How Patagonia uses cause marketing to boost sales and brand reputation (2024)

In the last decade or so, we’ve entered the age of the conscientious consumer. Which means it’s time to start your cause marketing strategy. A recent Nielsen report showed that 55% of people are willing to pay extra for products and services from companies committed to making positive social and environmental impacts. Similarly, a study conducted by MSLGROUP and Research Now found that nearly 70% of millennials want businesses to make it easier for consumers to do their part in addressing issues such as health, the economy, and environmental sustainability.

In turn, more and more, businesses are engaging consumers by eschewing business plans that prize growth above all in favor of objectives that factor in “the greater good.”

How Patagonia uses cause marketing to boost sales and brand reputation (1)

What is cause marketing?

Cause marketing is a marketing strategy by for-profit business that seek to increase revenue, and simultaneously improve society. People talk a lot about corporate social responsibility (CSR) these days. Cause marketing is CSR in action.

Whether utilizing a marketing campaign to spur action for a social movement or establishing a partnership with a non-profit organization, brands are making it easier for consumers to give back and do good through cause marketing. And boost sales at the same time.

But just because a brand decides to take the cause marketing route doesn’t mean automatic success. For every cause marketing venture done correctly, there’s others that don’t make their intended impact.

Strategy in action: Patagonia

An extremely well known and successful example of cause marketing is Patagonia. The company’s value proposition has always been to make lasting products so its customers could live in a more environmentally responsible way, and it has banked on them spending a little more to do so.

Patagonia took a chance to promote its position by taking out a full-page ad that detailed the environmental costs of one of the company’s top-selling sweaters and asked customers to reconsider their purchases. Patagonia’s Responsible Economy campaign followed a couple years later to continue the company’s stance on responsibility and back up its belief that over-production and consumption gives way to global environmental crises.

The brand drives that message home with its Worn Wear program, a series of events where repair techs and brand ambassadors teach consumers the skills to fix their “tired, well-loved clothing” (Patagonia or otherwise), and consumers can share their stories on the Worn Wear blog and Instagram channels.

CEO Rose Marcario states the company’s cause marketing objective simply: “Keep your gear in action longer and take some pressure off our planet.”

It’s a work-in-progress that asks a lot of the company and its customers. Patagonia is changing its business model to include second-hand-clothing sales at its Portland, Oregon store, garment recycling, and a 45-employee product repair facility in Reno, Nevada. And customers do their part by pledging to only buy what they need, and to hand down or recycle their garments when they’ve been well worn.

Numbers do the talking

These efforts set Patagonia apart from other outdoor brands in the minds of consumers and have earned it a top spot as one of the world’s most sustainable brands. A year after Patagonia began appealing to consumers to buy less, sales increased almost one-third, to $543 million. The following year, the company’s revenue increased another 6% to $575 million. In short, Patagonia’s cause marketing strategy has helped to sell somewhere in the range of $158 million worth of apparel.

Patagonia’s effort to prove that a company can generate strong sales and be a champion of social responsibility is an instructive tale for other brands. Great brands are created by consumers and passionate conversation, or word-of-mouth. Brands can’t talk about how great they are, they need consumers to talk about how great a brand makes them. And this has created real results for Patagonia. And this is why you need to start your cause marketing strategy.

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How Patagonia uses cause marketing to boost sales and brand reputation (2)

How Patagonia uses cause marketing to boost sales and brand reputation (2024)

FAQs

How does Patagonia use marketing to reinforce its mission? ›

It uses advertising to bring awareness about the brand, its mission and its products. Patagonia makes use of advocacy advertising rather than product advertising, focusing most of its advertising efforts into reflecting the company's mission statement.

What is Patagonia's approach to sales? ›

You don't buy what you don't need. Repair- Help customers repair old gear and ask them to pledge to fix what's broken. Reuse– Find a home for a product that users no longer need. Pass the product to a person who needs it or just sell it.

Why is Patagonia brand so popular? ›

Patagonia, a manufacturer of upscale outdoor clothing, is known for its various environmental sustainability efforts. The privately held company has been known to promote used wear and ask consumers to think twice before buying its products.

What is Patagonia's business strategy? ›

Patagonia makes money by selling clothing items for a profit. But in reality, its revenue generation strategy is far more nuanced. The company sells high-priced clothing items built to last, which it will repair for free.

Why does Patagonia have a good reputation? ›

A high proportion of its materials are made from recycled fabrics, including its polyester, nylon, and wool. Most importantly, Patagonia's business model is different: it rejects fast fashion by creating high-quality, long-lasting products, and offers a repair and reuse program.

