Black Friday CSR

Corporate social responsibility is a huge component of modern day corporate PR. It is widely accepted that not only is CSR good for society but it is also good for business. Consumers have become more savvy and critical to CSR efforts wanting to know where funding goes or if actions are being taken in the spirit that the company has advertised.

Patagonia, an outdoor/active wear clothing company has put our capitalist nature into good use by donating 100% of its Black Friday sales to underfunded, grassroots environmental organizations (Patagonia, 2016). They are calling this a “fundraiser for the earth” and using the hashtag #loveourplanet.

Originally they anticipated $2 million in sales but sold 5 times that amount for a total of $10 million dollars. Patagonia is a profitable company not only for their quality gear but for their friendly business and manufacturing practices.

While some of us may be thinking “ouch” reading the pricetag on this movement, it was undoubtedly a strong iteration of who they are as a company and as a global citizen. As we know, authenticity is one of the most important marketing tools and this was an authentic movement executed flawlessly. Patagonia has a strong history of supporting environmental causes and being vocal about them as well, further attracting their target audience.

Patagonia knows their strong millenial customer base will not be strongly motivated at half ass CSR attempts that other companies employ. Millenials want to know that the money is going to where they say it is going and they want a full commitment.

Only time will tell if the long term effects are as positive as the donation is large but just like they offer a lifetime warranty on their products, they undoubtedly have gained lifetime customers through their efforts on Black Friday.

PR-wise, do you think the company could have benefitted just as well by offering to donate 50%? I think not.

References:

Marcario, R. (2016). Record-breaking Black Friday Sales to Benefit the Planet. Retrieved December 03, 2016, from http://www.patagonia.com/blog/2016/11/record-breaking-black-friday-sales-to-benefit-the-planet/