The North Face is employing a unique weather-based geotargeting to promote the release of its newest waterproof coat by through a new branded song on the Spotify mobile application only in areas where it is raining.

The campaign makes unique use of mobile’s location-specific capabilities and for streaming the song and gives users a way of engaging with the brand that ties directly into the theme of the campaign and the product. This move represents how some brands such as The North Face are using mobile to branch out of traditional marketing tactics and into more creative options.

“Our entire brand is based around the idea that adverse and changing conditions aren’t just to be tolerated, they are what shapes a great life lived outdoors,” said Tom Herbst, vice president of marketing at The North Face.

Rain Drop
The North Face is one of the biggest brands in the outerwear industry, and the brand makes its reputation off the weatherproof sturdiness of its products.

Weather often plays an integral role in The North Face’s marketing campaigns and that is no different with its latest campaign to promote its latest jacket, the Apex Flex GTX, a Goretex coat made specifically to be impervious to rain and moisture.

To promote the new jacket, The North Face is taking a unique approach to marketing that involves geotargeting.

The brand partnered with Texas rock band White Denim for a song called Rain Drop that will premiere exclusively on Spotify to promote the new Goretex jacket.

The unique part is that, through mobile geotargeting, the song will only be available in areas where and when it is currently raining.

The brand is using the unique ability for mobile channels to gauge a customer’s current location and determine if it is raining before the song will be available.

In addition, the band will live premiere the song at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas in a stage designed to look like a storm.

The North Face notes that this is the first time that a song has been premiered through geotargeting technology.

Geotargeting
This campaign takes advantage of mobile’s unique geotargeting capabilities.

Additionally, it allows customers to have another layer of engagement with the brand message thanks to it only being available at thematically relevant times.

Finally, as customers can listen to an advertisement for a rain coat while it is raining, it serves as an incentive to get customers to purchase the new jacket.

Other brands have worked with Spotify to promote branded songs, such as Cup Noodles (see story) and Target (see story).

This campaign shows how North Face is looking beyond traditional marketing tactics to try out more creative solutions.

“For this campaign, we want to change the way people think about rain – as not something to hide from, but something to be sought out and celebrated,” Mr. Herbst said. “Dropping a song only when it is raining is designed to delight, inspire and mimic the same sense of anticipation and excitement that you have when heading into the wild.”