Download - Tnf Small Deck
The North FaceStrategic Analysis - Overview
The North FaceCompetitive Landscape
StrengthHigh brand recognition and solidified leader in category
Utilizing Facebook to connect with local retail users
Broad product selection
OpportunityRetail providing controlled touch-points for the brand
Providing new media tools for customers
Youth market still developing
Social outreach through new media continuing to grow
WeaknessSize can sometimes hurt (large corporation perception versus “the little guys”)
Sustainability of TNF not seen/publicized as much as other companies
Products sold at competitive locations
ThreatsOverall category declining
Consumer spending down
Season ending, winter season is strong season
situation
Belonging Independence
Sta
bili
tyC
ha
ng
e
The Innocent
The Regular Guy
The Caregiver
The Ruler
The Sage
The Explorer
The Rebel
The Outlaw
The LiberatorThe Magician
The Hero
The Jester
The Creator
competition
competition
The North Face
REI Columbia Marmot Arc’Teryx Patagonia Mountain Hardware
Outdoor Research
Eddie Bauer L.L. Bean
Headquarters St. Laurant, Quebec, CA
Seattle, WA Portland, OR Santa Rosa, CA
North Vancouver, BC, CA
Ventura, CA Richmond, CA
Seattle, WA Bellview, WA Freeport, ME
Held Public, subsidiary
Private Public Public Private, subsidiary
Private, subsidiary
Public, subsidiary
Private Private Private
Year Founded
1968 1938 1938 1974 1991 1973 1993 1983 1920 1912
Employees 500 10,000 3,136 120 400 300 160 100 9000 5,400
Annual Sales $2,742M $1005M $1,244 n/a n/a n/a n/a n/a $1023M $1500M
Products Apparel, Outdoor equipment
Apparel, Outdoor equipment
Apparel Apparel, Outdoor equipment
Apparel, Outdoor equipment
Apparel, Outdoor equipment
Apparel, Outdoor equipment
Apparel, Outdoor equipment
Apparel, Outdoor equipment
Apparel
AOR Factory Design Labs
BBDO Borders Perrin Norrander / White Horse
**unknown** Unlimited Vision
*none* in-house
Borders Perrin Norrander/ White Horse
**unknown** Mullen Idea City
MEDIA SPENDING
$12m $27m $32m **unknown** **unknown** **unknown** **unknown** **unknown** **unknown** $40m
Positioning/Distrobution
Focused on four categories: outdoor, action sports, performance athletics and youth, retail
General outdoors, retail. Co-op provides community, as well as REI Adventures providing group tours
Mid-level performance outdoor clothing, retail.
2 retail outlets, otherwise wholesale, with Pro sponsorship and direct sales
High performance outdoor gear through technological innovations and highest caliber components, wholesale
wholesale, catalog. Focused on Word of Mouth and profit coming as a low priority
High performance outdoor gear, wholesale
Small, dedicated to the right solution, it has to work or we won’t make it, wholesale
retail, catalog. Very old company that provides legendary products and support
retail, catalog. Proud to guarantee everything forever, no matter what.
Brand Personality
Anyone can go outdoors, and do what they want
Socially conscious, “the underdog”
Built well, priced well. Legendary.
We’re with you till the end. Wherever you go.
Extreme technology at the extreme high end
Human. Kind. Thoughtful. “I Give Back”. Reassuring.
Only the best, built for the adventurer not the casual climber
Research through testing, designed by adventure
Classic outdoors.
We back it up, forever. Outdoors is our soul, quality products guaranteed
Message Never Stop Exploring®.
Gear Up for the Great Outdoors
Tested Tough Marmot for Life
The Finest Products Possible
Committed to the Core
Performance Elevated
Designed by Adventure
Original Expedition Outfitters
Guaranteed. You Have Our Word.
