the manager about what’s the company doing to improve its products and/or services. He mentioned that the company sponsors many top athletes, but they don’t just use their athletes for marketing. They also use their athletes for product development, to help them test out new products and improve the quality of those products. There’s a great deal of emphases on product quality and improving product quality at this company. The North Face distributes and collects customer surveys at all retail locations We also asked him of how much the company spends on research & development and, if this is this part of their culture. The manager responded that they have insufficient data to report how much they spend on R&D, but they can confirm through primary sources, that research and development is part of the brand culture. They develop the highest tech outdoor gear. This is something their customers highly value. Product technologies include (but are not limited to): Hyvent (waterproof technology), thermal insulation & thermal fabrics, wind protection, boa lacing system, sleeping bag fabric technology & insulation, etc.

Q. “What do you like most about working at The North Face?”

A. “Employees really like working here

because we have the best products (quality wise), we love the lifestyle, and the company culture. It’s really laid back and we all share a love for the outdoors.”

Q. "What are the company's biggest

strengths? And what are some things you would like to improve?"

A. “We have a great marketing team and huge

brand building efforts. One thing I would like to see us push more would be to develop a more formal community outreach program. Niketown right down the street organizes weekly runs and their programs have been really successful. [And also Lululemon down the street organizes runs, yoga sessions, and other weekly workouts]. The North Face hasn’t really pushed the community outreach that much, especially here in Beverly Hills where retail sales are mostly a result of tourism activity.”


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From Plunkett Research Online: “The North Face puts extensive effort into the research and development of new products. The company works in conjunction with leading materials engineering companies, including Gore (makers of GORE-TEXT fabrics), Polartec and HyVent, as well as professional athletes to create technically advanced fabrics, and it employs or sponsors numerous world-class mountaineers and athletes to test its gear in the field.”

F.47. Snowboarding Expedition


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VI. THE “BRAND PLAN”

Brand Overview The North Face brand has been in the market for more than 40 years. This firm was established in San Francisco, California in the late 60’s with a small assortment of items. Although the company filled the papers for bankruptcy in late 90’s, today it has a market share of 51.6% in the outdoor apparel line and reports outstanding revenues. Its profits have also increased considerably in the last two years as a result of its brand management structure that is focused to promote grow, stability and, continue with the exploration of innovation and sustainability. The North Face mission’s partly lies in outfitting extreme alpinists and rock climbers, skiers and boarders, hikers and trail runners. The brand also outfits adventure travelers and casual adventurers with apparel, footwear, tents, packs and sleeping bags that survive any conditions, any activity, and any location. The brand offers more than extreme gear. It brings personality, identity emotion to its customers. The brand satisfies the safety and social needs of the Maslow’s Needs Hierarchy. It makes its customers feel good! The strong marketing strategies of the company and the dedication to their brand culture have been the main reason of the great positioning of the brand in national and international markets. Even though, the positive results described above, The North Face has remarkable weaknesses and areas of opportunity that need to be addressed. According to the internal research and all the information analyzed in previous sections, innovation is one of the main issues of the company. This is not because they don’t have it but the customers don’t perceive it. The company hasn’t found the best way to communicate this benefit to their market. Increasing the perception of affordability and style are other opportunities. The North Face is perceived as expensive brand. Some customers don’t perceive the value added in every dollar spend in their products. The company also face some issues with the customers loyalty and communicating technological innovations; despite all the money they have spent to improve their products, not too many customers know about their technology innovations. It’s clear that The North Face need stronger communication tools to differentiate its brand from the main competitors like Columbus Sportswear, Patagonia and Nike. They have to communicate better their core benefits. The Brand Plan presented in this section provides an outstanding solution to the company in terms of the brand value and image, customer loyalty and product offering. With this plan, the company may continue pushing the limits of innovation so its customers may push their limits outdoors.

