Timberland speaks out on crisis

Timberland’s Jeff Swartz in an interview with the Ethical Corporation explains why brands must start engaging consumers on social issues to rebuild trust lost during the financial crisis. Jeff Swartz, president and chief executive of Timberland, is one leader who speaks openly about the harm the financial crisis could do to brands. Reflecting on the anti-capitalist G20 summit protests in London, in April, he says: “It scares the daylights out of people within Timberland.”

But although Swartz admits that he is worried by public anger at the financial crisis, he sees the global downturn as a huge opportunity for the company he has been at or near the top of for almost 20 years. He feels the crisis gives brands with a social message the chance to reconnect with disillusioned consumers.

To do so brands will have to overcome the massive social fallout caused by the economic crisis, Swartz says. “The social fabric is frayed at best and torn in many places.” He argues that the “vibrations in the system” run much deeper than consumers deciding to shop less. “It’s more profound than that. People are asking, ‘What’s safe? What’s the truth?’” The challenge for brands today is to find a message that is relevant for consumers who, as Swartz puts it, are “shaken and stirred and not like James Bond”.

Swartz is hoping Timberland can tap into the reserves of social capital it has amassed with consumers over many years to prosper in the current crisis. The company has a strong record of leadership in responsible business, from ethical sourcing to transparent reporting on its social and environmental performance. It now reports quarterly on non-financial matters, for example.

Source: Ethical Crop

Image: Timberland tree logo