Branding as a sustainable company is not easy. Sustainable and fair production simply costs more time and money, so competing on price is difficult. So how do you get your marketing right? How do you build a strong brand?
In this blog, we highlight 6 sustainable surf brands and explain why their marketing is so well done. And of course, it was also a perfect excuse to spend hours scouring the internet for the cutest brands! 😉
Curms
When you enter the website, it immediately appeals to emotion: cheerful colors, locally designed, small-scale and fairly produced, an indispensable button to the shop, etc. It's clear that Curms focuses on the cheerful and fun, setting itself apart from other brands. Last but not least, there is a clearly thought out company description; "Inspired and created by a combination of two passions of authentic handmade textile and the ocean."
What do we learn from this?
Take a cue from this and make sure you have your mission, vision, CTAs and USPs in focus.
WALLIEN
This brand has clear branding: bold, daring, different, colorful. Those bright colors purple, yellow and blue really don't dare everyone. The fonts fit well together and a conscious choice was made to alternate a serif and sans serif font. In terms of web design it is nice and clear: menu bar, shop with not too much fuss, name dropping and links. The photography is also bold, with a grainy filter over the mood images. That's something different from the normal model pics. The strong branding also works its way back into the texts. Don't know about you, but I can really feel that "a brand new wave of female empowerment" from behind my computer.
What do we learn from this?
Map out your target audience and dare to be bold when appropriate. Translate this into your choice of words, web design, photography and, of course, your products and/or services.
MAIN design
You see it right away: MAIN has a completely different look than previous brands. You just feel that calm and clean design here. The typography is clean, the colors are not bright, the logo is clean and all the products are also very clean. Of course, that is also an option, to go right for that clean and "not too much fuss. Everything is easy to find on the website and fits together well.
What do we learn from this?
Think carefully about the emotions you want to evoke with your brand and translate this into all communications.
Dkoko
Although the website is fairly simple and straight forward, I listed it because of its great brand story. In it, you are really taken into the history of the company. They make it clear from what need the company was founded, what their core values are, how the company developed and what it has brought them all. The story is logically structured and visually written, making you feel much more connected to the brand.
The website has a number of other best practices. For example, there is a clear FAQ section, which answers the most frequently asked questions. What does this have to do with branding or marketing? Well, this shows that Dkoko is aware of the pains and gains of the target audience. Also, all questions regarding sustainability are answered on the Social Responsibility page.
What do we learn from this?
Write an engaging brand story that fits who you are and what you do, but also describes why you do it.
Boochen
What Boochen has done so well is the personal piece of branding. They have regularly photographed themselves instead of using perfect models. This adds to the authenticity of the brand. They also have a blog that includes updates and tips. This shows that they are much more than just a clothing manufacturer and are really trying to make a difference with their brand. Sustainability is not a coincidence at Boochen but rather the most important thing and you can see and feel that.
What do we learn from this?
Dare to be personal in order to stand out.
Makara Wear
Whereas all the brands mentioned above focus on sustainability and surfing, Makara Wear positions its products in a very fashionable way. Surfing with such big earrings or vintage sunglasses doesn't seem very practical to me and that beautifully done hair gets all tangled after 1 wave, but that's not the point. The photography is stylish and creates that fashionable feeling. Only later in the product description do you find out that all the swimwear is totally sustainable. For example, it is made partly from fishing nets from the ocean and partly from leftover fabrics.
What do we learn from this?
Look at what you can compete on and what sets you apart and pull this all the way through in branding.
Other surf brands that deserve a spotlight
- Picture Organic Clothing: sustainable wetsuits and swimsuits. Slightly more expensive but good quality.
- Soulti Surf: one of our fave surf brands! Beautiful swimsuits and bikinis especially for surfers, where you can really feel the Aussie vibe. Tip: order together with your girlfriends to reduce shipping costs and be a little nicer to the planet.
- Srface: I love cute prints, but I know many women actually find it irritating and just want a clean wetsuit. Well, here you have a whole collection of beautiful sustainable black wetsuits in all shapes and sizes.
