Realigning Nangaparbat with millennials: Nangaparbat is a leading outdoor retailer, founded in 1953 by a group of individuals particluarly targeting local and internationalmountain climbers that would come to northern areas of Pakistan, with the honorable intention of creating quality outdoor gear. Helping it reach a new millennial audience was my responsibility. I needed to align Nangaparbat with today’s youth culture. My strategy identified the following opportunities: evolve and express the brand’s personality through copy and visuals; communicate the diversity and flexibility of the products; rethink the brand’s approach to advertising by moving away from deals and discounts, and towards a brand-first approach; increase efforts in larger campaigns around strategic key days.
Position Nangaparbat as
- a daily hobby companion
- first choice to gift someone (as a motivation to start up or further a healthy activity)
- Nangaparbat for good cause
With Nangaparbat, I created a campaign focused on a simple and powerful concept:
Every season is an outdoor season, similarly joys of giving is never bigger than receiving.
Whether the consumer is purchasing outdoor adventure gear for a dauntless younger sister
or buying a gift-card to inspire a timid co-worker into action, my campaign is about giving
the gift that no one else does: the gift of outdoor adventure.
Sketching the logo from the Nangaparbat peak image
The Nanga Parbat , also known as Diamir, it is in the West Himalayas and 8126m height, making it the ninth highest mountain in the world. It is located in Gilgit-Baltistan , which was formerly Northern Areas designated Pakistani part of the disputed region of Kashmir . The Nanga Parbat was called "Mount Doom of the Germans" in history
The typeface for Nangaparbat should depict the boldness and grandness of this wonderful mountain, which is not at all easy to climb. However I wanted the typeface to be still clearer and modern along with an attibute of strength and boldness, a typeface that would depict the grandeuer of Nangaparbat in itself. The practice of shortlisting was not easy. There were numerous fonts I thought could depict all the required characteristics out of which the best found was freshman font.
Putting all elements together and making it balanced
A label 8126 was extracted for various messaging mediums as complete logo would’nt be feasible and visible enough to put up - 8126 would cater as a handle for this purpose. The need for constant hammering would be required however.
The need for multiple typefaces in this case was necessary. Although, it is not considered as a good practice but sometimes it becomes necessary to have multiple yet similar looking typefaces for one identity as not always the primary typeface works well for different mediums.
Introducing a basic color palette that will follow in the corporate identity usage. corporate colors have to be defined initially, however, the campaign colors follow differently
The nature/type of some vectors and illustrations must be defined prior to any usage. The vectors should belong to the same family or kind i.e. hand-drawn, clip-art or any other yet similar vector family and their usage with colors and background. The nature of vectors & illustrations depict and reflect the nature of business in further campaigns, print and online usage.
Brand positioning refers to “target consumer’s” reason to buy your brand in preference
to others. It is ensures that all brand activity has a common aim; is guided, directed and delivered
by the brand’s benefits/reasons to buy; and it focuses at all points of contact with the consumer.
Brand positioning must make sure that:
- Is it unique/distinctive vs. competitors ?
- Is it significant and encouraging to the niche market ?
- Is it appropriate to all major geographic markets and businesses ?
- Is the proposition validated with unique, appropriate and original products ?
- Is it sustainable - can it be delivered constantly across all points of contact with the consumer ?
- Is it helpful for organization to achieve its financial goals ?
- Is it able to support and boost up the organization ?
In order to create a distinctive place in the market, a niche market has to be carefully chosen and a
differential advantage must be created in their mind. Brand positioning is a medium through which an
organization can portray it’s customers what it wants to achieve for them and what it wants to mean
to them. Brand positioning forms customer’s views and opinions..
The set of visuals that reflect business must be used strictly with rights protected and managed primarily by the business stakeholders. even if a stock image os used then make sure the license for the type of medium it is purchased for must be kept under consideration and should not be used in any other manner or medium, causing legal implications. A private photo shoot is always preferred and must be conducted with the right models, equipment, photographer and other resources relevant to the campaign or product promotion. "It must be noted that these visuals are only for sample purposes, and appear in the resolution that is not printable etc. Since it is just a case-study, the original rights remain with the original owners and photographers."
I poked fun at other daily routine practices/hobbies while highlighting Nangaparbat products and the experience they provide during the season; we positioned Nangaparbat as a brand with higher-quality products and services. Together, we created brand content and advertising for social and digital channels that brought this strategy and direction to life while driving engagement. The idea of campaign was to engage audiences across online media, owned social media, and in-store retail. To drive engagement, consumers had the opportunity to interact with Nangaparbat through channels such as local and international tradeshows and exhibitions in dubai and malaysia and a dedicated microsite that pushed the deals of the day, reminding people of the qualities of Nangaparbat gifts. In parallel, social responsibility campaign was also provoking and informing the buyers that what they are buying from Nangaparbat is also going for good cause, so keep buying. Three legs out of one positioning were formed - the first leg - let’s get outdoors : was to position Nangaparbat products as peoples’ daily routine and hobby product. the second leg: - let’s enjoy outdoors was to promote the joys of togetherness, team sport and other special events such as gifting each other on special occasions, as symbol of love and affection. The third leg was to create awareness and support by giving a big chunk of profitable income through online and in-store purchases to those in need locally and across the globe. A social responsibility initiative and projected as “the GIVE initiative” was also to push people to buy Nangaparbat products as they also become part of a noble cause.
Three similar looking yet color-wise different identities were created to serve the purpose. the messaging were slightly different too as they were serving different purposes. Still, the idea was to promote the brand among the millenials in most of their activities individually, in groups and towards social responsibility.
The idea was to position Nangaparbat brand as a choice of millenials in everyday routine, secially their ourdoor activites. That’s why advertisements were mostly visual with less copy, focusing mostly on the Nangaparbat products and their association with outdoors.
inclined more towards the joys of togetherness in everyday life, gifts or special occasions. Be it in group or team sport, the best way to show your affection and love is to gift someone you want to start up a healthy life style or advance it by gifting them outdoors by Nangaparbat. This segment of campaign becomes more active around special events or days like christmas holidays, black fridays, cyber mondays etc. as the sale on numerous items make it more lucrative for buyers to purchase in-store or from online
From what people purchase online or in-store, a big chunk goes to the most needy locally and/or internationally. The idea is to support the under priviliged with buyers to make them feel better and keep supporting while they keep buying
Certain seasonal sale items or special sale products and upcoming attractions according to user's search criterion will be pushed to user via subscription, an idea of a push email could be following:
Other than the online/digital catalog the in-store product catalog has to be devised
Be it season sale or any other occasiona, the Nangapabrat website would keep updating it offerings exactly to what is available in-stores, as many buyers would rather prefer to shop online than go out in-stores. with a possibility of free* local delivery (*conditions could apply)
The signage for Nangaparbat and its on-ground presence will be made very prominent in a 3D cut format
It is most necessary to brand all the product range Nangaparbat itself has to offer to its customers with a confidence of rough and tough outdoor equipment before any claim is made. however, other brands could also be placed.
Branding is an on-process and not just over night outcome. Consistency in the promise that you make to your customers is very important to keep up with. branding always starts at home, once the customer enters the store or log on to brand's website, he should feel the essence of that brand throughout his journey. The quality of brand is not perceived with its tag-line Only, although it reminds the customer of an experience he had had with the brand previously which is why it is easy to create a brand and position it than to maintain it. This was just a glimpse to give an idea of branding exercise in a nut-shell, however it's a work of weeks and months but it's a life long process to keep up with the promise you made to your customer with which you have positioned your brand so he could keep coming back to your brand
