Remember the days of fashion articles, when instead of watching “shopping hauls” on YouTube we read about “investment pieces?” We would buy a few key pieces a year, perhaps a well-tailored blazer, a quality shoes, and perhaps a day-to-evening dress made of a 3-season wool. These pieces were commitments to our careers, and made shopping a thoughtful process. We planned our purchases to be classic and well-made so they would last us a long time.
Outdoor equipment and clothing is still purchased with quality and longevity in mind, in particular, if one is investing in a Patagonia item. I know personally the Patagonia purchases I’ve made were thoughtful, and are still cherished. Patagonia is at a price point and a quality level where their customers are loyal. With Patagonia’s Worn Wear program, it has even more financially prudent to invest in their gear.
If all of that wasn’t enough, Patagonia invests in their own customers instead of in advertising. In a recent media buy in Montana local television & radio, something Patagonia never does for advertising, they’ve invested in saving Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments in Utah, and Gold Butte and Basin and Range National Monuments in Nevada by running commercials to save these beautiful public lands.
Why now and why Montana? Montana is the home state of Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke. On August 24th, Secretary of the Interior Zinke makes his decision on the remaining 21 national monuments. If these public lands do not remain public, they may be lost to outdoors enthusiasts forever, not to mention the ecological impact on these places.
In a statement, Patagonia President and CEO Rose Marcario said, “The national monuments under review are a critical part of our national heritage and these lands belong not just to us, but to future generations. We stand with the millions of Americans who spoke out in support of keeping protections in place for public lands. We hope Secretary Zinke will remember his roots and his words and protect these ‘national treasures.’”
A brand that guarantees their equipment, invests in sustainability in manufacturing, and spends their advertising funds on the American people? That is doing it right.