7Rays of Sunshine: Stories of Brand Success
“To be successful, you have to have your heart in your business and your business in your heart.”
—Thomas J. Watson, former Chairman and CEO of IBM
When discussing sustainability and impact in business, you often hear two particular brand names come up. The first is Patagonia, the outerwear brand that has earned a reputation for its efforts to reduce the environmental footprint of consumption since its founding. The other is Unilever, one of the largest multinational companies in the world, which was able to incorporate sustainability objectives to great success under the direction of a visionary leader. On paper, Patagonia and Unilever have little in common. Patagonia is a privately held outdoor sporting goods company, while Unilever is a massive conglomerate that produces everything from dish soap to ice cream. But as we will explore in this chapter, both of these companies offer case studies about how businesses can incorporate values‐based strategies into their operations while achieving outstanding market success as a result. Let's look at what they have done and how their efforts can be translated to other brands, both large and small.
Patagonia
Patagonia is the perfect example of a brand that has stayed true to its values from day one. Its founder, Yvon Chouinard, is a self‐proclaimed “dirt bag,” someone who is obsessed with outdoor activities such as mountain climbing and surfing, who works to live rather than lives to ...