Patagonia Another Way of Doing Business Essay

1Introduction Patagonia was founded in 1957 by Yvon Chouinard who defines himself as a reluctant business organisation man. He started his business as a sort to climb and surf year long, seeking to build the lift out product to satisfy his passion. Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to renovate and implement solutions to the environmental crisis. Patagonias Mission Statement Patagonia grew out of a small company that make tools for climbers. Alpinism remains at the heart of a worldwide business that still makes clothes for climbing as well as for locomote, snowboarding, surfing, fly fishing, paddling and trail running.Customers are willing to pay a premium for the Patagonia stag and environmental ethic. The companys goal is as simple as it is challenging to produce the steepest-quality products musical composition doing the least possible harm to the environment. Yvon Chouinard founder and owner of Patagonia has done business differently since th e beginning of the company, placing environmental sustainability and social welfare of his employee before profit. Three examples of the company practice will show how marketing and business canister meet ethical behavior. Patagonia a different workplace environment Patagonia is hiring only passionate bulk (friends, family) who are also product user so they dont have to witness the guest because they are the customer. Patagonia has developed 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 keep 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 corporate. Patagonia has a weapons platform that al lows 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 original products. 3Patagonia The 1% for the orbiter Initiative Since 1985, Patagonia has devoted 1% of its sales to the preservation and restoration of the natural 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 blueness 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 marketin g campaign, The 1% for the Planet Initiative is a really strong 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 responsibleness and ethical image, hence the loyalty of its core customers. 4Patagonia The putting surface move Initiative This marketing program first asks customers to not obtain something if they dont need it, then if they do need it, Patagonia ask that they buy what will last a long time and to repair what breaks, reuse or resell whatsoever they dont wear any more.And, finally, recycle whatevers truly worn out. Patagonia with The third estate Threads Initiative is the first private company launching a marketing campaign revealing its customers to buy less or to buy used gear. In September 2011 Patagonia launched an online marketplace in collaboration with eBay for customers to sell and buy their used Patagonia products. 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. posit Fix stuff that still has life in it. Reuse Share. Then, only when youve exhausted those options, recycle (Leonard, 2011). This tender marketing campaign was unveiled at the New York fashion week as an experiment. Only a private company without public shareholder and a charismatic leader 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 become the largest supplier of climbing hardware in the U. S. It had also become an environmental curse because its gear was damaging the rock. Yvon Chouinard and his partner decided to phase out of this business even it if was the main ejaculate 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 trying to push the industry to realise 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 unconditional guarantees, extremely high product quality and an explicit commitment to ethical codes of behavior (Reinhardt, 2000).