Patagonia company

Résumé du document

Nowadays, people increasingly realize that the earth is in danger and that if we keep on damaging it the future generation will face significant problems such as lack of water, of natural resources and global warming. That's why many actions are taken by numerous organisations and that people not only tend to use fair-trade but also involve themselves in environmental causes. Patagonia has been doing it for many years, when people did not even realize that the earth was in jeopardy. It has always taken in account environmental issues by offering good-quality products and avoiding damage on nature. However, today the company is accused of using this environmental commitment as a marketing strategy. Thus, we are going to deal with this business case, in order to make you more familiar with the company. Any sporting or recreational activity that takes place outdoors, as compared to a sport or an activity requiring indoor installations. It is also a sport or an activity directly linked with the nature that is to say away from civilization (e.g. climbing, fishing, canoeing, trekking...).

Extraits

[...] To meet with this new demand Patagonia developed new products with colour and a modern design. Two brand within Patagonia has been developed, Watergirl (women surfing) and Lotus (paddling). Moreover to meet the need Patagonia worked closely with its suppliers to develop new fabrics like Synchillafleece®, Capilene® base layers and regulator insulation. Finally to meet consumer need Patagonia's products have to be long-lasting and strong. But they have to be also light, supple, comfortable against the skin and easy to care. [...]

[...] They are not members of the company but they can be environmentally friendly i.e. there is a varying degree of involvement The soft-core loyals. These customers will potentially switch from one channel to another one on every purchase occasion. They usually buy these products by impulse because it is fashion. They use these clothes in the city centre and not to do outdoor activities. C. Competitors The French market The main competitors in France are Decathlon with its manufacturer's brand name Quechua which owns a 20% share of the market; Columbia with share of the market; Eider with share of the market. [...]

[...] The bad image of Patagonia Some actions supported by Chouinard and Patagonia are criticized by some category of people: for example, it is not really “allowed” (or well viewed) to be behind an organization which militate for the birth control in a puritan America! Patagonia took a risk on a social topic and received insult letters. The company should take care about its actions and should concentrate on environmental issues but not on social problems if it wants to keep a good image face to a majority. But also the environment problems could be an obstacle for the firm, for example the case when the support of an association against deforestation in Canada provoked the anger of woodcutters in this country. [...]

[...] Therefore, the dominating group of consumers is still the baby boomers The echo boomers or Generation Y (those born between 1980 and 1995). This generation participates less in outdoor activities but this is a dominating consumer group Nowadays, less than 10% of those aged 16 to 24 participated in outdoor activities. Men, who have a good social and occupational situation, are the main group that does outdoor activities. However, young women are increasingly interested in outdoor recreations because they are mainly interested in fitness activities. Groups of consumers Three groups of consumers. o Sportsmen or sportswomen. They usually buy technical products. [...]

[...] Maybe the strong character of Chouinard and his obsession of protect the environment could be a threat for the brand Conclusion To conclude, until now Patagonia has been successful but the market is changing. All the more so as Patagonia is a long-established company which could be seen as old-fashion by the new generations. Moreover, competition is even stronger, now that being environmentally friendly is trendy. While Patagonia is becoming a mature brand, R.E.I is launching a new range of eco-sensitive products and is carrying of Mother Nature. But is Patagonia able to cope with such aggressive competitors? [...]