Building a Relentlessly Relevant Brand

Challenge

A one-time leader in outdoor category was losing relevance among its target audience of Explorers.

When asked how they felt about The NorthFace, people were very cordial; “they make a quality product.” But when asked whatThe North Face meant to them, people were stumped. They liked the sound and agreed with the idea of Never Stop Exploring, but it stopped there. Any message of brand purpose was lost.

How do we get people to believe that exploration matters, when most people just don’t get modern-day exploration?

Solution

Time and time again, explorers are asked the same questions: Why would you put yourself in harm’s ways? What are you trying to prove? Are you crazy? We discovered that today’s explorers are often misunderstood.

In order to transform the brand from a spiritless apparel company into a fearless voice for exploration we needed to change people’s perceptions.

We created a global brand campaign called Question Madness that challenged pre-conceived ideas of a life well lived, ultimately proving that feeding our curiosity is the clearest path to progress. This idea was brought to life across every touchpoint and extended from positioning, messaging and communications to customer experience and employee engagement.