Back when we lived in small villages with rich oral traditions and long cultural memories it was relatively easy for the story—and meaning—of a house, horse or hero to persist and develop generationally. It should come as no surprise, then, that our jetsetting, transmedia’d, mobile, modern lives have kind of interrupted those patterns (and…yeah, we don’t ride horses so often anymore). It’s hard to pass down a long local legend about a subdivision neighborhood that’s only ten years old, or for a product that will be thrown out by month’s end. This doesn’t mean that we don’t have stories and resources for conveying these stories, it means that there has been a shift regarding what the objects are and the ways in which the stories could be told. Perhaps we’re too busy playing around on our smartphones to stop and listen to as many long, rambling stories as we used …or maybe we just need to find a way to add smartphones (and the internet) into the equation?
coming to a tweet near you?
Indeed, it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise that we are coming up with new methods of storytelling and collective histories that are …well…. transmedia’d, mobile and modern. We are, after all, fundamentally social beings with an inquisitive streak that predates opposable thumbs. What are we doing now that we possess not only opposable thumbs but touchscreen mobile devices? The same thing we’ve been doing all along: interacting with our world through our social structures and the technological means by which such undertakings can be facilitated. Or, to make it sound less intimidating: we do stuff in our world; utilizing people and things as needed.
What’s interesting to me is to see the latest iterations of the “utilizing people and things as needed” part. This is because the social web is allowing an unprecedented confluence of people, things and worlds—stories, about real things, unfolding in real time, across a digital ecosystem that permits the democratic, horizontal and interactive production of content and correspondence. Instead of relying upon DJs and evening news producers for determining what we hear and how, we have things like Last.fm that bring us closer to a network-based musical listening experience and Youtube playlists, enabling users to tell a certain story by preparing a particular sequence of videos for others to view (and comment upon/respond to, accordingly).
This development—the streamlined horizontal addition of one’s own narrative or storytelling touches to things and ideas—is now being carried over to the analog world and it has important implications for the relationship between someone and the brands and people with whom they interact. While there are many facets of this (which I will surely continue to explore in subsequent posts), I wanted to take a moment to make an initial look at one in particular: the “Internet of Things”.
You can think of the Internet of Things as the inclusion of real-world objects to the internet, by virtue of physical sensors, QR codes and RFID tags. I’ll not talk too long on the basics of it and will instead steer you to ReadWriteWeb’s excellent (and persistent) coverage of the emergence of the Internet of Things. Allow me to summarize, as simply as possible, why this is an awesome development for brand strategy: imagine.the.storytelling.potential.
As brand strategists and marketers we always talk about fostering a close relationship between people and the brands they love—this adds a whole new dimension (namely, the 3rd dimension) to such efforts and smart brands will start playing in this space to find out just how it might be utilized by their users. While I envision there being a certain time and place for proprietary Internet of Things uses (see my previous gushing about Icebreaker’s “baacode” as a quasi-Internet-of-Things program), my sense is that much of this will (hopefully) follow the adage that “information wants to be free” and barriers will come down in favor of a ubiquitous and usable interface that crosses brand lines and product categories. A cool new contender: Itizen.
Describing itself as “a place to tell, share & follow the life stories of interesting things,” I think it has a lot of potential. It’s simple: you put one of Itizen’s TRACKit tags (available in stick-on or sew-on, depending upon the nature of the object) on whatever you want, then you register the code on the website and share its story. What it is, why it’s meaningful, where it’s been, and so on. Cool. Fascinating. Powerful.
I first heard about this kind of idea from the founder of Re-Shirt and love how it does more than just share things or even stories—it shares meaning. An opportunity for self-expression, cultivating connections between people on a very deep level: the little bits of life that are interesting and beautiful—(some of) the things that make life worth living. It’s an amazing step back to where we began: passing down stories of the valuable things in our lives, just with a new twist: a digital invitation to put your voice into the story as well.
What are your thoughts? Are people going to get burned out on all of this “sociality”? Do I have the wrong read on the “information wants to be free” thing? What are some of the neatest applications of the Internet of Things that you’ve come across or seen on the horizon? Let me know!
- Caleb
PS – for a great thought experiment regarding products and “sociality” as a factor of the Internet of Things, look here.
