From The Rooftops

10 Green Brands You Should Know – 2 of 2

This is the second half of my conversation about 10 Green Brands You Should Know. As with part 1, our goal is to shed some light and spark some conversation regarding some little-known brands who “get it.” The brands we’ll be discussing today range from celebrity fashion to web-based tools. As usual, I’d love to hear your thoughts on all of it: does Icebreaker lose credit because it’s from far away in New Zealand? Does the Sonic Fabric tie need to use recycled polyester as well, before we ‘sing’ its praises? What other brands deserve inclusion? Hit the comments, we’d love to hear from you.

Jason Mraz, conveniently sporting two of our five brands

Osborn Design Studios shoes

The process by which I came to learn about Osborn Design shoes is a classic example of trust and Word of Mouth. Celebrity and all-around good guy Jason Mraz went to the Grammy Awards in a sustainability poster boy outfit including an EcoGir suit (another great green brand, though not exactly unknown), a Sonic Fabric tie (which I’ve known about and admired for a while, and is discussed below), a Culturata organic cotton shirt and Osborn Design shoes. While I’m familiar with all of these brands except for Osborn, I had no idea that Mraz wore any of this because I don’t pay much attention to the Grammys. My friend Sara doesn’t pay much attention to the Grammys either, but she pays a lot of attention to Jason Mraz (I’d tease her about it, but … I mean… look at that sustainable cutie—can you blame her?). Because I pay attention to—and trust—her, I came to see and take note of her retweet of his blog post on the subject. Because I was familiar with—and trusted—the credentials of the other brands I came to trust Mraz’s sense of sustainability style, allowing it to carry over to the Osborn line.

Mraz writes on his blog:

“The Osborn Design Shoes were my lady-killers for sure. Hand crafted in Guatemala, these Fair-Trade shoes are one of a kind. Osborn works with the artisans directly. Each pair is signed and numbered by the cobbler.”

Now you know as much as I do—but not for long, because I think I want a pair!

Sonic Fabric

It’s hard to wear a black tie and feel very unique, ecologically-inclined or terribly creative. Sonic Fabric is changing that. In simple offerings of black, grey or dark brown, Sonic Fabric ties exude a sense of innovation and uniqueness (not to mention dashing aesthetics) with fashionably designed ties that are constructed of a remarkable 50/50 blend of polyester (yawn) and …cassette tape. That’s right, folks, Journey’s greatest hits lives on and, remarkably, is cool again! An interesting corollary to the use of magnetically-tweaked cassette tape is that, despite its new life as a garment, the fabric is still “listenable.” Sonic Fabric answers what must be a common question, “what ever inspired you to weave fabric from cassette tape in the first place?” and even explains how to repurpose your funkyfresh old Walkman in order to listen to your tie (I can assure you that I never thought I would type those words).

The best part about all this is that these innovative, fun ties are thus a great conversation starter for two reasons: they have a great sustainability/handmade crafty story and they can freakin’ play music. I know it’s an easy tagline to write, but I’m still going to say it anyway: sustainable fashion never sounded so good.

Kashless

Our next entrant is not a consumer product, but a great brand: useful, innovative, savvy and more. Kashless is another Pacific Northwest production that I think has a lot of potential to stir things up in all sorts of wonderful, sustainable ways. Why? Allow me to provide you with a simple equation: new technology + free, used items = two great tastes that taste great together.

Web 2.0 and location-based resources are all the rage. What else is all the rage? Conscientious consumption. It should be no surprise, then, that these two trends are coming together in important and useful ways. Kashless is one of several web resources coming up (such as ooffoo, among others) that are stepping into this space and really making a difference. One of the greatest impediments to buying used items in lieu of new items is the fact that, well, ‘the odds are good that the goods are odd,’ and searching high and low for a non-new solution can take time. If you want to find a particular item (a size 15.5” 34-35 dress shirt that didn’t come out of the ‘70s, for instance), you might wind up visiting several shops (and going a long way to try on one measly shirt via Craigslist) before finding something that works. A visit to a regular department store, however, will certainly yield dozens of options. Enter Kashless. Kashless is a website trying to help lower the search costs associated with connecting people who have items they’d like to give away, and people who would otherwise have to buy the product new. Win-win-win.

