Patagonia Another Way of Doing Business Essay

1Introduction Patagonia was founded in 1957 by Yvon Chouinard who defines himself as a reluctant stage dividing line man. He started his business as a course to climb and surf year long, seeking to build the best point of intersection to satisfy his ire. Build the best ware, ca aim no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. Patagonias Mission arguing Patagonia grew out of a small come with that made tools for climbers. Alpinism remains at the heart of a worldwide business that still makes clothes for go up as well as for skiing, snowboarding, surfing, fly fishing, paddling and trail running.Customers are spontaneous to pay a premium for the Patagonia brand and environmental ethic. The phoners goal is as simple as it is challenging to produce the highest-quality products enchantment doing the least possible harm to the environment. Yvon Chouinard founder and owner of Patagonia has done business several(predicate)ly since the beginning of the company, placing environmental sustainability and social welfare of his employee before profit. troika examples of the company practice ordain show how marketing and business ignore meet honorable behavior. Patagonia a different workplace environment Patagonia is hiring completely passionate people (friends, family) who are also product user so they dont have to understand the customer because they are the customer. Patagonia has veritable the Let My People Go surfing flextime policy to cope with the employee passion (surfing, backcountry skiing). There are no private offices and the architectural layout donjon communication opens. The cafeteria where employees can gather throughout the day serves healthy, mostly vegetarian food.The company has also an on-site child care center, the presence of children playing in the yard, or having lunch with their parents in the cafeteria helps keep the company atmosphere more familial than collective. Patagonia has a program that allows employees to take off up to two months at full pay to work for environmental groups. Patagonia fosters creativity and authenticity through its work environment and hiring process enabling the development of genuine products. 3Patagonia The 1% for the Planet foremost Since 1985, Patagonia has devoted 1% of its sales to the economy and restoration of the rude(a) environment.The company has awarded over $46 million in cash and in-kind donations to domestic and international grassroots environmental. In 2002, founder of Patagonia, Yvon Chouinard, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, created a non-profit corporation to encourage other businesses to do the same. 1% For The Planet is an alliance of businesses that understand the necessity of protecting the natural environment. As of today 1401 companies are members of the 1% for the Planet Initiative and gift 1% of their sales to a network of 2,735 environmental organizations worldwide.More than a marketing campaign, The 1% for the Planet Initiative is a really firm statement from Patagonia (no matter what are the financial results 1% of its sales will serve the environmental cause every year), it has reinforced the company corporate social responsibility and ethical image, hence the loyalty of its core customers. 4Patagonia The vulgar weave Initiative This marketing program depression gets customers to not get something if they dont need it, then if they do need it, Patagonia ask that they grease ones palms what will last a long time and to fixture what breaks, reuse or re give away whatever they dont arrogate any more.And, finally, recycle whatevers truly worn out. Patagonia with The frequent Threads Initiative is the first private company launching a marketing campaign telling its customers to buy less or to buy used gear. In September 2011 Patagonia launched an on depict marketplace in collaboration with eBay for customers to sell and buy their used Patagonia pr oducts. This feature is displayed on the homepage of patagonia. com. Recycling is what we do when were out of options to avoid, repair, or reuse the product first.Thats why I am so impressed with Patagonia for starting its Common Threads Initiative with the real solution Reduce. Dont buy what we dont need. Repair Fix stuff that still has life in it. apply Share. Then, only when youve exhausted those options, recycle (Leonard, 2011). This new marketing campaign was uncover at the New York fashion week as an experiment. Only a private company without public shareholder and a charismatic attracter with strong belief can promote such a different business attitude. 5Conclusion Patagonia has always done business and marketing differently.In the seventies Chouinard Equipment had twist the largest supplier of climbing hardware in the U. S. It had also become an environmental threat because its gear was damaging the rock. Yvon Chouinard and his partner decided to phase out of this busin ess even it if was the main source of revenue for the company, it was the first environmental step for Patagonia. Instead of focusing on profit the company took a big risk by discontinuing a successful line of products to promote an alternative solution (aluminum chocks) for climbers.It became a success because Patagonia crafted the right product with the right message and stayed true to its core values. Today with the Common Threads Initiative they are pursuing the exact same philosophy and severe to push the industry to adopt more ethical business behaviors. Patagonias highly public search for a new way of doing business implies a new kind of relationship with customers, reinforced by blunt guarantees, extremely high product quality and an explicit commitment to ethical codes of behavior (Reinhardt, 2000).