Patagonia: Selling a Story

From Rob BonDurant, VP of Marketing at Patagonia – from today’s WOMMA Summit.

Patagonia…

• Uses business to inspire and implement solutions to the sustainability crisis
• Believes passion cannot be created
• Is a non profit thinly disguised as a company
• Makes money so they can demonstrate their business model works, and donate more money to their 1% Earth Tax
• Designs its products and communications to adhere to the natural law of simplicity – things are done when there is nothing left to take away
• Always has an answer to “Who we are? How did we get here? Where are we going?”
• Is driven by story telling – it’s the anecdote to logic
• Doesn’t create stories, it just publishes them
• Received 100,000 unsolicited stories and photos from customers last year - that number will double this year
• Is selling a story, a symbol and a badge
• Believes the only limit is imagination – never budget

Patagonia...

• Creates experiences that complement their customers’ journey, versus interrupting them
• Relies on customers motive and intent to keep their brand top of mind
• Uses social media as real time reviews that are shared internally
• Cares a LOT about SEO, user experience, and the online buying path
• Now has more people chatting with them online than calling on the phone
• Is dead focused on getting people to comment and share their experience online

Patagonia...

• Would rather inspire than promote
• Would rather earn credibility than buy it
• Advertises as a last resort

Patagonia...

• Is a30+ year old experiment 

Comments

[Steve McAuliffe]

Thanks for sharing your take-aways from Rob's Keynote. I was hoping to get to the WOMMA summit this year, but couldn't find the time. Story IS everything, and Patagonia is certainly telling a good one.