A compelling (and depressing) new video from Broken Social Scene, apparently created by one of the band’s many fans. Modern technology gives brands (and bands) the chance to create powerful values-based connections with their audience. Through music, of course, these connections have always been there, but this video is nevertheless a powerful demonstration of what can be created when you connect with and empower your fans to engage with you and your offerings.
I recently came across a blog post by Olivier Blanchard that combined two of my abiding passions: marketing/business and ancient Roman history. Blanchard drew 10 business/marketing/leadership/etc. insights out of the legendary personality of Roman General and Dictator Julius Caesar. As someone who also follows the tech world, I found a valuable tie-in to the recent goings-on in the Apple vs. Adobe saga and I shared a comment to that effect. This matter, however, has still got me thinking about the future of the web and how simple and shrewd Adobe’s response seems to be.
For those who need some background on the whole Apple vs. Adobe matter, you might want to go here. Back? Alright, good. Clever, eh? Adobe got tons of positive publicity for their response and we can see why: it’s simple, fun and speaks to much of the criticism that is increasingly being leveled at Apple for, among other things, their heavy-handed approach to controlling the app store and the way in which users (and developers) can engage content.
Here is the very clever (fake) response that was crafted by @issaco:
Adobe is in a weaker position: their product, Flash, is at the heart of this controversy and in the opinion of many people, it was/is always a little too buggy and resource-intensive. …but it is widely used and incredibly flexible—it served an important need to the internet at a certain time and place. I don’t think I’m going far out on a limb to say that Flash is in a tight spot with the popularity of iPads and iPhones making web designers think twice about resorting to Flash for their websites, not to mention the 400 pound (it’s not 800 pounds yet, but it’s growing) gorilla on the horizon: HTML5. Adobe has even gone so far as to acknowledge this business threat in recent SEC filings, as discussed by engadget.
Because of this, it’s wise for Adobe to take a conciliatory open market tone, since it gives them a position from which they can either graciously bow out if and when HTML5 renders it nearly obsolete, or a means to reassert themselves (however unlikely) after winning a fair fight against yet another contender.
A key point that I’ve always taken away from Caesar’s savvy political (PR) toolkit is: to play for keeps but, nonetheless, be gracious with your competitors.
Over the course of Caesar’s military career and political ascendancy he made a great effort to be (or at least appear) a magnanimous victor. Throughout his military conquests the leaders of the losing army (or even the Senate!) would often expect to receive very harsh treatment (death, torture, expulsion from Rome, etc.) and, with the exception of his triumphal celebration over his defeat of fellow Romans, Caesar usually responded with open arms and fraternal love. This beneficence was received by the public as being indicative of a strong leader who was generous to a fault. In those bloody times they ate it up…
Let’s apply this for a moment: Look at Adobe’s recent response to all of the vitriol it has been receiving from Steve Jobs and Apple. They got tons of positive press and, on a certain level, affection from the tech world for responding to Apple’s hostility with a more cooperative and open message. With public sentiment as on-edge about tech firms having a distinct shortage of old-fashioned probity (for instance: Facebook overstepping its boundaries, Google inadvertently(?!) retaining user information, Apple refusing to sell a disabled woman an iPad when she only had cash, etc.), this was a smart move on Adobe’s part, and a welcome departure.
Ultimately, Caesar’s shrewdness and ability to curry public favor in the face of hostile challenges was, I believe, one of the many lessons that he passed on to Octavian and allowed Augustus to steer Rome out of the civil wars and (for better or worse) onto the track of Imperial rule that would ultimately see it conquer much of the known world. While this one kerfluffle won’t be garnering any triumphal arches for Adobe, it is certainly a move to be studied and celebrated.
Alright, yes, I did just compare the tension between Adobe and Apple to the epic civil war that surrounded the demise of the Roman Republic … overdramatic? Certainly. A good excuse to pull out my pleasure reading in the name of “work”? Damn straight. I think there are some merits to this, though, if only to give me cause to share the back and forth and allow us to revel in a smart response on Adobe’s part and a brilliant (fake) rebuttal.
But you can see why this matters. In their open letter on the matter, Adobe’s co-founders, Chuck Geschke and John Warnock write:
Adobe’s business philosophy is based on a premise that, in an open market, the best products will win in the end — and the best way to compete is to create the best technology and innovate faster than your competitors.
