Holt

Patagonia PoliticsDouglas HoltMarketing, Culture & SocietyUniversity of Oxford(with Jill Avery): 

Patagonia Politics Douglas Holt Marketing, Culture & Society University of Oxford (with Jill Avery) Politics of Consumption University of Wisconsin October 2006

Social Mission Brands: 

Social Mission Brands Central “solution” for global problems? Social enterprise, social entrepreneurship, sustainable business, CSR etc. SMBs led, so much celebrated Ben & Jerry’s, Body Shop, Stonyfield, Tom’s of Maine, Patagonia, Red Mgmt books, biz mags Seldom studied

Research Interests : 

Research Interests Social Mission branding How to build powerful SMBs? What are political effects? Extend cultural branding model Authenticity from citizenship-org myths (Holt 2002) Push customer segments (Holt 2004) Commercial Activism Political analogy

Slide4: 

Yvon Chouinard, iconic mountaineering innovator, Ventura, CA 60s-70s Patagonia tech clothing -- late 70s Took off in mid-80’s amongst UMC $300 million/year Catalogue driven branding $7M vs $1M print ads

Patagonia Social Mission: 

Patagonia Social Mission In business to help resolve environmental crisis Introduced PCR Synchilla fleece All cotton to organic, Beneficial T line Greenest supply chain in the biz Eco advocacy in catalogue since early 90s 1% of revenue to grassroots activism Left/Green politics

Academic literature: literal consumer-citizen model: 

Academic literature: literal consumer-citizen model Ethical Consumption (Europe) Mindshare Branding (Aaker, Keller) Social Identity (Bhattacharya, Sen) Brand equity stems from identification with pro-social business policies SMBs conflated with CSR

Patagonia’s SMB equity?: 

Patagonia’s SMB equity? Academic Brand equity from identification with eco-business policies Popular Understandings Hardcore eco-activism tied to fully committed lifestyle Wannabes BoBos buy Patagonia symbolism, adventure-lite and eco-lite

Cultural Branding Model (static): 

Contradictions (tensions) Target Identity Projects Populist World Source materials Cultural Branding Model (static) National Ideologies Comm Codes Cultural References Expressive Culture

SMBs and Cultural Branding: 

SMBs and Cultural Branding Successful SMBs are identity brands So become iconic via cultural branding mechanisms Similar customer segments to commercial iconic brands Insiders, Followers, Feeders Do hypotheses hold? What does this mean for political effects?

Method: 

Method Genealogy of Patagonia Brand (‘72-present) Catalogue + Yvon media coverage + retail Identity Interviews 23 informants in Boston/Cambridge Patagonia loyalist screener Social network (HBS heavy) 2 hour inductive lightly structured interview Patagonia discussion via catalogue photos + essays

ExtremeAdventure: 

Extreme Adventure

Literate Essays: 

Literate Essays

Wilderness Eco-Advocacy: 

Wilderness Eco-Advocacy

Intimate in-the-wild biographies: 

Intimate in-the-wild biographies

Identity myth = 4 interwoven narratives: 

Identity myth = 4 interwoven narratives Dirtbag Culture = ? Extreme Adventure Eco-Wilderness Back-to-Nature Bohemian Frontier Cosmopolitan Classed articulation of revived Frontier. Perfect identity symbolism for post ”Reagan Revolution” upper-middle class Stitch a tailored eco-activism to multidimensional identity project

Slide21: 

Identity Symbolism Extreme Adventure Dirtbag Culture None Patagonia Politics Eco Movement Eco Wilderness None

Identity Myths: 

Identity Myths #1: Dirtbag Myth Identify with all 4 facets of Patagonia brand #2: Extreme Adventure Myth Very competitive-achieving articulation of extreme adventure dominates Frontier cosmopolitan is similar Ignore both bohemian and eco-activism

Patagonia Politics: 

Patagonia Politics Eco Movement Patagonia as one player in broad movement pushing for sustainability Leopold eco systems language: restorative, balance, harmony Eco Wilderness Conserving Wilderness (Roosevelt tradition) None

Slide24: 

Identity Symbolism Extreme Adventure Dirtbag Culture None Patagonia Politics Eco Movement Eco Wilderness None Michael Mark

Slide25: 

Identity Symbolism Extreme Adventure Dirtbag Culture None Patagonia Politics Eco Movement Eco Wilderness None Michael Mark FOLLOWERS: MYTH #2

Advocacy?Marginal Ideological Effects: 

Advocacy? Marginal Ideological Effects Eco-Movement Insiders Fellow traveler, marginal solidarity Dirtbag Culture Followers Patagonia plays minor pedagogical role Extreme Adventure Followers Don’t know Patagonia as eco-activist

Key: Gramsci x Business: 

Key: Gramsci x Business Patagonia has built broad-based cultural formation around progressive business practices Interpolate into radical green business customers who reject Products for the enlightened 7th Generation, Tom’s, Hain, etc Advocacy Organizations Greenpeace, Sierra Club, WWF, Friends of the Earth