It is a very hip outdoor brand for the MZ generation these days.
Patagonia is a brand that is gladly cherished by the MZ generation (the young generation born in the late 1980s to 2000s) who pursue “meaning out.”*
* Meaning out is a combination of the words Meaning and Coming out, meaning beliefs, and refers to consumption habits that reveal one’s political and social tendencies through consumption.
“I feel like an environmentalist when I’m wearing Patagonia!”
Patagonia’s products are more expensive than other companies in the same product line, but they are on the road to success, recording an average annual growth rate of 35% over the past three years. The secret to success lies in Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Chouinard.
As a boy, the founder of Patagonia had several nicknames:
The kid who flunks out of school
The boy who causes all kinds of trouble in the village
The son who goes out and stays out
Totally unwilling to fit in with society, Yvon liked exploring nature in solitude. He enjoyed rock climbing, sneak fishing on golf course lakes, and heading out to surf when surf’s up.
Hobby Turns into Talent
In the 1960s, there was no proper rock-climbing equipment. Yvon started making his own rock-climbing equipment in a smithy built from a converted barn house.
Many times, the nail in the wall broke or the rope got tangled around his hands and feet, and several times he almost lost his life. In the end, Yvon designed and manufactured equipment optimized for rock-climbing.
Sustainability in Korea’s Manure
After reaching adulthood, Yvon served in Korea as a USFK (United States Forces Korea) soldier. Some peculiar behavior of Korean people caught his attention. Even in the biting winter cold in a land barren after the war, despite the scarcity of firewood, Koreans continued to fertilize the rice fields.
They explained, “This is to fertilize the land so it can be used for generations to come.”
Such is the attitude of Koreans toward life: considering future generations even in the midst of extreme poverty. Yvon Chouinard was very impressed by the Koreans he met. This lesson of sustainability he learned from the manure became the foundation of Patagonia’s philosophy.
Founding of Sustainable “Patagonia”
“Exotic rock-climbing expert Yvon Chouinard”
As Yvon’s reputation grew, people began to take an interest in his rock-climbing equipment. Yvon, who was selling spare equipment from time to time, went into business.
“Chouinard Equipment” This was Yvon’s first start-up company.
Yvon discovered one flaw in the company as business began to boom: The fact that the pitons* he manufactured would gradually destroy the mountains.
*piton: a mountaineer’s nail for fastening the rope to a rock wall
So Yvon courageously withdrew from the piton business, which had accounted for 70% of his total earnings. The direction of management philosophy Yvon had in mind was to enjoy and to be in harmony with nature. After much soul-searching, the rock-climbing equipment product lines were shut down and “Patagonia” was established on a new track as a clothing firm.
Business is Only a Means; The Earth is the End
“Earth is our largest shareholder: production without harming the environment”
This is the first principle for any decision-making in Patagonia.
Knowing that cotton pesticides and fertilizers pollute the environment, it is produced with 100% organic cotton. Since the new method of processing fossil fuels is more eco-friendly than other raw materials, clothes are manufactured from waste nets. And because the best environmental protection is to consume less, the aim is to develop clothes that will last for 100 years.
Although he faced numerous crises due to such radical policy changes, he continued his policy of “eco-friendly management” unswervingly. Today, Patagonia’s reputation has proven that Yvon’s eco-philosophy is right.
To Expand Sustainable Management
Since its establishment, Patagonia has donated at least 1% of total sales to environmental campaigns and maintained the policy of donating 1% of sales even if it meant a loss.
Yvon created the “1% for the Planet”* campaign to engage surrounding businesses.
* One Percent for the Planet is an international organization whose members donate at least 1% of their annual turnover to environmental campaigns to protect the environment.
In 2011, he founded the Sustainable Apparel Coalition. It is part of an effort to improve and evaluate the stages of raw materials, production, delivery, and recycling so that our business activities do not affect the environment.
Patagonia is now the standard for eco-friendly management.
“Patagonia has the means and the will to prove to businesses around the world that we can create profitable businesses that are also eco-friendly toward our planet.”
– Yvon Chouinard –
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