Patagonia, Branding Part 1

When thinking about a brand to choose for this week's assignment on branding, I wanted to choose one that I felt was about more than simply selling it's product. So I chose Patagonia, a maker of outdoor clothing and equipment.

Patagonia is a brand which doesn't simply base it's identity on the products it sells. Instead, it is based on an entire belief system. Instead of a "mission statement" (as all companies have these days), Patagonia has "our reason for being" which is simple, straighforward, and a big part of how the brand defines itself:

Build the best product, do no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.

The site goes into more detail on this "reason for being." I would recommend checking it out on their website:
http://www.patagonia.com/web/us/contribution/patagonia.go?assetid=2047

First and foremost, Patagonia is an outdoor clothing and equipment brand. But the company's mission is to not only make the best possible products for their customers, but to raise awareness and inspire change when it comes to environmental issues.

I don't doubt that the founder, Yvon Chouinard, believes in these environmental issues. The company donates 1% of it's sales to environmental causes. A recycling program allows people to donate their old, worn-out clothing so that the company can create new clothing. And the charity doesn't stop there. There are countless other ways the company takes action. It's evident that Chouinard sincerely cares about saving the environment. But I do believe (no matter what his intentions) that he has created an image of his brand which now acts as a marketing tool.

As the "reason for being" suggests, participating in sports like rock climbing, surfing and skiing, is partially about the experience of being outdoors. The Patagonia brand's message audience is people who participate in these sports, but also those who believe that we need to help the environment, so that we can continue to participate in, and enjoy, these outdoor activities.

By ingraining this message of environmentalism into the brand's identity, they attract costumers. If given a choice between buying an item similarly priced from two different brands, and one of those brands gives 1% of your purchase to a charitable cause, many people will choose the charitable brand. The brand creates an emotional connection to the consumer and makes the consumer feel good about their purchase.

Researching the brand has made me want to buy Patagonia brand outdoor clothing or equipment, should I need it. And I know people who only buy Patagonia brand, not only because of the quality of the product, but because of the message it sends. People feel proud to wear Patagonia, they are part of a community, not only because they are climbers or skiers, but because wearing the brand suggests that they are environmentally conscious. It says something about who they are and what they believe in.