Many generals (and business leaders) understand this fundamental dynamic: be the best and the fastest, or be done. With HTML5’s writing on the walls, this statement allows Adobe to subtly acknowledge that Flash mightn’t be the best product any more, but restating that the decision is for the market to make, not Steve Jobs. Just as Caesar often made broad gestures appealing to the will of the people, Adobe’s shrewd efforts have effectively tried to extract the (sizable) challenges facing Flash from the heavy-handed ‘technocratic’ knockout punch that Steve Jobs keeps trying to lay upon them. Though I don’t envy their position, they are wise to shift the field of battle such that the decision is placed back in front of a public who is feeling increasingly wary of their tech decisions being made for them. -Caleb
Foursquare, the popular social location (SoLo) app (or, as they describe themselves “[…] your favorite, er, mobile + social + friend finder + social city guide + nightlife game thing.”) has just turned one year old. While their growth has been astronomical, there have been some fundamental growing pains that we’ve all seen on the horizon for some time. [note: if you’re not familiar with Foursquare, I’d encourage you to read up here]
While there is much to be said about the way PleaseRobMe pithily encapsulated the privacy and safety issues surrounding the broadcasting of one’s location, I’d like to think out loud about a different issue that has been an elephant in the room that we’ve all been checking into: cheating (or, as Foursquare charitably puts it, “armchair mayors”).
I think it’s safe to say that one of the main reasons that Foursquare has taken off in the social location space is the way that they have made a very clever and fun social game out of the act of the checkin. (to be sure, Gowalla is still very much a player and I’ll be interested to see how the two services [and any other entrants] come to adapt to—and shape—the market and the realm of possibilities in this category) When I first introduce people to the rules and dynamics of Foursquare I often hear the inevitable question: So what’s to stop you from checking in somewhere you haven’t actually been? To which the usual response is: “…but why would you do that? If the basic idea is to let your friends know where you are and where you’ve been, what would be the point of sharing a location that you’re not actually occupying?” The next observation, of course, is to acknowledge that, as Foursquare gains popularity and adoption by businesses, the incentive to fudge one’s location history will become increasingly tempting.
Two of the more common incentives that businesses have come to extend revolve around either discounts every time you show the cashier that you checked in, or a freebie of some sort for the person who is the mayor. While ‘armchair checkins’ won’t mean much to the former category, it can certainly be an issue with the latter. Indeed, the more a mayorship is worth, the greater the likelihood that people will start to feel the temptation to overstate their attendance. In other words, we’ve known that this is a longstanding concern and, as the number of participants increase, the more competitive and contested the whole thing will become.
The problem with Foursquare’s current solution (explained here) is that it’s quite dependent upon two interrelated things that are far from dependable: the accuracy of your phone’s GPS system (or the Foursquare team’s “tricks” for non-GPS phones) and the likelihood that the person who first created the location was standing near the same place as you when you checked in.
I find myself wondering how well this will work for something like a baseball stadium—the same venue might occupy several city blocks—Foursquare will need to come up with a clever solution to this issue. Venue creation is necessarily a product of crowdsourcing, so it’s hard to have a definitive notion of the true extent of a venue’s dimensions. Perhaps they can attribute greater ‘locational leniency’ to venues racking up major checkins?
What about the average coffee shop? I’ve long thought that, as checkins become increasingly contested, venues might start utilizing a checkin code—a short sequence of numbers or letters that, like a changing wi-fi password, is given to you by the cashier when you buy your coffee. It makes cheating a lot harder and, since the Foursquare user is already sure to be stopping by the cashier for their order and the wi-fi password, they’re not put too far out of their way in the process.
Consider the alternative:—just the other day I was chatting with a guy who, while standing at the front door of a coffee shop, had his checkin flagged as being a cheat. He was frustrated not only at the prospect of being deprived of the checkin points (and the potential to close-in on the existing mayor), but was also peeved at the accusation of being dishonest. The experience left such a bad taste in his mouth that he’s since stopped using the app. (note: they do have a cheater code error form for such instances, but I don’t expect many people to go out of their way to fill out a survey every time Foursquare accuses them of cheating).