Other Notes Owned by VF Corporation, huge in-store POP presence, except at REI locations, newer retail stores built for the brand, not for sales
Co-op foundation builds loyalty through membership. Dues ($25 for life) account for over $1m in annual revenue
First to license Gore-Tex
Parent Company is Amer Sports of Finland
Parent Company is Lost Arrow, no ad agency of record, only print ads (when needed) in non-mainstream magazines, no outdoor or tv. counting on word of mouth
Owned by Columbia
Lab Rat program encourages/facilitates trials of new equipment by customers who provide feedback on performance. Also, has lifetime guarantee on all products
High dollar value big purchases
+$1,000/yr
Many options forhigh-end gear
(tent and parka purchasers)“I live in the outdoors”
TNF is popular becausethe products work.
Period.
The Extremists arethe high end users, the ones that spend
thousands on tents.Theymay be what the others
aspire to be
Value
Barrier
Comm. Objective
Medium dollar value Consistent purchases,
$500/yr
Choosing for fashion andgoing outside. Price is comparatively higher“I like the outdoors”
TNF will help when youeventually want to go
outside and play
The casualists are thebrand loyalists. They
Choose TNF because theyrely on TNF. THey are
Not the outdoor zealots,but the casual adventurers
Low dollar value occasional purchases
$200/yr
Choosing for fashion andthe IDEA of going outside.
Image choice, not price based,“why go outside?”
TNF will help if you doeventually want to go
outside and play, or at least make you look like it
The Wishers are those whochoose to portray their
ruggedness spirit even withtheir school bag. More
urban and younger than therest, not sold on outside yet
Why?
Tent every 2 years,parka every 3
years, 10 other items throughout the year
Coat every 3 years, 5 other items
throughout the year
No tents, no Parkas, just backpacks,
sweatshirts, maybe 3 y/r
consum
er
The North FaceBrand Architecture
action
Brand Foundation
Brand Champion
Consumer Insight
Key Benefit
Why Benefit is Believable
Product(s)
Brand Promise
Backpacks, Coats, Clothing, Tents, other outdoor gear
Assets
Red
Half domes
Survive Life’s Roughest Challenges
Delivers
RuggednessProtection
Style
alwaysStrong
ReliableOutgoing
Excited for change, and the next challenge. It could be school, it could be life, it could be outdoors. They are the movers, the shakers, and the difference makers.
Confidence comes from experience. TNF will help you survive every experience.
The North Face provides confidence through any element
The North Face, named after the harshest side of a mountain, is based on the principle of letting you experience it, learn from it and explore beyond it. TNF provides gear for the outdoors, and the every day
that will help you show your adventurous spirit, but also let the external forces of the world know that you’re ready for any challenge.
action
The North FaceCreative Brief
creative
What’s Wrong?
Who are we Trying to Reach?
What do they need us to say or do?
What action can we communicate?
Where is the conversation?
How do we know we Can do something?
Mandatories
The North Face is a leader in the world of outdoor gear, but not everyone goes outside yet.
People who think the idea of the outsides is engaging, but don’t participate often. They needmore protection from classmates than rain. Younger by nature, they take on every day challenges and need the confidence to do so successfully. We’re looking for the 16-28 aged man,and woman.
Help me get outside, help me conquer my fears.
We’ve got your back. Whether it’s in a classroom or on the side of a mountain.
It’s a social topic. Through social and traditional means, specifically to engage and inform.Through Facebook, Twitter, YouTube instructional videos, targeted print ads in other-than-outdoor magazines as well as outdoor advertising.
The half-domes. Red is important.
By analyzing the competitive landscape, realizing the potential sales of this category of casual user
and creating an opportunity for them to go beyond casual user into the category of adventurer.
How do we know we did something?By engaged customers through online media; fans,
followers, subscribers and readers. By sales increases in our target demographic, and
relative expanding market of our more casual gear.
action
The North FaceMedia Plan
arena
arena
Urban Adventures
arena
Traditionally Untraditional
arena
Socially Savvy
Questions