Fast Company never disappoints. There’s more blog fodder in a single magazine than reading Mashable every day. In a tiny blurb in the May issue, The Rules of Good Business, the founder of Patagonia is interviewed.
After yesterday’s blog post about the C-suite executive for Chick fil-A and how his views caused horrific PR, look at how cool the Patagonia PR team must feel to be working with a visionary CEO the likes of Yvon Chouinard.
After reading the Fast Company story and my observations:
- Buy Patagonia
- Become a sustainabililty consumer
- Start the learning curve about saving our planet simply by purchasing the right article of clothing
Did you know Patagonia is one of the greenest/cleanest and environmentally savvy companies around? Its founder, Yvon Chouinard, is a green-living pioneer who has put green squarely on corporate and consumer maps.
Patagonia lives and breathes love of our planet. Among its product suite, there are about 40 items the company follows every step of the supply chain to monitor how natural resources are used. The company knows exactly the type of water (i.e. well, irrigated) being used and its effect on the environment.
Chouinard introduced the sustainability index; Patagonia is working with 40 clothing companies, such as Walmart, to put green buying directly into the hands of consumers.
In the near future, smartphones can be pointed at an article of clothing and the shopper can see a clothing item’s sustainability index grade. A pair of jeans may have a score of 10 or 2 based on a variety of factors. How flippin’ cool is that?
Why Buy Patagonia?
When you think of founders of companies, you want to believe each has the best interest of a cause, an issue, Earth, natural resources, children, or something else in mind. With the Patagonia founder, it’s true. His vision for the future of Earth depends on consumers participating and making choices not to buy fabrics made in sweat shops where children are employed or from sheep’s wool or cotton in lands without environmental regulations. He wants our natural resources protected during the manufacturing process, and he’s all about water preservation. (How many people you know swimming in our lakes getting infected with flesh-eating bacteria and staph? Tons.)
Marketing and PR Opportunity
- Is your company leader a visionary? Can you put that vision into action and develop strategic campaigns to positively influence a global issue?
- With the top-down strategy, how can PR influence audiences who consume your company’s products or services?
- When you consider thought leadership programs putting your visionary CEO on the frontlines with impactful messaging and use owned media to push that message, you’ll get your results with so many more benefits, too.
What a difference reading about Mr. Chouinard and Patagonia versus Dan Cathy and Chick fil-A. The former’s efforts toward sustainable consumerism have yet to be trendy, but somewhere the pendulum has to swing to the side of consumers’ green education more than just recycling PETE.
Want to work with a cool company the likes of Patagonia with an even cooler visionary? Then do your research ahead of time; it just may make a difference.
(Photo Credit: Jayme Soulati, iPhone 4S)
I highly recommend “The Responsible Company”, written by Patagonia’s founder Yvon Chouinard. It’s a quick read but definitely captures the philosophy of a mission-driven business.
@jasonkonopinski And, the link is included above. Thanks, Jason!!
“In the near future, smartphones can be pointed at an article of clothing and the shopper can see a clothing item’s sustainability index grade.” How cool is that? I really struggle with being a consumer who’s aware of what takes place to get a product into my hands, Jayme. It’s just so much work! The only thing I really focus on is not buying produce grown in any country but ours, and not eating seafood caught in any waters except our own. But that’s more about self-preservation. I just don’t trust the regulations outside the US of A.
If it were easy to research (like this great smartphone idea!), my buying behavior would change.
@New England Multimedia I’m thinking everything is going to be manufactured with a QR code that takes us to an association website with all the gritty details like this. Just how food now has to include all ingredients and calories.
At least that’s my vision…bet it’s not too far off, too! And, I agree, it’s challenging to be a sustainable consumer; imagine what this CEO does every day — so focused!
Thanks for highlighting a winner. We need more positive case studies to look up to, and emulate!
@geoffliving So agree, Geoff. Thanks for coming over today! So, cool to see you here!
Good news story. Awesome.
In the construction industry you don’t typically find the level of sophistication required to make positive impact to the environment below a certain level and unfortunately the architecture and design industry is also limited by the clients they serve. The benefits of sustainable practice are a hard sell to the bean counters when the visionary does not have the field of view necessary to realize how potential of responsible construction can benefit them and their environment in the long run. “What’s in it for me?” is unfortunately the starting point of many conversations.
On the bright side, there are many others like Patagonia. Like the attitude of Patagonia or Chipotle on the food service side there is a leader in the commercial carpet industry called Interface whose CEO, Ray Anderson, recently died (last year). This man was a visionary when it came to sustainable manufacturing. His book, Mid Course Correction, is an excellent example of what one manufacturer can do to give back to the environment.
When I first joined the firm where I currently work they gave me a welcome package which included the book Cradle to Cradle written by William McDonough which examines sustainable practices in manufacturing. Fantastic read. The book is made with recycled plastics and the ink is non-toxic. The book is completely recyclable and is waterproof. Sounds gimmicky but is not.
We have a sustainability group, with whom I am working, whose goal is to change the line of thinking, one client at a a time, in our corner of the world.
It is great to see that other manufacturers are taking the lead and it shows how bombarded we are with information and what gets missed. I walk by a Patagonia store almost everyday on my way to/from the office. I had no idea (maybe that doesn’t say much for my commitment to sustainability). I will have to get Mr. Chouinard’s book.
Thanks you for the story. I am still waiting for my copy of FC to arrive.
@rdopping What an excellent contribution to this post; thanks, Ralph! I am sure your industry is all over this issue; rightly so. I just love that a clothing (outdoor) company has taken such a powerful lead to make change in eco friendly threads.
OK, now what is FC — which book is that?
Sorry. Ha, ha. I meant Fast Company…..
@rdopping Gotcha!!! It’s a little blurb; summarized well above, but I so love Fast Company!
Look at the opportunities that you highlight; it’s visions like this that let them influence the customers who buy the products – and reach the ones that haven’t yet. (Waves hand; I’ll remember the name in the future.) Now look at the FC headline. Keyword: profitable. Yes they have a vision, a goal – and want to make money doing it. They’ve made it part of their culture – sustainability, responsibility; even though they may not hit everything on the checklist (yet) – they keep working towards that. And yes, apps and tools that tell us more about the environmental impact, about the sustainability will be very cool. FWIW.
@3HatsComm Good catch on the title. I thought it didn’t quite match the article! Some copywriter missed the boat? Or did he/she?
Regardless of how we feel about Chick fil-A (now I’ll always spell that right), it gives me pause to spend money all the time there; yet, with Patagonia, I WANT to spend money there and will do that paying more for quality and being a conscious consumer for our Earth. Looking at the website for Patagonia is a walk through college classes; it’s amazing, and I encourage everyone to take a gander over there.
Thanks for coming over! I’ll be by your house for chicken shortly!
I love fast company, I buy old magazines from the thrift stores in town for 25 cents. Plus I have follow their design blog very closely. I haven’t seen this post yet, but will check it out. I am working with a client now that is very passionate about his business, but it has not caught on it. This could be the inspiration I need to put him on the map!
@susansilver Oh, boy. Do not miss the current issue; just hit my mail box. It’s all about social media on page 68! Chock full…can’t wait to see some of our network interviewed.
Good luck with your client on this; inspiration always comes from that magazine and who’s inside!