The power of transparency

Pretty much everything that is a threat also has an opportunity, certainly in the marketing world. You simply need a different perspective.

The growing voice of the consumers (see the Brand Terrorist entry below) is overtly a threat to markets, as it blows through the carefully constructed marketing story to expose the usually less palatable truth.

The opportunity here is to take the initiative. One of the key objectives of any brand is to build consumer trust in its values. So rather than make up a marketing story that exaggerates or spins the truth, why not just tell the truth in the first place?

Patagonia have taken this approach to their environmental credentials in The Footprint Chronicals, a website that puts their carbon footprint under the microscope. The overt message is that everything they produce has a supprisingly large carbon footprint (transport of raw and finished products being the largest contributor). But the point is makes it that they are aware of this and are working to minimise wherever possible, as long as it doesn't impact the quality of their products adversely. By implication, other clothing has a similar impact, but the producers don't know, or don't care.

Certainly the honesty in the approach impressed me.