A mission statement that inspires

Patagonia’s new mission statement is, “We’re in business to save our home planet.” This subtle change in wording takes their brand beyond the products they sell. It helps express their drive to truly protect our environment.

I’m sure there are many people like me who are passionate about the outdoors and the environment, and who want to help make a difference. What better way than to let us be both selfish and serving? When I buy a product at Patagonia, not only will I get amazing quality, an ironclad guarantee, and the comfort of knowing that they follow low-environmental-impact manufacturing principles, but I’m also helping to preserve our planet.

I know, it sounds like a stretch, but I don’t think so. If you’ve watched Patagonia over the years, you will have seen that they’ve been actively involved in creating awareness for environmental concerns, endorsing politicians who seek to preserve the natural world and so on—the exact opposite of other companies who seek to exploit workers and drive down costs by any means possible.

Now I’m embarrassed to say I’ve never bought their products. I’ve been hiking, backpacking, and exploring the outdoors all my life, meeting people on the trail that referred to Patagonia as “Patagucci” because of their pricing. That was enough for me to stay away.
Until now. I’m looking at a replacing a backpacking jacket that I bought over 18 years ago. It’s been a loyal friend, but maybe it’s time for it to retire. I think I paid a couple hundred dollars for it. Amortized over 18 years, that’s an investment of $11 per year. Or if you break it down per trip, more like $5 per trip.

So when I’m looking at Patagonia’s $699 M’s Primo Down Jacket, not only am I considering the amortized value over the long run, but I’m looking at how my purchase will help our planet. That’s true brand experience design. Well done Patagonia. EMPATH would love to work with you.

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