By Mark Schaefer
I first learned about online retailer Everlane from a close friend. She raved about the honesty and transparency of the company — every clothing item on the site comes with a break-down of the actual cost of the product, with links to where the item is manufactured. She became a fan because the company is disrupting the traditional economic model of retailing.
Now, Everlane founder Michael Preysman is on another mission — to eliminate plastic from the company’s supply chain. Every company employee is obsessed with eliminating plastic, as reported in this Fast Company article.
Everlane is launching a sneaker brand called Tread that attempts to have minimal environmental impact. It partnered with The New York Times to share facts on climate change.
But here’s the part of the story that connected with me on a personal level. Preysman was trying to find something to eat at an airport and bought McDonald’s hamburgers because they were the only item he could find that wasn’t wrapped in plastic. This is a great example of how a company is congruent with its environmental stand, and an example of values-based marketing at its best. He demonstrating that big changes start with small acts like this.
This story connected to me deeply on an emotional level because it was:
- Interesting — This leader is walking the talk
- Relevant — I’m interested in the environment
- Authentic — This was not a story manufactured by a PR factory.
Those are the elements of a story primed for transmission! Buying a hamburger to reduce an environmental footprint became a story I am now transmitting to you. I have become the marketing department for Everlane.
And, I went to their site and bought a jacket.
But here is where it gets interesting. What happens when Everlane employees are obsessing over eliminating plastic instead of doing their actual jobs? Or, has this become the job?
On the new episode of The Marketing Companion, Brooke Sellas observes that Everlane is exhibiting many characteristics on a non-profit. Is that a glimpse of the future of marketing? Will we be seeing successful companies organize and operate more like a non-profit?
Such an interesting discussion. You won’t want to miss this episode!
But wait! There’s more!
- ASMR is a new marketing and YouTube sensation. Never heard of it? Don’t worry. You’ll get a full-on demonstration on this episode!
- The retail apocalypse is upon us. If you depend on a brick-and-mortar business, what can you do to survive?
- Karen Quintos is Dell’s Chief Customer Officer. She explains why listening and serving is key to marketing success.
Click here to dive into this amazing show!
Click on this link to listen to Episode 160
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Many thanks to our friend Scott Monty for the awesome show intro. Be sure to check out his amazing newsletter The Full Monty and his new podcast available here: fullmontyshow.com.
