Sustainability, a strategy to have a profitable business
The Veja sneaker brand teaches that it can be scaled in the market with sustainable production and without investing in advertising thanks to the new “green” trends.
Many of the most famous and globally positioned companies are changing their products towards more sustainable ones, however, many of these strategies remain only in environmentally friendly packaging. Although these types of changes are necessary and appreciated, there are brands that are going further, since they understand that the consumer seeks a comprehensive change in the way in which the product they are buying is made.
From chocolates that do not destroy any species or ecosystems in their production, through eggs from chickens that are not tortured, to slippers whose manufacture is not linked to the exploitation of the environment or the workers who are responsible for the production process, such as Veja case. These shoes, rather than being made exclusively of environmentally friendly materials, every step of the production process is meticulously cared for in a way that is entirely sustainable, ethical and human.
The name Veja comes from Portuguese and means “Mira”, where the founders wanted to express a literal message “Look how your shoes are made”. And this claim can fortunately be allowed with property since its philosophy is leveraged in fair trade where they seek that from the worker who is responsible for producing organic cotton, through supply and packaging, to distributors obtain monetary rewards human, fair and proportional to the work done by them. At the same time, it takes into account details such as space resources, which is why they work with a green electricity cooperative (ENERCOOP), as well as are allies of “Ateliers Sans Frontières” that is presented as an organization that is responsible for helping and reintroduce people with legal backgrounds or vices such as drugs or alcohol to the labor market and, consequently, to society.
This is where the most frequent question comes … If everything is so perfect, it should cost a fortune, isn’t it? The answer is yes. The costs of these shoes are about four times higher than
Some that are not sustainable. However, to keep prices accessible to the masses, they use as a strategy not to invest a penny in advertising. It seems like it doesn’t make much sense, right? The truth is that since the first quarter of 2019 they have positioned themselves as the most desired shoes by bloggers and Instagram personalities.
Regarding this strategy, its co-founder, Sébastien Kopp, stressed that it is not worth investing in advertising if those costs would be even higher than those of shoe production. Thus they concluded that, similarly, word of mouth is the most powerful form of advertising, and there they were right because, thanks to their ecofriendly practices, consumers have made known their different products and, right now, they are fever Instagram
Sustainability is the future and Veja teaches us in the best way that a brand can be socially and environmentally responsible while remaining profitable and recognized worldwide.