SoupCycle

SoupCycle delivers, by bike, wholesome, organic soup to your door. It is the sort of sustainability home run story that essentially writes itself: Organic? Yep. Local? You betcha. Seasonal? Quite. Delivered by bike? Even in the rain. SoupCycle supports local organic farms, getting healthy, delicious food to homes, and by doing so, they reduce the need for carbon-intensive delivery trucks (or the corresponding single-occupant trips to the store).

Their brand personality, like their soup, is flavorful, fun and accessible. By signing up, you become one of hundreds of “soupscribers” who receive weekly deliveries of vegan, vegetarian or meat soups that are delicious, creative and enjoyable. Depending upon your location in Portland (they call it “Souplandistan”), you receive your weekly delivery on either Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday, in serving sizes that you specify and with accouterments (salad, breadsticks, etc.) that round out the meal. Regions (within PDX) include: Souptopia, SoupCycle Central, The People’s Republic of Soup, and Soup-Urbanites. I think I once saw Jed, one of the co-founders, wearing a SoupCycle shirt saying something along the lines of: “tasty like pizza—only wetter.”

Icebreaker

Alright, these guys actually have a bit of a name for themselves but there’s one feature in particular that I think is so neat that I felt compelled to include them anyway. Icebreaker makes svelte wool garments for the outdoors, travel and nights on the town. Their clothes have a sexier shape/look than competitor Smartwool (whom I dearly love anyway) and they have a visual identity that is provocative to match! As we’ve already established with my fawning over Nau’s product line, I love wool. Love it love it love it. It’s versatile, durable, ethical and renewable. Now, it’s true that not all wool is the same. There is ample reason to be diligent about the treatment of the sheep whose haircuts I wear, but the best brands are mindful of these things and treat their animals (and the animal owners) in a responsible, ethical manner.

As you know by now, we at From The Rooftops are huge advocates of authenticity in business messaging. You can see, then, why I’m so excited that Icebreaker has implemented a really cool product-tracking system, delightfully titled “Baacode.” Each Icebreaker garment has a tag with a unique number that, upon entry into the Baacode web page, provides you with the exact origin and history of the wool that your garment is made of. I look forward to a time when more companies do this sort of thing: it’s great from a consumer standpoint (want to know more about the garments you’re buying? Here you go!) but it’s also a fantastic tool for deep storytelling on the part of a brand. It connects the Icebreaker identity from beginning to end, providing a cohesive, authentic narrative that articulates and reinforces their presence and customer experience of—and with—the brand as a whole.

- Caleb

Inspiring Evangelism or: How I Learned to Ignore the Social Media Experts

There is truly one thing that can guarantee your success in this new socially connected world (and it’s the same thing that guaranteed success back before there were “friends” to collect or tweets to twoot): Being so damn good at what you do that your customers want to climb the nearest mountain and sing your praises to the world.

So I ask you, are you inspiring evangelism?

Apple, like other great brands, clearly inspires evangelism.

If you’ve been in business for a year or more, I bet you are. At least some of the time. I bet every now and then you hit the ball out of the park. Out of the bloody stadium. But I bet you could do it more consistently. And I bet you could remove some barriers to make the sharing of those experiences easier. For when you truly do connect in this way, your customers will want to sing your praises. On twitter. On facebook. On flickr. Wherever they are. And you should be there to celebrate/evaluate/communicate with them. But for the right reasons: To grow the health and vitality of your relationship with them. To learn from them. To realize when you’ve swung and missed. And to capture and revel in the shared experience of doing something really well.

-Scott

Zealot

A fanatically committed person.

Marketer (21st Century)

A community builder that connects brands with the people who love them; the conduit for external communication and caretaker of authentic brand ownership.

Marketer (20th Century)

Someone who promotes or exchanges goods or services for money; the controller of external messaging.

Evangelist

A preacher of the gospel.