Goals/Objectives

o Improve the brand value perception from 65% to 85% by the end of 2011. Based on our survey 65% of the respondents think that they are getting a great value out of TNF products for the amount the pay. Another survey from TNF also shows that the brand is not too affordable.


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o Increase customer loyalty from 68% to 85% by the end of 2001. Based on the brand research, we found out that only 74% of The North Face customers are more likely to buy its products again.

o Expand the product offering of the company from 4 to 6 activities, to include runners and bikers, by the end of 2011. According to our independent customer survey, we found that the top activity that respondents participate in--besides hiking--are biking and running. Therefore, we would like to include more gear to accommodate this customer segment.

Brand Strategies - how to position the brand

o Create strong awareness campaign that emphasizes the product technology and value proposition of products to decrease the value perception gap.

o Develop more structured community outreach programs to engage customers, in order

to achieve the objective of increasing customer loyalty.

o Develop new product apparel and equipment lines around biking and running.

o Use of advertising to keep in touch with the customers and continuously remind them of product’s positive values. We want to maintain long-term relationships with satisfied customers and encourage them to purchase again.

o Create a plan to communicate the customers about technology improvements,

upcoming events and promotions and any other interesting information using a promotional mix of internet ads, social media, event contributions/sponsorships, direct mail, word of mouth and giveaways to communicate the brand’s values to the customers.

In summary, we will continue spreading out the main message of the company: “You Never Stop Exploring and We Never Stop Innovating”, through all the communication tools described in this section.

Brand Tactics

Brand Identity

From our own independent survey of The North Face customers (based on a sample size of 30 respondents), we found that while the North Face positions themselves as an innovative company, none of the respondents listed “innovation” as a key differentiating factor for the company. Thus, there is a disconnection between the company’s own brand perception versus their customer’s perception of the brand. In our brand plan, we address this problem and offer the follow solution: To develop and execute a campaign centered on The North Face’s innovative product technology and benefits. (e.g. “This is what you can do with X new technology” - emphasize the opportunities these product technologies allow).


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o Brand Communications

Advertising o The North Face will not use mass media advertising, since this is a niche brand;

but they will advertise in select publications targeted towards the following activities: hiking, camping, mountaineering & climbing, snowboarding, biking and

running. o Although the company aimed it first TV commercial this year, they will continue

using other communication tools like sponsoring events and athletes and new media to better target their customers.

Public Relations

o The North Face will use press releases to inform the customers about the new technology innovations, and the sustainability and conservation initiatives.

Trade Communications

o The company will participate in the Outdoor Retailer trade shows in the summer and winter events. This will be a good opportunity to explain the customers about the latest technologies of the company, and the main benefits of the brand.

o The sales team will deliver catalogs and flyers that will contain useful information of the products.

o The North Face will also introduce the new brands for runners and bikers and provide their core benefits. Interactive kiosks will be placed to create more interest in the brand and insight more affection.

Direct Mail

o The North Face will send catalogs to the contacts in the supply chain and end users. In these publications the company will offer seasonal cumulative discounts to encourage repetitive purchases.

Brand & Customer Service o The customer will posted bi-monthly surveys in its website and some retailers

sites and Facebook. The marketing team will measure the customer satisfaction with the products, value perception and brand positioning.

Packaging & Brand Identity Elements o The North Face will continue using the same strategy of packaging and identity

elements (e.g. style guide). We are confident that these attributes are well positioned in the brand.

Point of Purchase Displays o The North Face will place more interactive kiosks in retail stores that display

people engaging in extreme outdoor activities like mountaineering, snowboarding, etc. (Displaying more the “lifestyle” than the clothing.)

Website and E-marketing Programs o The company will use its website, paid search ads, display advertising (for

branding, to increase brand awareness, “top of mind” awareness).


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o The North Face will also use new media like email newsletters, email updates, new product notifications

Social Media

o The North Face will continue using Facebook, Twitter, Never Stop Exploring blog. o The company will integrate blog as a tab on Facebook. o Promote blog posts on Facebook and Twitter. o Synchronize Facebook & Twitter updates.

