Canada Goose is taking 10 journalists from around the world on a press trip to Pond Inlet, Nunavut. The aim is to tell the story of Canada Goose Resource Centres, which donate sewing materials such as fabric, zippers and buttons to communities in northern Canada. The supplies are used by local seamstresses who craft their own traditional outerwear designs for community members.
“We don’t do things traditionally. We do very little tier-one advertising,” said Kevin Spreekmeester, senior VP of marketing at Canada Goose. “I believe the medium is the message and when consumers see too many ads, they know they’re being sold to. So we just try to tell honest, authentic stories. If the journalists all come back and print a story that tells what’s happening in the North and [with] Canada Goose—fantastic.”
A Canada Goose Resource Centre in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut.
Canada Goose Resource Centres were established in 2009 in Iqaluit and Pond Inlet, in partnership with First Air and North West Company. Last year, two new locations opened in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut and Kuujjuaq in northern Quebec. Each centre opens once a month for community members to access donated materials that would otherwise be unavailable or too costly.
Media outlets taking part in the trip, which began on June 15 and concludes on June 19, include Telegraph Magazine (U.K.), Euroman (Denmark), Brigitte (Germany), L’Express Styles (France), Toronto Star (Canada) and HudsonMOD (U.S.).
The group will visit the Pond Inlet resource centre when the fabric is being given away and spend a couple of nights camping near the floe edge.
“I think it’s a great story,” said Spreekmeester. “Consumers who know Canada Goose will have even more pride about the brand because we’re just doing the right thing.”