Brand

The feeling a person gets in their stomach, heart and mind when they hear your name; the accumulation of such impressions

Seeing Red From the Green Police

Sunday night provided us with one of the great American spectator/armchair quarterbacking events: the Super Bowl advertisements. While there are plenty of folks commenting on this year’s crop as a whole, I have been exceptionally interested in one particular ad (and the fallout and discussion that has ensued). Here at From The Rooftops we are, as you’ve noticed, deeply passionate about authentic claims, sustainability and marketing. It should come as no surprise, then, that, right after the Audi Green Police ad [if you've not seen the commercial, I encourage you to watch it, as the rest of this post won't make as much sense without it] aired I received an impassioned text from Scott, asking if I’d seen it. While much post-Super Bowl revelry took place in the streets and bars, I took to my laptop and wound up spending much of the evening surveying the reception paid to the Green Police ad.

And what a reception it has received! Some proclaimed it as validation of the green movement while other responded that it’s no laughing matter and will be the new reality in an eco-fascist future. Others made the easy observation that, perhaps as much as anything, Audi was trying to be vague yet provocative so as to stoke the fire of conversation that we have witnessed in the following few days.

Before I weigh in too heavily, I’d like, for diversity’s sake, to call out some of the types of responses I’ve seen out there so far:

This is yet another reminder that the ‘green’ movement is a harbinger of a new age of fascism

“Is this what Al Gore’s presidency would look like?” — New York Times (comment)

“Audi’s bottom-line corporate message is that the Green State is here to stay and that capitulating to it — and capitalizing on it, as Audi has — is the path to survival. It’s no laughing matter, really.” — Michelle Malkin

Oh, great, now it’s going to be even harder for us to be taken seriously

“Ugh, Middle America just took another unneeded step away from feeling that sustainability is cool, easy, and normal.” — Triple Pundit (a generally great resource in the susbiz arena)

Climate Progress

It’s okay, it’s a positive ad. Right? Right, guys?

Grist (another green resource with which I will sometimes disagree but highly recommend)

the Facebook status messages of many friends

OMG, did you really just make an indirect allusion to the Ordnungspolizei?!

“The implications of Audi’s choice of name for their campaign could be huge, especially since Audi is a German company. The first question is obvious – didn’t anyone at Audi’s PR or advertising arm/agency do any research?” — Danny Brown

“It is simply astounding that a German company would play against such a framing, making oblique references to a Nazi police unit and providing what many will see as a broadside against environmentalism as somehow fascist in nature.” — Daily Kos

It’s an ad. It got people talking about the brand. Ergo, the ad worked. Sorta.

“So what was the intent of the commercial? To get people talking about Audi, of course. And by that standard, it was a success. Did it make me want to buy one? No, but it did make me want to get a copy of Cheap Trick’s greatest hits.” — Blog of New Orleans

For our purposes here, I am less concerned with debating the merits of these various claims in order to reach a decisive position regarding the intentions of the Audi marketing team (they can speak for themselves here). Indeed, I think it’s orthogonal to the most important consideration: regardless of the intention of the ad team, how does the reception of this advertisement inform our understanding of authentic claims (in this case, concerning the characteristics of “green”).

I think it speaks volumes that, in the Wall Street Journal’s Super Bowl 2010 Best and Worst Ads, the Audi Green Police advertisement has, at least thus far, won the vote for Best Ad …and for Worst Ad. (as of 6:37pm on Thursday night: 2/11/10: 12.7% for Best and 16.8% Worst) It could be a Dickens story: “It was the best of ads, it was the worst of ads….” A tale of one advertisement being folded into multiple–and, seemingly, conflicting–narratives. I think that this, as much as anything, is the lasting legacy of the Audi commercial: we, as a message-receiving (and -filtering) body, have become hypersensitive to green claims–and for different (but often interrelated) reasons. So much is this the case that the intended audience (Green consumers) can’t decide whether to laugh or cry, and their antagonists (just do a Google search about this ad, you’ll find them) can’t decide whether to laugh or grab their torches and pitchforks. Seriously, if you’ve got the time, I encourage you to read the comments section of ANY of the links I’ve shared in this post–they are interesting, angering, funny, disconcerting, and, above all, illuminating studies in the post-Inconvenient Truth, mid-Tea Party green marketing landscape.