Brand Promotions

o The North Face will use seasonal cumulative coupons, as it was mentioned

before. The will be placed in specific magazines and posted online to encourage people to buy.

o Build a loyalty program through weekly outreach projects; in order to increase community involvement and communicate the value perception of the products.

o Sponsor cycling and running events and athletes like The Tour of France, The Highlands Bike Tour in Florida and The Palms Spring Tour in California, Cit2Run in Australia, and Great North Run in United Kingdom. More invents are listed in the Addendums sections.

o Online contest posted in the company’s site, Facebook and Twitter. The winner will be sponsor in his next local competition.

o Distribute catalogs and pamphlets in tradeshows and sponsoring events (as it was mentioned above)

o Increase the brand presence in the movie industry, especially the ones that involve cycling and running activities.

E-Brand Programs

o The overall objective of the e-marketing plan will be to increase e-commerce sales

of The North Face products. Secondary objectives include increasing brand awareness, promoting the technology branding campaign and promoting new product lines.

o In order to achieve these objectives, we will implement the following:

Increase traffic to website through various channels including: email newsletters and email updates to subscribers, blog, paid search advertising, display advertising, search engine optimization and social media.

For secondary objectives, use all channels but instead of using a “buy” call to action, use a “learn more” call to action.

Website

For technology branding campaign: Add a feature block to the homepage drawing web visitors’ attention to learn more about TNF product technologies.

For new product campaign: Add new products as a rotating hero banner.


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F.48. The North Face Official Website

Blog

For overall brand awareness campaign: Write blog posts about company initiatives, volunteer projects, athlete sponsorships, etc. to get web visitors more engaged with company activities.

For technology branding campaign: Write blog posts showcasing product technology and how athletes are using products

Search (Paid and Organic)

For e-commerce campaign, buy paid search advertising for related keywords, such as “outdoor clothing,” “winter clothing,” “camping gear,” “fleece jackets and so on.

Optimize the website for organic search to minimize paid search costs

F.49. Screenshot of Google Search


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Email

For e-commerce campaign, send out weekly newsletters about products for the season or new products.

Integrate social media buttons on to email updates.

F.50. Screenshot of TNF New Media

Display Advertising

Drive brand awareness by placing display ads on related websites, such as outdoor websites, action sport websites, etc.


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Social Media

Facebook: Integrate blog with The North Face Facebook page so that the blog will be a tab on the page, include a tab for email newsletter subscriptions, and include a tab for contests and sweepstakes

F.51. Screenshot of TNF Facebook page

Twitter: Tweet about company updates, events, contests, new products, athlete expeditions, new blog posts, and so on in order to increase customer engagement.

F.52. Screenshot of TNF Twitter page


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Brand Research o Since one of the brand plan objectives is to expand the product offerings, the

company will have to do some secondary research to fulfill the main customer needs in these activities. The surveys will be conducted online and in the retail stores.

Brand Calendar

The buying cycle of the company for the new lines, cycling and running, is in January, February and from April to September. In these months The North Face will launch the Brand Communications strategy because it increases the probability of sales base upon the number of exposure the company make on the consumer, during the period of time when they buy.

Brand Operations

At this point, The North Face doesn’t plan to invest in its brand structure. The company counts with an excellent brand management team under the direction of Mike Ferris as Senior Brand Manager and Nate Bosshard as Brand Manager. Both have an excellent career with at least 15 years of action sports & outdoor experience.


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VII. SUMMARY & CONCLUSIONS Although The North Face is a popular, well-known brand with a loyal following, the company can make improvements in the following areas: improving marketing communications for their innovative product technology, expanding product offerings to include apparel and gear for cyclers and runners, and they can also create a more structured community outreach program to improve their relationship with their most loyal customers.

