個案資料

Hap Klopp founded The North Face, where he served as president and CEO for 20 years and built the largest and most successful retailer in its industry. In this Ivey Interview, he discusses lessons learned over his impressive career and warns against businesses looking to get rich overnight, because for every Silicon Valley success story there are countless failures and disappointments. The North Face is an example of disruptive technology, as it took materials developed for the Vietnam War and applied them to the camping industry. “If you’re not clearly differentiated, you are just another bottom player,” he says, “so the only tool you can use to beat competition is pricing. In other words, right out of the gate you’re sowing the seeds of destruction.” Klopp argues that start-ups work best when employees have a common vision and pay scheme, rather than disparate goals and compensation levels. Finally, he discusses the recent shift of power to consumers, predicts that domestic manufacturing will make a bigger comeback than expected, and says that whoever truly utilizes omni-channel marketing will meet great success.

• Branding
• disruptive innovation
• failure
• apparel
• camping
• start-ups