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Branding Article
January 6, 2006
http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jan2006/id20060106_274538.htm?campaign_id=search

Patagonia— Happy Trails

In 1973, Yvon Chouinard launched Patagonia to make great outdoor gear that he couldn’t find anywhere else. In the process, he created an outdoor clothing and accessories lifestyle brand that embodies a deep commitment to environmental issues

In an excerpt from his recently published managerial guide Let My People Go Surfing, Chouinard eschewed traditional business mores, making the ambitious claim that Patagonia would have “the means and the will to prove to the rest of the corporate world that doing the right thing makes for good, financially sound business.”

Adequately summed up by its tag line, “Committed to the core,” the brand’s steadfast dedication to the great outdoors is reflected in everything it does, from using recycled materials in product development to committing one percent of its annual profits to environmental causes.

Chouinard built his empire by putting his money where his mouth is, and Patagonia’s corporate culture is proof. By providing “Patagoniacs” with a familial environment where they can show up barefoot, use flex time to go surfing, or use on-site childcare, Chouinard feels he gets the best out of his staff.

Apparently this sensibility extends to Patagonia’s loyal consumers. Consistently presented with products of quality and considerable evidence of Patagonia’s right doings, customers can feel secure that their choice enables them to do good as well. With recent sales figures hovering at around US$ 240 million, outdoor enthusiasts are making these choices in retail locations all over the US, Europe, Asia and South America. We browsed over to Patagonia.com to see if the company can bring the outdoors online.

An initial click into Patagonialand reveals a site that, like its products, is focused more on substance than fancy-schmancy bells and whistles. Crisp images of inspirational adventure scenarios and effective content organization contribute to the site’s high grade for a well-branded design effort. The majority of the content is divided into a few sections: Shop, About, Customer Service and a search function. The site is easy to use and doesn’t take a GPS system to navigate.

The About Patagonia and Customer Service sections are each divided into four, easy to navigate areas, and include comprehensive ordering information, product FAQs, and design philosophy information. The company culture and history pages contain an array of compelling visuals presented to inspire the outdoors person in everyone. This content-rich area drives visitors to learn not only about the brand, but the causes that inspire the brand. Enthusiasts can even buy Chouinard’s book or listen to his recent speaking engagement on National Public Radio.

What if you just want to buy a backpack? Patagonia has a smooth-looking e-tail function, where site visitors can easily browse products by category or function (e.g., sport, gear). This area is peppered with interesting promotional click-through banners that entice further browsing, like “We Want Your Underwear,” which promotes Patagonia’s Common Threads clothing recycling program. Users are led in with fun funky messaging and end up finding out about one of the zillion ways Patagonia is saving the environment—a sales-by-education tactic that is pure Patagonia.

The Enviro Action area contains yet more content created to educate and inspire visitors who want to learn about Patagonia as a movement. It contains tons of comprehensive information including essays, internships, details on innovative technology in product development, as well as the scoop on the company’s donations to environmental preservation causes. A nod to Chouinard’s beginnings, grassroots organizations can even apply for grants within this section.

A brand that prides itself on creating the means for quality experiences, the Design Philosophy page details the superiority of its product innovations and use of organic fabrics with true Patagonia messaging; you almost feel like a better person for buying its products.

When it comes down to the brass tacks of e-tail, Customer Service is what counts. Patagonia.com fares pretty well, with an area that is as informative as the others, integrating brand philosophy (the company encourages repair to products), commitment to quality (a decent guarantee), and practicalities, such as a size chart, product care information, gift cards and shipping information. One minor flaw: The community-oriented link to encourage photo submissions seems to be buried here. Could they be more interested in talking to consumers than with them?

Patagonia.com has obviously taken it upon itself to serve as more than just an e-tail venture. By effectively segmenting its wealth of value-added content, it shrewdly educates those who are semi-interested in its brand experience and myriad of causes without bashing them with a rain stick if they just want a backpack. Patagonia uses its online presence as a real opportunity to spread its gospel; maybe a content area that encourages more interaction could tap the brand into some valuable consumer info. Regardless, Patagonia truly has created a brand portal that provides visitors with a full brand experience.

Vivian Manning-Schaffel is a freelance writer who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

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