Rethinking Everlane on the Nine by Nine Report: Part 2 of Nine by Nine Retrospect

Jul 31, 2020

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What makes a brand meaningful? We sought to answer this question in our recent report, Nine by Nine: 81 Brands Changing Our World. In this episode, Part 2 of 2, we sit down and reflect on the report and the categories included.

See Part 1: Episode 165: What Makes A Brand Meaningful?

Purpose Driven Brands

Purpose driven brands are focused on having alignment with their worldview. They state a purpose behind their brand and provide that to their customers. They make it clear what kind of world they want to build and are actively working to achieve that world.
For these consumers, they base their purchasing on their lens through which they see their world, which is especially true for Gen Z and millennials.
CEO and co-founder of Good On You says in the report that “It just goes back to having a core purpose and a core connection to the person that your brand is intended to serve and the problem that your brand is intending to solve.”
REI is number one on our list because they’re doing so much more than just sustainability and ecology - even if they are a retailer and not a DTC brand.
Bowery Farming is on the list - they do indoor farming without pesticides. Bowery Farming is tech centric and tech forward, using less water and producing more food in a more sustainable way.
Sunday, who was recently on the podcast, gives a better understanding of home and garden from a philosophical perspective.

Late Stage Retail

As retail has developed, we’ve seen more companies move to capture attention through subversive techniques, FOMO, etc. for conversion rate optimization.
From the report: “These retail heroes are seeking to uplift underserved communities, create and market sustainable products, pay their employees a living wage and treat their suppliers ethically and fairly. They’re the founders of numerous DTC brands who are focusing on sustainable and ethical products, B Corp certified companies and even members of the Business Roundtable, which recently redefined the purpose of a corporation that speaks directly to our Future Commerce values.”
Patagonia is at the top of this list for many reasons - they have stood against the encroachment of federal property on native lands, they’ve stood for Black Lives Matter, and they’ve led the movement of countercultural anti Black Friday events.
This category is all about doing right by all people all the way across the board - even to your own detriment.
After releasing the report, Everlane has undergone heavy criticism because of their practices - which in rethinking our list, they should not be included.

Audience First

This category belongs to those brands who create an audience and then market products, goods, or services to them - like Kanye and Yeezy, Emily Weiss and Glossier, Virgil Abloh and Off-White, Ryan Kaji and Ryan’s World, Marie Kondo, and of course, five different Jenner/Kardashian brands.
Joanna Gaines and Magnolia stands out - truly leading with content and then taking the steps to give their audience ways to buy in.

Local Heroes

Chick-Fil-A tops this list. We wanted to cover more than just venture-backed or private equity backed brands. Chick-Fil-A, as a franchise model, has a great record in investing into its local communities. They’ve given an incredible amount of money back towards COVID relief.
Ace Hardware is another on this list, allowing for local ownership just as much as Chick-Fil-A.
Thistle Farms, with Becca Stevens, have created a brand carried in a lot of retailers including Whole Foods. Thistle Farms creates products that give work to survivors of abuse, having a 100% female employee base.
Costco made the list for being a pioneer in wages and supporting their local communities.

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