Patagonia: The Rise Of Brand Community
“VOTE THE ASSHOLES OUT.”
Imagine it’s sewed on the backside of ZARA’s tag. Customers would definitely get confused and have polarized opinions.
Patagonia has always been a political brand. I was surprised with the tag execution that its activism extends in smaller ways. However, this is an on-brand resistance because Patagonia has been one of the most vocal brands in consumer culture when it comes to politicians’ inability to take the climate change seriously. The company has a well-known image that delivers a sense of higher value amongst its outdoor peers. This sharable purpose resonate with their target audience and build a deeper connection between brand and customers.
Patagonia did a wonderful job at sharing a wide variety of content that always ties back to their focuses on outdoor activities and sustainability. I love that Patagonia has gone beyond being a clothing brand and become an organization for environmental activism. “Don’t but this jacket” campaign used cause marketing to define the brand. “Be your earth mate” campaign created a community of loyal fans who aren’t just there to buy product but to live a type of lifestyle.
Patagonia is selling the brand, not products. It stands out because it owns an identity. Here are some valuable lessons we can learn from Patagonia:
Create sharable Content
Patagonia creates highly shareable content and operates different blogs on platforms such as Tumblr. While other brands struggle with their social media strategy, Patagonia is consistently focused on delivering valuable content, which makes them exceptional. Additionally, customers view the company as an expert source because of the content.
Aim for long term
By educating rather than hard selling, customers feel more comfortable buying from Patagonia, a brand that they perceive to have a relationship with. This marketing approach requires a long-term commitment in which a tremendous amount of content is generated.
Embody human values
Brands that position themselves as essential members of a cultural movements foster emotional connections with consumers. Identifying human values for the brand can be extremely rewarding, and less difficult than it sounds.
Build brand community
Tesla’s brand community includes company-owned properties such as the official forums as well as third-party channels such as Meetup groups, Quora, and Twitter.
By focusing on delivering human value rather than commercial value, brands can help to shepherd organic communities that are far more inclusive, diverse, and dynamic than sales-driven communities. Brand communities represent a multi-platform ecosystem of customers with a diverse set of needs.
