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Some brands talk, others act. Which are you?

Nov 29, 2019 | POINTS OF VIEW

As another Black Friday takes the world by storm, I’m left to ponder – how do the sustainability goals of a brand stack up when it’s trying to shift as much product as humanely possible in as short a time period as is physically possible? How does that work? Just think of the energy alone being expended on deliveries. And the packaging – especially when a product the size of a memory card usually arrives in a box fit for a 65″ TV?

If research from Which is to be believed, Black Friday is a total scam.

95% of products in Black Friday ‘deals’ are cheaper or the same price after the sales And a surprising 61% are cheaper before Black Friday.

https://www.which.co.uk/news/2019/11/95-of-products-in-black-friday-deals-are-cheaper-or-the-same-price-after-the-sales/

The obvious path for the environmentally conscious, is to opt out. Which is where REI comes in.

‘We could never do it, but what if we close on Black Friday?’”  

For a retailer to close its doors on the biggest sales day of the year isn’t just brave, it’s downright outrageous. But oh, so smart.

What started as a “what if” moment in an internal brainstorm aimed at giving staff a day off, became an idea with board backing. Then, under the brilliant direction of Venables Bell & Partners, it became a rallying call to get people outside. The call led to a movement and that movement is still in play years later.  

I loved  #OptOutside from the first moment I saw it at Cannes. And it still grabs me all these years later. And if there are any lessons to be learnt for brands who invest gargantuan sums to find their ‘purpose’, it’s walk the walk. Don’t just talk. Then when you land on a great idea – stay with it as great ideas are like re-wilding projects, they just keep giving.

We aim high. Every time.

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