A heritage brand for a new generation

Ulvang has been making wool products for Norwegian outdoor lovers for more than thirty years. When Brav recruited me as Brand Marketing Manager, the job was to relaunch Ulvang for a new generation, without losing what had made it trusted in the first place.

Insights

Utilising quantitative data, market research and the gut feelings of key stakeholders, we analysed which elements of the existing brand and segments of the existing audience to bring with us. We mapped out potential in the market for future growth and utilised customer surveys to monitor brand perception over time.

Strategy

Through our insights, a new audience came into focus. The modern outdoor consumer moves easily between mountain and city and has an inherent appreciation for fresh air. They respond to authenticity and notice its absence. Quality in the products they buy is non-negotiable.

Our research raised questions about what “Norwegianness” should mean for a heritage brand today. Customers outside Norway showed less interest in the Norwegian traditions the brand had relied on in the past. As a foreigner with a deep insight into Norwegian culture, I used my perspective to find the right tone of voice to carry the brand at home and abroad, where Norwegianness became a sensibility rather than the whole story.

We built the new brand storytelling strategy around the joy of being outside, from peak to pavement and everywhere in between, and the uniquely Norwegian connection to outdoor living. We also leant into the naturally advanced properties of our premium wool.

With an impressive new brand identity on board, courtesy of ANTI, we got to work on an intensive content production sprint to bring the brand to life at every stage of the customer journey.

Development

With the strategy in place, we developed content across the full funnel. Brand campaigns introduced Ulvang to new audiences and connected the brand to modern outdoor culture. Ecommerce imagery presented the product with clarity. Social channels held a consistent, recognisable voice, and educational content explained the qualities of wool and how to make a garment last.

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Campaign Production

Each Ulvang shoot was an exercise in creating authenticity in the content and maximising output to use across the customer journey. Casting was highly considered and I sought out real outdoor people with their own stories to tell. I wrote the scripts for our films, art directed each production, and photographed where it served the work.

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Creators

I established and led a curated creator and influencer program, with full responsibility for who we partnered with. Each person was chosen for how they genuinely experienced fresh air, and over time we built a community of authentic and aspirational brand ambassadors who strengthened the brand connection to modern outdoor culture.

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Community Activations

I took the brand on the road and sought out opportunities to interact with our audience in real life. We took part in Trevarefest in Lofoten, hosted a pop-up shop on Bogstadveien, and organised a treasure hunt that took us all over Norway.

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Sales Materials

I managed the design and production of a wide range of sales materials, designed to carry our brand expression through to our retail partners. Sales catalogues and point-of-sale materials were injected with the Ulvang tone of voice to sit seamlessly alongside our products.

A new ulvang.com

Collaborating with our partners at NOA Ignite, I oversaw the design and build of a new ecommerce site. We focused on a smooth customer journey and a strong brand expression, allowing us to showcase our content and tone of voice.