With regard to claims surrounding sustainability, agitation has started to encroach upon levity and message-makers (and, in the social web, we’re all message-makers) must tread very carefully, as our messages (and, apparently, footage of pollution-detecting[?] anteaters, even) are cast outward, and not projected into a blank-slate vacuum of doe-eyed but otherwise agreeable and passive viewers. Rather, modern messages are not projected at all–they are shared horizontally, from mouth to mouth and Twitter account to Twitter account. Whether intentional (or even desirable), or not, they are living, breathing invitations to participation. And participate we will: dissecting, sharing, commenting, remixing, and yes, flaming, our ways to a co-opted narrative, conforming with our evolving expression of how these claims speak to us. Especially when we start speaking back.

– Caleb

What do you think? Has Audi hurt their green messaging by putting their would-be customers on the defensive? Is all the extra attention worth it, regardless? What about their reference to the Green Police? They seem to have sincerely wanted to make sure that it was okay with the Jewish community, should they have changed the name to the “Eco Police”? (the Cheap Trick song would have been harder to tie in, whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing is for you to decide!)  What does this mean for our ability to “laugh at ourselves” in the sustainability sphere? Is Audi even “one of us,” with making a name for themselves as green when their centerpiece is a (repackaged) diesel car?

10 Green Brands You Should Know

(PART 1)

Welcome to the first round of our reflections upon some of the lesser-known brands in the sustainability realm. We’ve outlined a bit of an introduction to some brands who have caught our attention and look forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter.

1. Alchemy Goods

The products of this small Seattle-based company tell a great story: durable, attractive handmade messenger bags and shoulder bags (and now totes, wallets, zipper pulls and more) all made from an abundant waste product: bicycle inner tubes. Many sustainability advocates will gleefully place the bicycle at the forefront of an urban greening agenda and it simply couldn’t be done without the reliable old bike tube. Founder Eli Reich gives these ubiquitous, formerly landfill-bound products a new life, recognizing that a tube’s best qualities (durability, flexibility, waterproofness) are also central features to a good bag. The innovative eye is turned to even the smallest details, with the shoulder strap coming from repurposed seatbelts and using old (Schrader) tube valves as zipper pulls. Not only do I love the name (clever, simple, and oh so accurate), I love the spirit of innovation that is imbued in each product. And you can’t argue with the impact–38,933 punctured bike inner tubes and 8,775 used car seat belts diverted from landfills in the past year alone¹.

¹Source: Alchemy Goods Blog

2. GoLite

GoLite is extremely popular among ultralight hikers but less prominent in the minds and closets of the rest of us. I hope this changes. GoLite’s founders, Kim and Demetri Coupounas, have been influential drivers of two important trends in the outdoors industry: more sustainable sourcing and lighter gear. On a hike in the 90’s (it was their honeymoon, if I recall correctly) they had an ‘a-ha!’ moment: lightening up. By using less material you’re making a lighter product that, likewise, calls on fewer raw material inputs. Unsatisfied with simply using less ‘bad’ stuff, the Coupounas’ put their Ivy League minds to good use and have now managed to spec lots of recycled content in much of their product line.  This all means that a GoLite jacket (or pack, tent, etc.) is not only lighter on your back, it’s lighter on the earth, using less ‘less-bad’ material.  It’s worth remembering, of course, that less-bad still doesn’t mean good but this point is certainly not lost on GoLite and one of their hallmarks has been an impressive drive to always take things as far as possible. These are principles that the outdoors industry has really taken to and the Coupounas’ have been leading voices, from the sessions of Outdoors Industry Association to the design studio and ultimately the trail. As with Nau, the fine folks at GoLite are really keen on working it out, in all senses of the phrase: they know what needs to be improved upon and they make no attempts at hiding that need for improvement; they also are terrifically responsive as a consumer goods company: their website has a live chat customer service option (that isn’t tucked away in five pages of FAQs) and they not only have a lifetime guarantee against manufacturing defects (a common concern among lightweight gear purchasers) but they also guarantee that you’ll be happy with it.

