Extreme Shopping: How The North Face Does It

It isn’t every day a massive gift handout promotes higher sales. The North Face is back, and they’re hitting up Korea with innovation. Shoppers, in the past, have loved The North Face for its unpredictability. Now, the fan dedication has paid off. Back in 2014, the company offered pop-up discounts and free gifts. Well, The North Face isn’t letting up. Its current pop-up, now, features something far more energetic.

A Zip Line Adventure

The North Face installed a 200-meter zip line activity, running event-goers through paper signs to claim free swag. This isn’t the first time The North Face has prompted high-adrenaline action, either. In the above-mentioned 2014 event, guests engaged in wall climbs. In another, they were introduced to the brand’s VR experience.

The North Face hasn’t let up, and its newest addition is certainly turning heads. You can check it out here. Powered by five years of innovation, the brand’s attention to extreme shopping has certainly paved the road for others to follow.

All About the Reward

The brand’s incentives weren’t base-level swag options, either. No, The North Face prompted activity for quality jackets. Aligned with their value of exploration, The North Face’s choice is an interesting one. Participants, of course, needed to engage a swift, exciting dash down the zip line.

The event’s high visibility, too, prompted great responses. The North Face promoted on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. In all likelihood, its redefinition of “surprise marketing” will take on. The exploration formula isn’t new, and it’s definitely worth a few adaptations.

The Brand’s Fundamental Mission

First, do yourself a favor and check out The North Face’s dished-out rewards, here and here. Then, take a seat and think about the brand’s awesome line-up, marketing-wise. The North Face’s mission of exploration hasn’t changed since 1966. It’s consistently provided the best modern-day apparel for the preservation and support of outdoor enthusiasts.

By targeting its global audience with—you guessed it—adventure, The North Face was able to initiate a grand-sweep marketing tactic. It’s about exploration, after all, and The North Face won’t be stopped when the city is a playground—as opposed to a rock wall, a forest or a canyon. By targeting audiences this way, The North Face capably matched innovation and average city-goers.

Technology has always been a part of The North Face strategy, which has done wonders for its marketing campaign. If you want to check out The North Face’s company news, careers and other marketing initiatives, check out their home page. Keep your eyes out, too, because their experiential marketing approaches aren’t to be trifled with. They are, however, the perfect blend of product placement, customer initiation and—of course—fun.

How Netflix Created A Gilmore Girls Pop-Up Program with Local Coffee Shops

If you are a planner and looking for a creative idea for a future event, look no further than Netflix's Gilmore Girls pop-up program. Netflix signed up more than 200 coffee shops for its unique Gilmore Girls event. The purpose of this pop-up program was to spike viewership for the remake of the Gilmore Girls series. The cult classic was revived on Netflix on October 5. Later this month, Netflix will release “Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life” that takes an in-depth look at each of the series' main characters in segmented fashion. About Netflix's Gilmore Girls Pop-up Program

Netflix worked with Allied Experiential to recruit over 200 cafes throughout the United States for its pop-up program. The entertainment company redesigned each coffee shop into the Gilmore Girls' hangout of Luke's Diner. Netflix personnel hand-picked specific coffee shops based on strategic location, right down to the neighborhoods in which these sites are situated. The aim was to connect with those who are most likely to watch the Gilmore Girls series as well as young professionals. Netflix gurus believe that those between the ages of 20 and 30 are the target demographic for the remake of Gilmore Girls as these individuals were most likely to have enjoyed the series during its seven year run in the early 2000s.

Why the Gilmore Girls Pop-up Program Succeeded

The Gilmore Girls pop-up program was scheduled for what the company refers to as “Gilmoreversary”. This is the date that the series first aired. The event was a smashing success, attracting hundreds of fans at nearly each participating coffee shop. Some cafes reported that fan interest was so high that pop-up goers spilled out onto the street. Netflix equipped each cafe with signs, coffee mug sleeves with Gilmore Girls branding and a baseball cap/flannel shirt combination for staff. Netflix even went as far as providing money to the coffee shops for free java between the hours of 7 AM and Noon. Each coffee shop was also provided with Gilmore Girls branded aprons and shirts to sell to pop-up attendees.

It is clear that Netflix went all out with this event. The online streaming service even went as far as sending one of the series' actors, Scott Patterson, out to the pop-up at Luke's Diner in Beverly Hills. Part of the reason for the event's success is the fact that Netflix took the extra step of advising each coffee shop with specific guidelines as to how they should promote the pop-up through social media channels. Gilmore Girls ascended to the number three trending Twitter topic on the day of the pop-up. Netflix's Gilmore Girls pop-up is an example of the type of detailed planning and creativity that every planner can draw inspiration from for future events.

Looking for a venue for your own experiential marketing event?  We have multiple event spaces that are perfect for events of various sizes, so you can be sure that you can fit any size crowd inside. Whether you're planning one event or a multi-venue tour, make sure one of your stops is at Soho Studios!  Contact us today to get started.