How to Approach Black Friday as a Sustainable Brand
November 8, 2024
Share
Black Friday is often associated with consumerism and environmental harm due to excessive waste and unsustainable business practices.
For sustainable brands, this poses a dilemma: How do you leverage the largest shopping day of the year while staying true to your eco-conscious values?
In this blog post, we’ll explore how sustainable brands like Patagonia, Girlfriend Collective, and others have redefined Black Friday, creating marketing strategies that align with their missions.
We’ll also share actionable steps on how your sustainable brand can embrace Black Friday without compromising your ethics.
Sustainable brands face unique challenges during Black Friday. The high demand for discounts, promotions, and fast shipping can clash with core values like environmental responsibility, ethical production, and mindful consumption.
However, it’s possible to navigate these challenges by focusing on community building, thoughtful consumption, and transparency.
Patagonia made headlines in 2011 by running a bold Black Friday ad in The New York Times with the headline: “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” This campaign urged customers to think twice before making a purchase, highlighting the environmental cost of production.
By taking this counterintuitive approach, Patagonia reinforced its commitment to sustainability, driving home the message that buying less is better for the planet. This not only increased brand loyalty but also positioned them as a leader in the sustainability space.
This year, Patagonia launched a 45-minute film, The Shitthropocene, highlighting consumerism and how to overcome it.
Reformation, a leader in sustainable fashion, takes a creative twist on Black Friday by offering less of a discount the more a customer buys. This initiative discourages overconsumption while still participating in the holiday shopping event.
Reformation's approach illustrates how a brand can participate in Black Friday sales while promoting responsible shopping habits. Their messaging reinforces that sustainable shopping isn’t about overindulgence but rather thoughtful purchases.
Allbirds, the eco-friendly shoe company, took a different approach by using Black Friday to donate instead of discount. For every purchase made on Black Friday, Allbirds matched the discount given with a donation to environmental causes, such as the Audubon Society—a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the conservation of birds and their habitats—which aligns closely with the Allbirds brand.
This kind of initiative allows brands to participate in Black Friday while maintaining a commitment to sustainability and social good, enhancing both customer engagement and brand loyalty.
Girlfriend Collective, known for its eco-friendly activewear made from recycled materials, turned Black Friday into an opportunity for customers to recycle their old clothing. Instead of pushing sales, they offered store credits in exchange for returned items, which were then recycled into new products.
This approach not only promoted the brand’s circular economy model but also incentivised customers to make environmentally friendly choices, all while staying engaged with the brand.
Rei, the purpose driven outdoor co-op has the tagline “Uncommon Path” on its website. In 2015 they chose to take the very uncommon path travelled by retailers nationwide and launched their #optoutside campaign, closing their doors, giving their employees the day off and encouraging them and consumers alike to go outside, rather than spend the day shopping.
The unprecedented campaign was so impactful it inspired 170 other companies and organisations to do the same. In 2022, the recognized leading retailer in sustainability practices announced they would be closing their doors every Black Friday indefinitely, including pausing processing online payments and order fulfilment.
This bold approach against consumerism solidified REI’s stance on sales vs sustainable practices. This move, similarly to Patagonia, made them a well respected leader in the sustainable retail space.
Key Takeaways
Based on the successful examples of brands like Patagonia, Girlfriend Collective, and Allbirds, your sustainable brand can create a Black Friday campaign that resonates with conscious consumers. Here are actionable steps:
Align your Black Friday strategy with your brand's mission. Are you focused on reducing waste, encouraging recycling, or giving back? Whatever your goal, make sure it reflects your values.
Not every Black Friday campaign needs to be about slashing prices. You can promote recycling programs, or donate a percentage of sales to an environmental cause. Another discount-free option is to offer exclusive access to your eco-friendly products or release limited-edition items made from sustainable products. This allows you to still create exclusive Black Friday opportunities for consumers, without compromising your values.
Remind your customers that buying fewer, higher-quality items is better for the planet. Highlight the durability and sustainability of your products, and encourage customers to invest in pieces that will last and only buy what they need.
Be open about your supply chain, environmental impact, and production processes. Consumers appreciate transparency and are more likely to support brands that are honest about their practices and acknowledge where there is room for growth.
There are several effective ways to promote your brand's Black Friday campaign. From partnering with people in your local and online community to expand your reach, to highlighting select products to attract your customers’ attention. Below are a few ways to boost your campaign message and spread the word.
Partner with influencers who share your brand values to amplify your Black Friday campaign. Look for eco-conscious bloggers, YouTubers, or Instagram influencers who can spread the word to like-minded audiences. However, make sure to vet them properly, as you don’t want to fall into the trap of greenwashing influencers.
Leverage your social media platforms to educate your audience about the importance of sustainable shopping. Share statistics on the environmental impact of transient goods, low-durability products and excessive consumption, and explain how your brand is working to make a difference.
Consider collaborating with a nonprofit organization to donate a portion of your Black Friday sales to an environmental or social cause. This not only reinforces your commitment to sustainability but also gives your customers a reason to feel good about their purchases.
Once your sustainable products have been sold, your brand’s sustainability campaign doesn’t have to end there. Below are a few ways to keep your Black Friday message going even after your product has left your store.
Shipping is a significant contributor to environmental waste during Black Friday. Offer carbon-neutral shipping options or encourage customers to choose slower, more eco-friendly delivery methods.
Ensure that your Black Friday orders are shipped in minimal, eco-friendly packaging. Consider using recyclable or compostable materials, or even better, repurpose packaging from your suppliers as a lot of zero-waste shops do, and avoid unnecessary plastics.
Black Friday shouldn’t be the only time you highlight your brand’s sustainable practices. Ensure our commitment to sustainability is evident year-round through your marketing, packaging, and product design.
Keep the momentum going after Black Friday by engaging your customers with a follow-up automated email campaign. Encourage them to share how they’re using the products they bought with you on social and provide additional incentives for eco-friendly actions.
As a sustainable brand, your approach to Black Friday can be an opportunity to strengthen your values, engage with your community, and contribute to a larger movement of conscious consumption. Brands like Patagonia, Girlfriend Collective, and Allbirds have shown that it’s possible to balance profitability with purpose. By creating thoughtful, purpose-driven campaigns, your brand can turn Black Friday into a celebration of sustainability.
If you need help with your sustainable and ethical marketing campaign, without the greenwashing, drop us a line. We have experience working with sustainable DTC brands like INKA and we’d be happy to help you. Check out case studies.
