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Ross' background includes work with a range of companies both large and small and both within active/outdoor and textiles as well as other industries. Years ago, Ross worked on creative direction with Nau, an innovative startup in the outdoor space with a big goal: let's make everything sustainable! "But a focus on the supply chain helped define that message," recalls Ross. Client Kodiak Cakes is a current example of how to brand effectively. Ross states, "In a world filled with doom and gloom, it's refreshing when a company presents a serious topic in a light playful way that stays on brand yet pushes the message. A good example is Kodiak Cakes' video on wildlife conservation and protecting Kodiak bears. "You want messaging that gets talked about," says Ross. "ere's nothing better than to hear about your brand through someone else." Rusch gives a shout out to the hunt and fishing category as doing climate branding well. He elaborates that these brands can connect directly to planet positive causes like river res- torations, habit improvements and/ or building nesting pods for raptors. He offers Simms as an example of a brand "doing good without being politically charged or preachy." According to Rusch, in the hunt/fish sectors there's the advantage of focus. Something textile makers are not likely to have. States Rusch, "Most mills make products for virtually every sector so it's harder to zero in on their sweet spot. As a result they pivot to more vague concepts like green or sustainability." Rusch learned early on in his career when working in textiles at Land's End that there are multiple steps within every product, so one little opportunity to improve one little step can make a difference. at's where the textile industry is challenged today: to connect the dots between the tech- nology and the marketing and/or context and why that's a better thing, and importantly, how it benefits the consumer. Execs agree that if textile makers can make that connection and engage consumers, then consumers may pay a higher price because the product is meaningful to them. Staying On Brand & Off Cliche e average t-shirt travels 17,000 miles from raw material to finished product. In comparison, the average Recover Brands t-shirt travels 250 miles from raw material to finished product. A recent Recover Brands promotion, the "Local Supply Cycle" makes a compelling case showing – not just telling – how hyper local manufac- turing can make an impact on reducing carbon footprint. Recover Brands founder and president Bill Johnston along with a handful of others, biked the company's 250-mile Carolina supply chain in a day, a route that took the cyclists, and film crew, from Yadkinville to Recover headquarters in Charlotte, with pit stops along the way at partner factories. e Local Supply Cycle featured on Recover Brands podcast, allowing the business to reach a broader audience with their sustainability story. e podcast, which just recorded its 10th episode, invites organizations and Recover Brands' partners to be guests on the broad- cast and share perspectives on environmental programs and initiatives. An episode with the Catawba River Keepers offered listeners tips on sustainability. Recover Brands was founded 12 years ago with a mission and passion to educate and protect the environment. "is is our DNA, our being, and at the core what we do," Johnston adds. "We are in constant pursuit to do things better. And make sustainability relatable and appealing to the masses." Recover Brands recently launched its Closed Loop program, a user-friendly, take back initia- tive. "People throw away 81 pounds of textile waste annually," states Johnston. "We want people to understand the problem, and en- courage buying quality product so they reduce consumption." Recover Brands' authenticity approach rings true with Hauptman: "If you pursue sustain- ability for genuine reasons, not for marketing, and it's not for sales, then it's making an impact. When you try to chase things, it becomes just "the flavor of the day." In 2017 Hauptman's firm helped establish Maine Outdoor Brands, an alliance of outdoor experience companies and nonprofits that share a common mission of growing the outdoor recreation industry. Recently Blaze Partners achieved BCorp status. Hauptman advocates for other companies to follow that path as it proves helpful to fully understand a corporate framework and its impact. Asked whether climate branding generates sales, or builds trust and good will, Hauptman responds, "Let's be real here, you are going to give up some dollars but hopefully you are going to gain some trust. at said, you can't rest on climate alone, you have to make a damn good product." n "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." Jim Hauptman, Blaze Partners "We are in constant pursuit to do things better. And make sustainability appealing to the masses." Bill Johnston, Recover Brands 46 • November/December 2022 sportstyle • sportstylemag.com DESIGN / SUSTAINABILITY

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