👉 Background: National Geographic is the company known for its iconic yellow-bordered magazine and wild nature documentaries. But now, National Geographic is moving out of the deserts, jungles, and national reserves... and moving right into your local shopping centre.

👉 What happened: National Geographic has announced it is launching their own retail shops in Sydney and Melbourne - selling apparel like puffer jackets, pants, hoodies, luggage, and backpacks. The idea is to take on the global players like North Face and Patagonia, and local players like Kathmandu and Macpac.

👉 What else: And National Geographic's move into the retail apparel space is the perfect example of a brand extension.

What's the key learning?

💡The brand extension strategy is when a company is using its established brand name to introduce a new product or product line.

💡We've seen a whole range of media brands leverage brand recognition to introduce clothing lines:

• Playboy launched Playboy t-shirts, hoodies, and hats with the Playboy logo.
• Marvel launched a whole range of clothing and accessories.
• BBC has a shop that sells clothes related to its popular shows, like Doctor Who.

💡While it can be a powerful way to enter new markets, the new product still needs to align with the brand's image and values. It would be weird if National Geographic's stores started selling mattresses... or perfume.