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44 • November/December 2022 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com e Good, the Bad, and the Effectiveness of Climate Branding. By Emily Walzer DESIGN / SUSTAINABILITY R emember when an image of a green leaf on a product told the story of sustainability? Or the mention of bluesign certification defined a brand's eco cred? Even if you missed out on those early days of eco-friendly messag- ing it's obvious that the industry has entered a new era of sustainability communication. With seemingly every brand under the sun pushing planet-positive initiatives and corporate carbon reduction goals, making an impact is no longer a single shade of green. e rise of social media, and with it, a greater need for industry transparency, has prompted companies to take it upon themselves to cham- pion environmental actions and values. ese paradigm shis provided a pathway for today's sustainability storytelling. "It is more table stakes these days that you have to have some sort of sustainability message in your narrative. It's almost if you are not talking about it you're conspicuous," comments Jim Hauptman, man- aging partner, Blaze Partners, Falmouth, ME. He explains that brands are always looking for ways to create loyalty among their customers. And more trust. "at transparency is so prev- alent, because of the internet and social media, you can see anything and (brands) get called out on everything." Hauptman continues, "It forces everyone to play at a higher level, and brands need to be consistent and deliberate in their actions." However, in the chase to be "green," sus- tainability has become ubiquitous. "Beyond climate, when you take a step back, the word that seems to have lost all meaning, is sustain- ability," remarks Rick Rusch of R2 Branding based in Colorado. "In my opinion, climate branding or sustainability or eco-friendly or green, they are overused and empty terms, and then a negative in my opinion for textile brands to use — without the right context." Indeed, context is key. Rusch says, and others agree, that climate-friendly claims are meaning- less unless they can be quantified, qualified or put in context. "Now when it comes to selling sustainability you need to back it up," says Allison Ross, founder and creative director of Yesterday.rip, an independent brand/design consultancy based in Brooklyn, NY. "You need to connect the dots to make the message stick." For example, greenwashing was easy when brands said things like, "we are un-polluting the water." To be effective Ross suggests creating a direct link to a specific water pollution issue that is culturally relevant. At Recover Brands, process and product are on equal footing. Company founder Bill Johnston shares, "Sustainability is so much more than just the materials used. We get into the where, the how and the what of carbon footprint reduction." Connecting the Dots in Storytelling Sustainability has had a slower on ramp in textiles than other industries, like food or hybrid vehicles that have clear benefits to the customer whether that be toxic-free vegetables or savings on gasoline. With textiles sustainability is less straightforward, according to Ross, who be- lieves that textile brands go narrow and deep to communicate their sustainability stance, versus a scattershot approach, in a manner that stays true to brand identity and uses cultural context to connect with its audience. MAKING AN IMPACT

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