Being responsible – economically, environmentally, socially – is not news. It’s expected. It should be a part of every brand’s business. But how should responsibility be reflected in your brand voice?
How a brand speaks about responsibility, and how it is embedded into its very personality, is more than just a great way to talk about what your brand promises – it elevates responsibility to be an integral part of your brand.
Take PUMA, for instance. Its vision – or PUMAVision™ – promises to be Fair, Honest, Positive and Creative. Great words. But how is PUMA living up to this promise?
Look no further than the Clever Little Bag. PUMA worked with industrial designer Yves Behar, and turned packaging on its head to create “the smartest shoe box ever.” The box became a bag.
According to the video, the statistics on the positive impact this will have on the environment are astounding. And further, Brandweek notes “the sneaker brand may also take its claim as a green innovator in the category and woo some consumers for whom sustainability is a major purchase consideration.”
But it’s how PUMA is talking about the Clever Little Bag that’s really caught our attention.
The new packaging not only looks great, the language it uses stamps the brand’s personality squarely over the innovation. Take its traditional plastic bag wrapped T-shirt. Printed in large bold type, the bag reads: “I’m half the bag I used to be.” Look a little closer, and here’s what you find in the fine print: “This bag uses 50 percent less material because we folded the t-shirt one more time…” Going back to PUMAVision™, the language is Honest, Positive, Creative.
If sustainability and responsibility have become an expected cost of doing business for brands today, it’s no longer necessary to scream it, greenwash it or be self-righteous about it. Now we’re looking for brands that simply do it – and that don’t lose their essence (or their sense of humor) in the telling.