Implementing these new initiatives is crucial for the company to stay competitive in the weak economy against cult brands like Patagonia and Nike. All their competitors differentiate themselves with product technologies unique to each company. And all competitors are well established in their respective niches, have hugely loyal followings and all have company cultures that other companies can only dream of. Thus, implementing this brand plan will help them improve their relationship with existing customers, target and attract new customers and strengthen the overall brand identity.

That being said, The North Face is a phenomenal company all on its own. They have truly committed to helping their employees find a work-life balance and to “never stop exploring”. They have led many successful environmental initiatives like reducing manufacturing waste, offsetting their carbon footprint and implementing sustainable operations throughout the entire company. Lastly, their employees have logged hundreds and thousands of volunteer hours to various causes in their local communities. The North Face has accomplished what very few companies can.

The future looks bright for The North Face. The Great Recession and subsequently, a few years of a weak economy, have not set them back from growing globally. And it doesn’t look like they’re going to slow down any time soon.

VIII. ADDEENDUMS, RESEARCH & ANOTHER DATA Sources Columbia Sportswear Company Official Website http://www.columbia.com

The North Face Official Website http://www.thenorthface.com Glassdoor.com The North Face Company Reviews http://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/North-Face-Reviews-E5945.htm MSN Money 10-year Stock Quote for VF Corporation (VFC) http://moneycentral.msn.com

http://www.columbia.com/

http://www.thenorthface.com/

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.glassdoor.com%2FReviews%2FNorth-Face-Reviews-E5945.htm&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGN4ML3GRKi7hnZ2ME_VtPV_22ATA



















http://moneycentral.msn.com/


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MSN Money VFC Stock Information & Dow Jones Industrial Average (Historical Trends) http://moneycentral.msn.com/home.asp Nike Official Website http://www.nike.com Outdoor Industry Association Outdoor Product Sales Seem to be Waiting for Winter Weather, Sales Up Only 2.3% in September https://www.outdoorindustry.org/news.association.php?newsId=13338&newsSubType=&action=display Slideshare.net Patagonia Communication Brand Analysis http://www.slideshare.net/whatidiscover/patagonia-brand-analysis-presentation Patagonia Official Website http://www.patagonia.com Plunkett Research Online North Face Company Information URL: www.plunkettresearchonline.com/ResearchCenter

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Filing records of The North Face Acquisition by VF Corp. URL: http://www.secinfo.com/dsVQx.5k4.d.htm Wikipedia Nike, Inc. Company Information Page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike,_Inc. The North Face Apparel Corporation Facts http://www.ehow.com/facts_7397189_north-face-apparel corporation.html#ixzz15b9P3kYh

Real Branding (Interactive Media Agency) http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/marketing-advertising/5217971-1.html Ruder Finn (Public Relations Agency) http://www.ruderfinn.com/life-style/luxury/case-studies/the-north-face.html Phil Wahba http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63T3ZL20100430?pageNumber=2 VF Outdoor, Inc. http://www.answers.com/topic/the-north-face-inc The North Face Appoints Real Branding and its Interactive Media Agency http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/marketing-advertising/5217971-1.html

http://moneycentral.msn.com/home.asp

http://www.nike.com/

https://www.outdoorindustry.org/news.association.php?newsId=13338&newsSubType=&action=display

https://www.outdoorindustry.org/news.association.php?newsId=13338&newsSubType=&action=display

http://www.slideshare.net/whatidiscover/patagonia-brand-analysis-presentation

http://www.patagonia.com/

http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.plunkettresearchonline.com%2FResearchCenter%2529&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNFjCqBDxKMdYvHEAj5HnM4tC79R_g








http://www.secinfo.com/dsVQx.5k4.d.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nike,_Inc.


http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/marketing-advertising/5217971-1.html

http://www.ruderfinn.com/life-style/luxury/case-studies/the-north-face.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63T3ZL20100430?pageNumber=2

http://www.answers.com/topic/the-north-face-inc

http://www.allbusiness.com/marketing-advertising/marketing-advertising/5217971-1.html


