Latest / Building Brands with Fexingo: Identity, Reputation, and Long-Term Business Equity / How The North Face Built a Brand on Exploration and Authenticity
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's this moment I keep thinking about. In 2019, The North Face ran an ad campaign where it photoshopped its logo onto famous climbing photos — including one of the first ascent of the Eiger North Face, which is literally where the company got its name. Luna: And I remember that got absolutely roasted by the climbing community, right? Lucas: Yeah, it backfired hard. Purists called it disrespectful. The company pulled the campaign and apologized. But the interesting thing is — that misstep actually tells you more about what makes The North Face's brand work than any of its successful campaigns. Luna: How so? Lucas: Because the backlash only mattered because authenticity is the core of their brand. If this were, say, a fashion house slapping its logo on a mountain photo, nobody would care. But The North Face has spent fifty-plus years building a reputation rooted in actual exploration. When they faked it, people felt betrayed. Luna: Right, the brand promise is 'we are the people who actually do this stuff.' So when they borrowed someone else's climb, it broke the illusion. Lucas: Exactly. And that promise goes back to 1966, when a guy named Doug Tompkins — who also co-founded Esprit — opened a small climbing-equipment store in San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood. The name came from the most dangerous face of the Eiger, which was the ultimate test piece for alpinists at the time. Luna: So from day one, the brand was signaling 'we serve serious climbers.' Not casual hikers, not fashion shoppers. Lucas: Right. And for the first decade or so, that's exactly who bought their stuff. But then something shifted in the late eighties and early nineties. Outdoor recreation started going mainstream. Suddenly, people who'd never roped up for a climb wanted to look like they had. Luna: And The North Face had to decide: do we lean into the mainstream money, or stay niche? Lucas: They chose both. And that's the tension that's defined the brand ever since. On one hand, they kept investing in real expedition gear — the Summit Series line, which is genuinely used on Everest and K2. On the other hand, they started selling Nuptse jackets in neon colors that became a staple of nineties hip-hop culture. Luna: I remember those puffy jackets. They were everywhere in New York. Luna: One answer is the tagline. 'Never Stop Exploring' — it's broad enough to work for someone climbing Denali and someone just exploring a new city. Lucas: That tagline debuted in 1988, and it's a masterclass in brand positioning. Because it doesn't say 'Never Stop Climbing' or 'Never Summiting.' It says 'exploring' — which can mean literally anything. You can explore a new trail, a new cuisine, a new career. The brand becomes about a mindset, not an activity. Luna: But if you make it too broad, you risk losing the core audience. How do they keep climbers from feeling abandoned? Lucas: They do it through their athlete program. The North Face has one of the most respected athlete rosters in the outdoor industry. People like Alex Honnold, who free-soloed El Capitan. Hilaree Nelson, who skied down Lhotse. These aren't paid endorsers in the traditional sense — they're actual alpinists who wear the gear because it works. Luna: So the athletes are the proof point. When you see Honnold in a North Face jacket, you know it's not a costume. Luna: It's like what Patagonia does with its environmental activism — the core mission justifies the premium price. For The North Face, the core mission is exploration. Lucas: Right. And that mission has allowed them to make some surprising moves. In the 2010s, they started doing high-fashion collaborations. They partnered with Gucci, with Supreme, with MM6 Maison Margiela. These were not outdoor brands. Luna: And some people probably rolled their eyes. But the numbers back it up. I read that the Supreme collaboration in 2017 drove a massive spike in younger consumers. Luna: So the core product stays authentic. The collaboration just changes the perception. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a really smart brand strategy. You protect the integrity of the product, but you play with the context around it. That way, you don't alienate the climber who needs a reliable parka for Denali, but you also attract the fashion buyer who wants a statement piece. Luna: But there's a risk. If you do too many collaborations, the brand starts to feel like a costume. Luna: It's interesting you mention archives. The North Face has a huge vault of past designs, and they've done reissues of classic pieces like the 1996 Nuptse jacket. That's another way they reinforce authenticity — by honoring their own history. Lucas: Absolutely. And that reissue strategy has been incredibly effective. It's almost like a retro sneaker play. People who owned that jacket in the nineties buy it again for nostalgia. Younger consumers buy it because it's cool and has a story. It's the same product, but now it comes with decades of brand equity baked in. Luna: So what's the biggest threat to the brand today? Lucas: I think it's the same threat every heritage brand faces: relevance. The outdoor industry is getting more crowded and more technical. Arc'teryx is making gear that's lighter and more advanced. Patagonia has a stronger environmental narrative. Meanwhile, fashion brands like Moncler are competing for the same luxury-outdoor customer. Luna: And The North Face has to compete on all fronts — technical, environmental, fashion — without diluting its identity. Luna: And they're also investing in their own experiences. They've opened these 'exploration' hubs in cities — part store, part community space — where you can learn about climbing or trail running. Lucas: Yeah, the 'Explore Center' concept. It's basically a physical manifestation of the tagline. You don't just buy a jacket; you get access to a community of people who explore. That's smart because it deepens the relationship beyond transaction. Luna: It also creates a moat. If someone feels like they're part of the North Face community, switching to another brand feels like leaving a tribe. Luna: It's something we hear about from listeners a lot. People appreciate that they can listen to a full episode without a mid-roll ad break. Luna: And we really do appreciate it. Now, back to The North Face. One last thing I want to touch on — how they handle the China market. Luna: Like what? Luna: And they've also had to be careful about geopolitical issues. In 2021, they faced backlash over cotton sourcing in Xinjiang. Luna: So looking ahead, what's the one thing that could make or break the brand in the next five years? Lucas: I think it's the climate. The North Face's entire identity is tied to outdoor exploration. If climate change makes certain mountains less accessible, or if there's a cultural shift away from outdoor recreation due to extreme weather, that's an existential threat. But it's also an opportunity — they could lean into advocacy and become a leader in sustainable exploration. Luna: They've already started that with their 'Explore Mode' initiative, which focuses on sustainability. But they're not as loud about it as Patagonia. Luna: So 'Never Stop Exploring' — but maybe exploring more sustainable ways to do it. Luna: And that's the real takeaway. Brand building isn't about one ad campaign or one collaboration. It's about consistently showing up as the same thing — even as the world changes around you.