3. Matt and Nat

I’ve only recently come across Matt and Nat’s (it’s not my fault—Scott doesn’t let me leave the office too often) line of mostly recycled—and entirely resourceful—bags. Sharp, simple and functional, these products are meeting important demand in the mid- to high-end bag briefcase/purse/shoulder bag arena. While many companies and small designers will use recycled goods for products that, well, look like they followed the ‘form follows function’ idiom far down the road and a little past the proverbial bend, Matt and Nat are more likely to be strutting their aesthetic wares straight down the runway. It just makes sense—buying a “sustainable” product is pointless if you refuse to be seen with it in public.

4. Held

This idealistic and ideological design group is (like us) based out of Portland and, while they now have their own shop on NE Alberta Avenue, it wasn’t too long ago that their belts and bracelets were sold one by one on ETSY and at street fairs throughout the city. Held’s products are vegan, entirely recycled (more accurately, ‘reclaimed’) and ridiculously durable. Fashioned from decommissioned conveyor belts, Held’s line is billed as the world’s strongest belts. Their proceeds go to animal rescue and permaculture products which seem like mighty noble causes, considering the fact they’ve already done us a service by keeping more waste out of the landfill and avoiding the need to make more new stuff! As far as brand and customer experience goes, they really get it–they exhibit an air of irreverent edginess, resourcefulness, fun and distinctly Portland personality. Case in point: The first time I walked into their new shop I was greeted by the fellow who was working behind the counter at the back of the shop; we briefly joked about the weather and he offered to help if I needed anything. About 30 seconds later, from across the shop, he pulled out a megaphone and said that he was making himself some tea and wondered if we wanted any. Again, they get it: fun, edgy, unique. You’ll never find a “regular” store that not only offers you some of their personal tea, but extends the offer via megaphone. That was months ago and I still remember it with a smile.

5. Nau

Alright, I’ll admit that Nau is not exactly an unknown company, but while they’re known by many they’re not exactly on the tips of everyone’s tongues—yet. This small Portland-based designer of outdoors-chic has many remarkable qualities that make its brand so noteworthy—and its advocates so resolute—that I couldn’t resist covering them. A few reasons:

1. Their clothes are durable. (I’ve got a bike crash, many hikes, myriad commutes, plenty of nights on the town and a couple years of rock climbing in Nau gear that all attest to this.)

2. They aim to design clothes (and use colors) that aren’t the flavor of the month, needing to be replaced every season.

3. Nearly every outdoors brand uses synthetics—Nau’s synthetics are almost 100% recycled material (Teijin EcoCircle, which, I believe, Nau helped pioneer). Heck, they have one jacket that’s even recycled wool. Which brings me to: wool—it’s a great material and they use it to tremendous effect.

4. While they produce their garments in China they go to great lengths to ensure their facilities are on the up & up, holding third-party inspections several times per year.

5. 2% of their sales go to your choice of one of many nonprofits they call their “partners for change.” (I’d like to give a shout out to a couple of them: Mercy Corps and Kiva—keep changing the world, guys!). 6. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, there is one important thing that Nau doesn’t do: bullshit. They don’t make crummy clothes and they don’t make crummy claims. They acknowledge their weaknesses and are the first ones to make them known. When there are grey zones with imperfect solutions (hint: in real life, there are LOTS), they don’t try to repackage it or gloss it over; Nau sheds a light upon it and invites you to join them in their quest to do it better. I think that last point—they know what they aren’t doing perfectly and they want to talk with you about it—is pretty important. As has been often said, there is no such thing as a sustainable business or person, only sustainable systems. Since none of us are perfectly “sustainable” it seems crucial, then, that we take an unflinching self-examination of our faults and opportunities and, swallowing our pride, we take it public, inviting moving conversation and adaptive solutions.

To be continued…

-Caleb

PS – I’d love to chat with you more about this, so hit the comments—which brands are missing? What did I get wrong with these five? What additional thoughts do you have about these brands?