Canada Goose outerwear is a must-have for those who work in extreme climates from the South Pole to the North Arctic, but it’s also popular in all chilly cities in between like New York, Toronto and Milan. In a new, multi-year partnership with Maple Leafs Sports and Entertainment announced today, the high-end parkas will also be worn by Toronto’s favourite athletes while Air Canada Centre patrons will receive complimentary coat check as part of the deal.
Besides outfitting the Toronto Raptors, Maple Leafs and Toronto FC with custom-designed coats, (embroidered player names and numbers on the inside pockets; subtle team colour tones and discreet logos) Canada Goose is also offering courtside and platinum season ticket holders a free coat check. As some of these tickets can cost as much as $1,100 (approximately1.5 times the price of a Canada Goose parka) the Canada Goose Coat Check is unapologetically targeting the wealthier market.
‘Our products are high-end. It’s all Canadian made, and that’s a very important part to us, so because of that it’s definitely more expensive,’ said Dani Reiss, president and CEO of Canada Goose. The sponsorship and all media and marketing for the brand is handled internally by Canada Goose, he told MiC.
Providing consumers with something functional like a coat check and interacting with them on Facebook is more important to the brand than traditional media, says Reiss.
‘We do very little print media, we do a bit [but] it’s not a part of our main platform. It’s important for us to talk directly to our consumer so they can experience the brand. Our company is all about authenticity, we’re looking for an authentic consumer experience.’
While dropping off their winter garb before a game, spectators can also choose to make a donation to Canada Goose’s charitable organization Polar Bears International, and an awareness night for their work will be held during a Leafs vs. Washington Capitals game on Nov. 21. The sponsorship will be promoted through the brand’s Facebook page and Twitter feed, where they regularly post videos of winter athletes.
‘Strategically, our marketing strategy has always been very much a guerilla strategy and one of direct communication to our consumers,’ Reiss says.
