Patagonia and the need for brand activism

From its beginning, Patagonia has been a brand driven by a mission that includes appreciating and protecting the environment. Founded by rock climbing, surfing, fly fishing lovers of the outdoors, the company has combined high quality, customer service and a dedication to the preserving the environment. Like all brands that claim such positions, Patagonia stands by its products, offers a no-questions-asked guarantee, and supports various charitable causes. But, where almost every other brand stops there, Patagonia keeps going.

So, perhaps is should have surprised no one a few weeks ago when Patagonia announced that it would no longer participate in the Outdoor Retailer show in Salt Lake City. The show, put on by the Outdoor Industry Association twice a year, brought in around $45 million to Utah in direct spending. Why was Patagonia dropping out? Because the legislature and Governor of Utah signed a resolution calling for the decommissioning of the Bears Ears National Monument with an eye towards putting  protected public land to private (read: oil, gas and mineral) interests. Not surprisingly, on Patagonia’s heels, other companies followed suit, leading the OIA to begin looking for other venues beyond Utah.

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Patagonia doesn't hide its point of view.

There are people who see this as a bad thing and others who think it’s good. And, across Patagonia’s customer base, you’ll find a variety of opinions. When faced with such an issue, one that could polarize their base, alienating some while galvanizing others, most companies pick the middle ground that offends no one. Patagonia acts differently by actually taking action.

When faced with an issue that could polarize their base, most companies pick the middle ground that offends no one. Patagonia acts differently by actually taking action.

Patagonia’s opposition to decommissioning Bears Ears National Monument, active opposition of the Dakota Access Pipeline, and a commitment to putting its money where its mouth is makes it rare amongst brands. Whereas most CSR leaders preach the merits of “doing well while doing good”, Patagonia puts the doing good part at the core to why it exists and how it operates. Describing itself as an “Activist Company”, Patagonia doesn’t just offer a perspective or a hollow set of talking points about the importance of diversity, supporting employees, and the environment. Patagonia goes beyond its mission statement and takes a real stand.

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source: www.patagonia.com/company-info.html

Why don’t more brands take a stand, openly arguing for what they view as right, and against that which is wrong? It comes down to two things: 1) self-awareness and 2) courage.

WHY DON’T MORE BRANDS TAKE A STAND, OPENLY ARGUING FOR WHAT THEY VIEW AS RIGHT, AND AGAINST THAT WHICH IS WRONG? IT COMES DOWN TO TWO THINGS: 1) SELF-AWARENESS AND 2) COURAGE.

Self-awareness, when it comes to brands, is about knowing what matters and motivates a company – its people, its business goals – but not in isolation. Self-aware companies recognize the role that they play in the community and use it as a guiding principle for what they do. Too many businesses treat things as zero sum games, where either society or the company can win. Alternatively, companies that pursue their role as long-term members of society, contributors to both its economic and social well-being, we see sparks of brand activism.

For those sparks to turn into something real, though, brands need courage. Courage is defined as “the ability to do something that frightens one.” In this case, the frightening element is to take action that may alienate some customers, may erode short-term profits and may cause the company to be criticized in the press. Taking a stand and taking action aligned with the company’s beliefs may even cause some valuable employees to leave. But, what is left will be a more cohesive, more committed organization, driven forward on a path that is more sustainable in the non-environmental sense of the word.

What’s also left is a brand that leaves no question as to what it stands for. So, when it comes time for the brand to come to life through products, services and marketing, there’s greater alignment. And when consumers must choose between competing products, at least one of the brands in the mix makes it easier for them to make a choice by virtue of what the brand stands for. That's what allows activist brands to work harder than any other brand.

Activist brands are not lazy. They're not just along for the ride. They are the opposite of brands that exist only as logos, as gimmicks to trick consumers into choosing them on the shelf. No matter what side of the political spectrum they fall on, they are honest about who they are, and have the courage of their convictions to do as they say.

in most cases, brands don't actually work the way brands ought to work.

Sadly, most brands – even those that are self-aware – just don’t have the courage to actively choose to stand for something worthwhile. They aim for the middle, get jammed up with everyone else and become forgettable. Look at personal computers. With a single exception (Apple), you’d be hard pressed to argue any of the other PC brands have taken a stand that allows people to choose them based on their brand. Sure, we have tiers of perceived quality, but at the end of the day, price sensitivity is what's driving choice. In most cases, brands don't actually work the way brands ought to work.

Maybe not every brand can be an activist one. But, in this age of alternative facts, political distrust and corporate risk aversion that condemns us all to watching the same basic movie over and over again, perhaps the world could use a few more?