As brands seek ways to engage new, digital-native communities, Fjällräven, the Swedish heritage outdoor brand known for producing sustainable outerwear, apparel and gear since 1960, is using two digital trends—gamification and blockchain—to initiate brand fans across the United States through the Kånken-A-Day Giveaway. As one of the first brands in the U.S. employing virtual SmartMedia Objects—Fjällräven’s Fox Coin—on a national scale, the legacy brand known for using traditional, sustainable materials in its outdoor gear is on the leading edge of engagement with mobile-first Generation Z. The Kånken-A-Day Giveaway runs through August 31. 

Vice President of Fenix Outdoor International AG, CEO Americas for Fjällräven Nathan Dopp: “We continually search for creative ways to meet our audience where they are and offer new opportunities to involve them in the Fjällräven conversation, whether on the trailhead, on-campus or online. The Fox Coin provides a new way for us to engage with our community and deliver value to brand fans across the country as they head back to school.” 

The digital Fox Coin—a type of branded cryptocurrency in the form of a blockchain-based, non-fungible token—possesses similar traceability and verification attributes associated with a Bitcoin. Consumers may enter the Kånken-a-Day Giveaway by acquiring the coin via an email sign up, then earn more entries by sharing a digital Kånken backpack with friends, tweeting #KADgiveaway or finding Fjällräven Fox Coins placed at universities nationwide, including New York University, University of Southern California, and Pennsylvania State University. 

By leveraging the unique capabilities native to a SmartMedia Object, users can easily acquire or “grab” a Fox Coin using augmented reality on their phone, removing the onus on consumers to download an app or type in a web address, leading to higher adoption rates. Fjällräven’s current back-to-school giveaway campaign delivered a steep percentage increase in new customer captures from the previous, non-SmartMedia-based giveaway campaign in November 2018in the first eight days 

Tyler Moebius, CEO of digital advertising platform provider FastG8, which designed the Fox Coin for Fjällräven: “As more brands compete for attention, it will be those brands that are able to stand out by delivering an innovative brand experience that will win the consumer’s attention and subsequently new customers. A SmartMedia Object like the Fox Coin is a measurable, finite tool for delivering that experience. In the future, digital media buyers will be able to distribute digital objects that can be attributable back to a cost-per-acquisition metric similar to a banner ad. In five years, we believe every digital ad will be tethered to a SmartMedia Object providing a richer and more engaging post-click experience than today.” 

Consumers are able to sign up for the Kånken-a-Day Giveaway through the fjallraven.us homepage, email newsletter and social media channels through August 31.