What I find myself wondering is how this will impact Foursquare’s rate of adoption (and attrition). Because it now requires users to be more precise with their game participation (no more checkins ex post facto) I can see two things happening: frustrated at the increased barrier to participation, some users, disheartened at the loss of points and increased attentiveness required by the new developments, find themselves reducing their investment and ultimately quitting; the committed users who ‘played by the rules’ all along begin to gain more mayorships and rank on the leaderboard as the “armchair mayors” drop like flies.
It will ultimately be a positive development for Foursquare if these two developments come to pass, but only if the company feels it has the momentum to stay ahead of Gowalla, Loopt, Yelp and any other entrants on the horizon. Or, to put it another way, if the SoLo market has, thus far, only seen early adopters (read: more tech-savvy, more willing to deal with UX issues), we can expect that the incoming early majority users might be less amenable to such issues and Foursquare had better get it figured out well—and quickly. It is a precarious endeavor to advocate integrity without sacrificing liberty and enjoyment (indeed, if Foursquare gets it right, they’re likely to have a few politicians [not to mention developers] knocking on their door, asking how it was done), but if they’ve demonstrated anything, the folks at Foursquare have shown that they’re a team of smart, creative and innovative folks—in other words, precisely the sort of people one would expect to do it right.
What are your thoughts? Am I overstating the significance of these moves? What about the varying sizes of venues–how can Foursquare distinguish between large and small venues (if it even needs to)? How about a checkin code–will that be too much to expect of a Foursquare user? I’d love to hear from you, so hit the comments!
I love mass transit and I love Google Maps. I love them both together. LOVE ‘EM. I love Google because they are all about beautiful information and lowered search costs. Google Maps promptly provides gobs of useful information, entertaining streetview images, great bus connection information and, now, it even has bike routing info! One major shortcoming for us mass transit advocates, however, is that Google Maps only knows when the buses are scheduled to arrive, not when they’ll actually arrive. While Trimet buses are pretty decent about on-time performance, these discrepancies are painfully apparent on cold, wet days such as Portland is known for. This is something I’ve often pondered: how can we make mass transit more appealing to more people? I think that reducing the wait time is a pretty good place to start, eh?
Waiting 10 extra minutes for a late bus is not terribly appealing but, as a pro-mass transit car owner, I’d really prefer to not drive to work when the bus can do it for me. What if, instead of waiting for an extra 10 minutes for a late bus, I could know precisely when the bus was actually going to show up? Meet PDXBus. A free iPhone app that, working with the GPS-based location of buses that Trimet themselves use, can tell you just when that (possibly tardy) #72 bus will be gracing your presence in all of its carbon-efficient, crossword-friendly awesomeness.
It’s simple, yet ingenious; clean, yet robust. The best thing is that PDXBus doesn’t reinvent the wheel. The buses already have GPS tracking in them. My phone already has GPS in it. Trimet already knows—and, while it leaves something to be desired, does share—the specifics of when the buses will actually arrive. All that PDXBus does is connect things that already exist: pertinent Trimet information with my location in a manner that is streamlined and intuitive.
PDXBus allows me to know that, instead of spending 10 curbside minutes losing my non-driving eco-resolve, I can sit in my warm, cozy tea shop and amble out right when I need to be there. The full implications of this are not insignificant: by reducing the lag time for picking up a bus, it effectively shortens the time required to make a bus-based trip, thus stripping away some of its disadvantage in relation to driving a car. In other words, it lowers one of the most common barriers to mass transit participation.
True, PDXBus isn’t groundbreaking, but that’s one of the things I like best about it: it demonstrates to all of us that we can make real sustainability inroads today. And all without depending upon congress, eco-coercion or cold fusion. It’s a simple product that might have big implications and it’s precisely these sorts of small, modest and immediately achievable advances that we need to champion. There are, of course, some huge environmental and social problems that require game-changing and adaptive solutions. But some of those will require dozens of years and billions of dollars. PDXBus enables everyday people to streamline their lives and reduce their carbon footprint. Today. For free.
Bravo.
What other simple, useful and accessible solutions have you come across? I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
- Caleb
ps – PDXBus is on Twitter, too. And no, they’re not a client.
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
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.
“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!
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.
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 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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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