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The North Face Market Segmentation http://www.slideshare.net/badertbw/north-face-for-interviews Plunkett Research Online http: //www.plunkettresearchonline.com/ResearchCenter

Another Data

Upcoming Running Events 01.01.11 Twenty11 Resolution RunPortland, OR 06.19.11 "Vancouver USA Marathon" & Half Marathon!Vancouver USA, WA 06.24.11 Pacific Crest Kid's Splash, Pedal-n-DashSunriver, OR 06.25.11 Pacific Crest Half Marathon & MarathonSunriver, OR 06.25.11 Pacific Crest Long Course Triathlon & Endurance DuathlonSunriver, OR 06.26.11 Pacific Crest Olympic Triathlon & DuathlonSunriver, OR 06.26.11 Pacific Crest 5K/10K Run & WalkSunriver, OR

o Bicycling Events Calendar

ON-GOING SERIES EVENTS

DATE EVENT LOCATION TYPE

Feb 7-Dec 29 Sunday Ride with Arkansas Bicycle Club Little Rock, AR Touring

May 15 Lilac Century Family Fun Ride Spokane, WA Road

SEPTEMBER 2010


Sep 25-25 Pine Mountain Challenge Century Columbus , IL Touring

OCTOBER 2010


Oct 3-3 Bike MS NYC NYC, NY Touring

Oct 9-10 Bike MS: Bike to the Battlefield Clinton, MS Touring

NOVEMBER 2010


http://www.slideshare.net/badertbw/north-face-for-interviews

http://www.plunkettresearchonline.com/ResearchCenter)

http://www.racecenter.com/race-details?race=6490














http://www.bikeride.com/calendar/event.asp?id=17034






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Nov 6-Jan 20 Call For Entries (Filmed By Bike) Portland, OR Special

DECEMBER 2010


Dec 10-12 Highlands Bike Fest Sebring, FL Touring

Dec 26-31 54th Annual HI-USA Christmas Bike Ride San Diego , CA Touring

JANUARY 2011


Jan 1 Ride for Courage: Polar Bear Metric & Half-Metric Century Winston-Salem, NC Special

Jan 1 New Year's Day Ride/Walk Eatonville, WA Touring

Jan 1 Polar Bear Ride / Run Kokomo, IN Touring

Jan 8 Tour de Felasco Alachua, FL Mountain

Jan 15 Stagecoach Century Ocotillo, CA Touring

Jan 15 The Grape Fun Ride Rancho Cucamonga,

CA Touring

Jan 29 Bike Through the Forest and the Hills Coldspring, TX Touring

FEBRUARY 2011


Feb 12 Tour de Palm Springs Palm Springs, CA Touring

Feb 13 Stop, Swap, and Save Westmister, MD Special

MARCH 2011


Mar 6 Southeast Florida Tour de Cure Pembroke Pines, FL Touring

Mar 26 Ride with Me for Autism 2011 Jacksonville, FL Touring

Mar 26-Apr 1 Bike Florida 2011 Gaiensville, FL Touring

APRIL 2011


Apr 2 Wheels O' Fire Century Cycle Tour Hamilton, GA Touring

Apr 2-3 2011 Chain of Lakes Cycling Classic Omnium Winter Haven, FL Road

Apr 15-17 Filmed By Bike Festival Portland, OR Special

Apr 23 Ride for the Children Scottsdale, AZ Touring

Apr 30 The Purple Ribbon Ride Asheboro, OH Touring

MAY 2011























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May 1-6 American Red Cross Tour du Rouge Houston to New