Does Patagonia do marketing? ›

A year after Patagonia began appealing to consumers to buy less, sales increased almost one-third, to $543 million. The following year, the company's revenue increased another 6% to $575 million. In short, Patagonia's cause marketing strategy has helped to sell somewhere in the range of $158 million worth of apparel.

What is Patagonia's brand positioning? ›

An activist company on a mission to make the best product, cause no unnecessary harm and help the environment. Nature, sustainability, exploration, highest quality. Passionate, adventurous, outdoorsy, pioneering, premium, serious, tough.

How does Patagonia inspire others to follow their lead? ›

Through donations, boycotts, sustainable practices, and sheer willpower, Patagonia has become one of the most successful and well-known “activist companies” around. Other brands would be wise to follow suit, as this savvy company proves that sticking to your guns and caring about more than just profits pays off.

What are the 4 marketing approaches? ›

What are the 4Ps of marketing? (Marketing mix explained) The four Ps are product, price, place, and promotion. They are an example of a “marketing mix,” or the combined tools and methodologies used by marketers to achieve their marketing objectives. The 4 Ps were first formally conceptualized in 1960 by E.

What are Patagonia's three most important values? ›

Build the best product, provide the best service and constantly improve everything we do.

What makes Patagonia a unique workplace? ›

Part of Fortune's list of the “100 Best Companies to Work For” for six years, the company employs over 1,500 employees across 33 worksites and offers 100 percent health coverage, college tuition reimbursem*nt, on-site yoga and fitness, on-site child-care, a fully organic café, and many other perks.

What are Patagonia's brand goals? ›

The goal is to reduce consumption and waste. In addition, the company limits its environmental impact by maximizing the use of organic and recycled materials, by repairing damaged clothes, and by complying with strong environmental protection standards for its entire supply chain.

Does Patagonia use influencer marketing? ›

From encouraging employees to take direct action to challenging consumers to 'Vote the Arseholes Out', Patagonia says its focus is on addressing the climate emergency not working with influencers or advertising in fashion magazines.

What is the competitive advantage of Patagonia? ›

Patagonia placed itself in a virtuous cycle that serves as its greatest competitive advantage. Perceptions of social responsibility increase sales, escalating the risk of non-compliance, which strengthens adherence and self-binding to social commitments, which grow these same perceptions and sales again.

How does Patagonia treat their customers? ›

Based on a “buy less, buy quality” philosophy, the brand literally tells its customers not to buy its clothing and invest in used versions instead.

What kind of reputation does Patagonia have? ›

A new poll from Axios ranking the reputations of American companies has named Patagonia the most credible business in the U.S., based on scores in seven categories: affinity, ethics, growth, products/services, citizenship, vision, and culture.

Why is Patagonia so unique and important? ›

But the main reason why Patagonia is famous around the world is because of its landscapes, vast forest, natural reserves, national parks, glaciers and native wildlife. Patagonia is called a region that combines many provinces and all of them have different attractions.

How has Patagonia been able to promote corporate social responsibility among other businesses? ›

Over the years, Patagonia has teamed up with other corporations to develop and create initiatives aimed at reducing the environmental footprint businesses leave behind. They have pioneered revolutions in clothing technology development and manufacturing.

Who does marketing for Patagonia? ›

'The brand never leaves you': Patagonia's marketing director on returning after 7 years. As Tyler LaMotte returns to Patagonia after stints at two small brands and one behemoth, he reflects on lessons learned and what brought him back.

How much does Patagonia spend on marketing? ›

Patagonia is part of Patagonia Works. They spent under $100 million on advertising in digital and print in the last year.

What are the 4 Ps of marketing Patagonia? ›

Patagonia Marketing Mix

The four Ps of marketing is referred to as the marketing mix: product, price, place, and promotion. These are the key components of marketing a product or service, and they interact heavily.

What is Patagonia's brand personality? ›

Patagonia has a personality with an activist spirit that promotes adventure, exploration, self-discovery and of course respect for the environment.

Is Patagonia a good brand to support? ›

Patagonia does better than most apparel companies by supporting fair employment and trade in their supply chain. 87% of their products are Fair Trade CertifiedTM sewn, and 39% of their factories are paying living wages.

What are Patagonia's strengths? ›

Patagonia adapts to the changing customer choice and demand, which is one of their major strengths. They also maintain their sustainability through unique missions.

