In this article:
- Patagonia expands its wine offering as an extension of its environmental concerns and way to win over customers.
You may not automatically connect an outdoorsy clothing company with a line of wines as well as other comestibles, but there is a method to the apparent madness.
In a modern twist of the old adage of how to get to a man’s heart, edibles and potables are proving a powerful way to foster brand loyalty, particularly for the younger demographic.
Patagonia’s founder, Yvon Couinard, addressed the question of why he launched Patagonia Provisions head-on in a post entitled “Why Food?” that was updated last year:
I’ve been a longtime doom-bat about humanity’s prospects if we continue on the path we’re on now. As I write this, the pandemic we’re experiencing has warned me that perhaps the days of buying expensive gear and plane tickets to travel halfway around the world to fish, ski, climb and surf may be over, if not greatly reduced. But we still need to eat. In fact, I think the only revolution we’re likely to see is in agriculture, and I want to be a part of that revolution.
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He noted the looming depletion of nutrients and taste in agriculture, which even extends to the organic movement:
Big Organic, which started out with good intentions, is now dominated by large companies searching for ways to grow more food and increase profit margins through technology. Sound familiar? If that’s the future, I say good luck trying to make decent wine from hydroponically grown grapes.
In light of the Couinard’s concerns about the environment and the outlook for crops, particularly grape harvests, he considers wine production to be both on brand and good business. That take was reiterated in an interview by Morning Brew with the head of Patagonia Provision, Brigit Cameron.
She explained that the customers for Patagonia Provision skew a bit younger than those for the apparel. But there also is crossover:
“So we’re seeing new people come into the movement, through our food, and that’s interesting. There’s definitely a following from Patagonia, the apparel side,” Cameron noted.
In this way, customers who share the values of sustainability can find common ground between the apparel and the provisions. Plus, as the founder admitted, the market for the apparel can be curtailed by pandemic conditions, but the demand for food and drink is always strong, as he wrote in 2020:
As I write this, the pandemic we’re experiencing has warned me that perhaps the days of buying expensive gear and plane tickets to travel halfway around the world to fish, ski, climb and surf may be over, if not greatly reduced. But we still need to eat. In fact, I think the only revolution we’re likely to see is in agriculture, and I want to be a part of that revolution.