Building Call It Spring’s Brand Purpose Strategy
Yulu led the brand purpose strategy development for Aldo Group brand, Call It Spring, working with the global shoe and accessories brand since early 2019 to drive communications behind the brand’s transition to becoming fully vegan, and to develop more comprehensive brand purpose strategy to be embedded across all aspects of the brand in both the short and long term. Yulu has been working on an ongoing basis to help communicate commitments and steps taken in the brand’s sustainability and social purpose journey.
THE CHALLENGE
As a global brand within the Aldo Group, a company rooted in purpose with a number of social and environmental initiatives already in place, Call It Spring wanted to expand its position as a youth-focused brand offering stylish, affordable products, by offering increasingly sustainable options to a more conscious consumer. There is, however, a level of skepticism in the fashion industry when it comes to global brand claiming better sustainability. As a result, Call It Spring needed to tread carefully with a well-thought-out strategy, messaging and positioning that authentically and transparently speaks to its current initiatives, desired impact, and tangible goals.
THE STRATEGY
Beginning with a deep dive into the brand and the complex world of fashion and sustainable fashion, Yulu conducted a number of stakeholder interviews as well as industry benchmarking to uncover best practices and potential challenges the brand may face when progressing in its sustainability journey. During this strategic research process, it became clear that the fashion footwear industry lacked clear standards in defining sustainability, resulting in consumers often being misguided to believe that vegan = sustainable, which is not always the case. Yulu recommended that Call It Spring lead with transparency and humble authenticity, positioning itself as a brand going to significant effort to become more sustainable while still understanding and owning that it has a way to go. Yulu identified an opportunity for CIS to leverage its existing heritage of being part of a certified climate neutral company, as well as having FSC-approved packaging and being PETA-approved vegan, using these achievements as a launchpad from which to communicate its roadmap to becoming more sustainable, with follow-on announcements of removing single-use bags from stores, and launching the brand’s first sustaibaly vegan styles. Phase two of the brand purpose strategy focused on building an internal taskforce to embed purpose, both social and environmental, across the brand’s department teams, ensuring actionable steps were clear and accountable, continuing to challenge the brand to create a better tomorrow.