What are five lessons from Patagonia a successful company with a conscience? ›

Fighting climate change, protecting public lands and waterways, promoting sustainable agriculture, educating people about the need to use Fair Trade workers in its factories, and supporting environmentally-friendly government policies have long been the hallmark of the business founded by Yvon Chouinard, an ...

How Patagonia is doing social media right? ›

They did an incredible job of creating a community with people of similar values and they work very hard to promote their brand, not their products. While there is still some product promotion in their social media, it is well balanced with events, community involvement, activism and brand promotion.

What can companies learn from Patagonia? ›

5 Business Lessons From Patagonia on Building the Company of the Future
  • #1 Resources don't matter as much as resourcefulness does.
  • #2 Don't be afraid to pivot.
  • #3 Build a team that stands by the company's values.
  • #4 Look for ways to bring a positive impact, starting close to home.
  • #5 Walk the talk.
Sep 16, 2022

What is an example of a marketing strategy? ›

Marketing strategies

For example, if your marketing plan is to promote a new product or service, you might have a strategy dedicated to how you're going to use email marketing to support these broader goals. Every marketing plan will most likely produce several marketing strategies as part of the broader plan.

What is the importance of marketing? ›

The importance of marketing for your business is that it makes the customers aware of your products or services, engages them, and helps them make the buying decision. Furthermore, a marketing plan, a part of your business plan helps in creating and maintaining demand, relevance, reputation, competition, etc.

What are the strategies to reinforcing brands? ›

5 Easy Ways to Reinforce Your Company's Branding
  • Keep All Materials Cohesive and Updated.
  • Send Clients and Customers Holiday Cards.
  • Look Internally for Content Creators.
  • Send Quarterly Newsletters.
  • Communicate Regularly Through Social Media.
Oct 14, 2016

What is marketing's mission? ›

A marketing mission statement clarifies what a company hopes to achieve with its content. It shows why the content exists, who the content is for and what value the content can provide for audiences, including both customers and potential customers.

How does the golden circle apply to marketing? ›

The Golden Circle model helps to frame the course of your company's future by establishing ground rules and intrinsic purpose from the start. By pursuing your goals with persistence, your company will always have a clear path forward to navigate today's highly competitive marketplace.

What are 5 branding strategies give some examples? ›

Here are five different types of branding strategies your company should consider.
  • Company Name Branding. Well-known brands leverage the popularity of their own company names to improve brand recognition. ...
  • Individual Branding. ...
  • Attitude Branding. ...
  • Brand Extension Branding. ...
  • Private-Label Branding.
Aug 6, 2018

Which is the most effective solution for brand promotion? ›

The best ways to promote a new product or service
  1. Offer loyal customers an exclusive preview. ...
  2. Use a special introductory offer. ...
  3. Make use of Google My Business. ...
  4. Run a social media contest. ...
  5. Spread the word via email. ...
  6. Write a blog post. ...
  7. Host an event. ...
  8. Offer a complimentary upgrade.
Jul 29, 2020

What is an example of brand reinforcement strategies of a brand? ›

A classic example is Nivea. Nivea, which started off a skin cream expanded to a wide range of skincare and personal care products. The brand also forayed into men's beauty with their men's range. However, across all categories the brand carried it's attributed to being – Mild, Gentle and Caring.

What is marketing in own words? ›

Marketing is the process of getting people interested in your company's product or service. This happens through market research, analysis, and understanding your ideal customer's interests. Marketing pertains to all aspects of a business, including product development, distribution methods, sales, and advertising.

What is an innovative marketing strategy? ›

Innovative marketing is a method of promoting new products and services in the process of innovation. It includes researching customer behavior, needs and trends to help you develop changes in a product's design to be more successful.

What is marketing and why is it important? ›

Marketing is a term that covers a whole gamut of activities aiming to make people aware of your products and services and persuade them to buy the same. While advertising is the most common way of marketing, it also involves consumer research, product design, as well as other aspects.

What is the golden rule in promoting a brand? ›

The biggest golden rule is to carefully identify what your clients need and want, and then to show them that you can provide them with the service that will meet those needs. You need to have a direct connection with your target market to get the best return on investment from your marketing spend.

What is the Golden Circle in sales? ›

What is the Golden Circle? The Golden Circle is a way to provide the best value you can to your customers by changing the way your business thinks. Simon Sinek introduced this concept in 2009 through a TED talk, How Great Leaders Inspire Action, that has over 48 million views.

What are some real examples of Golden Circle? ›

Some examples of golden circle are Apple, the Wright brothers and Martin Luther King Jr. According to Sinek's theory, many of us think from the outside in—what > how > why. We know what we're doing and some of us know how we're going to do it.

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