Orleans, TX Touring

May 6-9 Hazon California Bike Ride San Francisco, CA Touring

May 7 Gran Fondo Moab Moab, UT Touring

May 7 Tour de Cure Little Mountain, SC Touring

May 7 Ride Around Clark County (RACC) Vancouver, WA Touring

May 13-17 Climate Ride NYC-DC 2011 NYC to DC, DC Special

May 14 Rosarito Ensenada Bike Ride Rosarito Beach, Baja

Mexico, CA Touring

May 14-15 Jacksonville Tour de Cure Jacksonville, FL Touring

May 14-15 Zimmerman MS Bike Ride Presented by Mack Cycle and Fitness Homestead & Key

Largo, FL Touring

May 18 Chicago Ride of Silence Chicago, IL Special

May 27-30 Great Western Bicycle Rally Paso Robles, CA Touring

May 28 Tour de Russekk Russell, PA Touring

May 28 Velo De Femme Women’s Fun Ride Paso Robles, CA Touring

May 29 Great Western Century and Metric Century Paso Robles, CA Touring

May 29 MB Financial Bike the Drive Chicago, IL Touring

JUNE 2011


Jun 4-5 North Carolina Tour de Cure Cary, NC Touring

Jun 5 Adult Learning Center Ride to Read and Walk Nashua, NH Touring

Jun 10-19 Fuller Center Bike Adventure - Segment 2 Kellogg, ID Touring

Jun 10-19 Fuller Center Bike Adventure - Segment 1 Seattle, WA Touring

Jun 10-Aug 14 Fuller Center Bike Adventure Seattle, WA Touring

Jun 11 Alta Alpina Challenge: Riding the Wild Sierra Markleeville, CA Touring

Jun 11 Auburn Century - The Wildest Ride in the West Auburn, CA Touring

Jun 11 Michigan Mountain Mayhem Boyne City, MI Touring

Jun 11 Healing Wheels Tour Morrison, CO Touring

Jun 12 Tour de Cure Wheaton, IL Touring

Jun 15-19 Race Across the West Oceanside, CA Road

Jun 15-27 Race Across America Oceanside, CA Road

Jun 25 Total 200 Washington DC, DC Touring

Jun 26-Jul 1 Fuller Center Bike Adventure - Segment 3 West Yellowstone,

MT Touring

JULY 2011































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Jul 1-10 Fuller Center Bike Adventure - Segment 4 Salt Lake City , UT Touring

Jul 2-9 BC Bike Race Vancouver, BC Mountain

Jul 9-17 Fuller Center Bike Adventure - Segment 5 Denver, CO Touring

Jul 16 Susan G. Komen Ride for the Cure Fountain, CO Touring

Jul 17-24 Fuller Center Bike Adventure - Segment 6 Hill City , KS Touring

Jul 23-31 Fuller Center Bike Adventure - Segment 7 Kansas City, MO Touring

Jul 30-Aug 6 Fuller Center Bike Adventure - Segment 8 Bloomington, IL Touring

AUGUST 2011


Aug 6 Ride for the Cure Ann Arbor, MI Touring

Aug 6-7 Bike MS: Best Dam Bike Ride Pewaukee, WI Touring

Aug 6-14 Fuller Center Bike Adventure - Segment 9 Columbus, OH Touring

Aug 7 Endure Bike-a-thon Wilkes-Barre, PA Touring

Aug 27-28 Timmy's Challenge Cairo, WV Touring

SEPTEMBER 2011


Sep 4 Wright Stuff Century Mount Horeb, WI Touring

Sep 9-10 Highlander Cycle Tour Canandaigua, NY Touring

Sep 10 Forney Lions Jackrabbit Stampede Forney, TX Touring

Sep 16-18 Folsom Cyclebration Folsom, CA Special

Sep 17 Wonder Woman Ride Payson, UT Touring

Sep 18 Bearlodge Mtn Classic Sundance, WY Mountain

Sep 24 Rosarito Ensenada Bike Ride Rosarito Beach, Baja

Mexico, CA Touring

OCTOBER 2011


Oct 9 Gran Fondo of the Alleghenies 2011 Sheffield, PA Touring



















