👕 The Brand Magic of... Patagonia
When you talk about sustainability, there is no getting around this outdoor fashion brand. What are 5 things we can learn from their success for our brands marketing?
Hi 👋 I’m Florian Schleicher. This is the FutureStrategies newsletter. Thank you so much for reading along 💚
Whenever there is a ranking about the most sustainable brands, one is always up front: Patagonia.
But did you know that they once were considered to be an environmental villain?
How did the company become a champion of sustainability?
Well, they used capitalism to save the planet.
The brand has an estimated value of $3 billion. It sells more than $1 billion in outdoor clothing and gear and brings in $100 million in revenue a year.
So, today I want to take you on a short trip about:
🥇 Why is Patagonia so famous and what are they doing?
🌱 How did Patagonia end up where they are now?
🎓 5 things we can learn from their approach for our own marketing strategy?
Nowadays Patagonia is a brand I love to look to and learn from (and I really love their products).
Without further ado, let’s go…
🥇 Why is Patagonia so famous and what are they doing?
Patagonia is an American company that manufactures clothing and equipment for outdoor and adventure sports.
From the beginning (or almost), the company pursued a vision that went beyond mere profit: Their mission was to make products that had as little impact on the environment as possible while inspiring people to make a positive contribution to the environmental crisis.
Yes, they sell high end outdoor wear, but they are focused on building a more sustainable planet. They partner with other organisations that are also working on sustainability, as well as their customers, creating a true following of believers.
Their heart beats for sustainability and environmental protection, and these values became Patagonia's brand essence.
With the slogan "Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis," they codified their identity.
They don’t just talk about products, they talk about the importance of actions. The brand itself took a back seat, while the environment and the need to protect it came to the fore.
That is why they lead a lot of sustainability and purpose rankings, and why they were named a UN Champion of the Earth in 2019.
🌱 How did Patagonia end up where they are now?
To fully understand what makes them so famous and successful we first have to look into their history:
The company was founded by Yvon Chouinard, a passionate climber who loved being out in nature and was just not satisfied with current equipment, specifically the pitons (metal spikes that are driven into a crack or seam in the climbing surface using a climbing hammer, and which acts as an anchor).
So he started making his own gear and soon his friends wanted him to also supply them (which he did in his parents garage). Then in 1965, Yvon went into partnership with Tom Frost and started Chouinard Equipment.
They redesigned and improved climbing tools to create the best ones available adhering to an interesting guiding design principle:
In anything at all, perfection is finally attained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there is no longer anything to take away, when a body has been stripped down to its nakedness.
Antoine de Saint Exupéry, the French aviator
