BRANDcrafted™ Announces Partnership with 1% for the Planet

Denver, CO (PRWEB) August 16, 2013

BRANDcrafted has joined 1% for the Planet (1%), pledging to donate 1% of annual sales to support non-profit organizations focused on sustainability.

”Signing on to 1% for the Planet shows BRANDcrafted has a strong commitment to investing in sustainability efforts,” says Terry Kellogg, CEO. “They're using business as a tool to engage and motivate their stakeholders while partnering with environmental organizations that complement their brand. We're excited to welcome BRANDcrafted to our global network."

“We knew we wanted to be part of 1% for the Planet when we created BRANDcrafted. Since our business is about reducing the use of new natural resources by repurposing a company’s outdated fabric-based materials into high-quality marketing swag, corporate gifts, and charitable good, donating 1% of our sales back to the planet just furthers our commitment to the environment and to the people who are protecting it,” said Libby O’Bryan, Design Director and Co-Founder of BRANDcrafted.

Members of 1% for the Planet contribute one percent of annual sales directly to any of the approved non-profit environmental organizations in the network. Non-profits are approved based on referrals, track record and sustainbility focus. Over 3,000 non-profits worldwide are currently approved.

“As we near our 10th anniversary, we’re celebrating that our members have contributed nearly $100 million of critically needed funds,” comments Kellogg. “The understanding that brands can succeed financially by investing in the environment is clearly apparent, and consumer demand is driving a lot of this success. The average annual revenue growth of the companies in the 1% for the Planet network from 2008 to 2011 was over 50%, even though the overall economy has been struggling. There’s a paradigm shift happening here and we’re thrilled that so many innovative businesses are sling-shotting the movement in to high gear.”

About 1% for the Planet

Started in 2002 by Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia, and Craig Mathews, owner of Blue Ribbon Flies, 1% for the Planet is a platform of credibility and engagement for environmentally conscious brands that are truly committed to making a positive impact with their business. This growing global movement of over 1,200 member companies in 45 countries donate one percent of annual sales to environmental organizations worldwide. To learn more go to: http://www.onepercentfortheplanet.org/.

About BRANDcrafted

What we do

Most companies have closets, even warehouses full of outdated marketing materials made from cloth or other soft textiles. BRANDcrafted (http://www.brandcraftedgoods.com) provides new life to these fabric-based items by repurposing them into high-quality marketing swag, corporate gifts, and charitable goods…like swag for consumers, bloggers, influencers, and press; gifts for employees, partners, and stakeholders; and useful goods for non-profit organizations.

History

Co-founders and long-time friends, Libby O’Bryan and Erica Younkin, grew up together in Dayton, Ohio. After setting off on their individual paths post-high school, the two reconnected years later in New York City where O’Bryan worked in the high-fashion industry, and Younkin in brand marketing. Eventually, they both moved away to pursue other opportunities, but the friends hoped that one day they could find a way to collaborate.

As Younkin continued in marketing, she became increasingly frustrated with the amount of promotional swag that she was tasked with buying. “Most swag is badly designed with poor craftsmanship, so it just ends up at Goodwill or in landfills. Even more disappointing is that these goods are usually made overseas where people aren’t paid fairly for their work. I once had to order 10,000 cloth Frisbees from overseas for a tour we were doing, but the vendor missed a color, so my boss made me toss them and redo the job. That was pretty upsetting,” she said.

Fortunately, Younkin went on to work for a natural/organic food brand in Colorado that shared her values. So when it came time to order swag, she convinced her team to send their outdated marketing tents, banners, and T-shirts to O’Bryan, who by then had started Western Carolina Sewing Company–a high-quality cut and sew business in Asheville, NC. O’Bryan received 800 pounds of materials a week later. “I wanted to make sure that the repurposed designs were both functional and creative so that people would hang on to them for a long time. We came up with several concepts targeted directly to the company’s consumer. Erica’s team ended up ordering several of the designs. It was a great collaboration,” O’Bryan said.

Nearly a year after that first collaboration, Younkin and O’Bryan drafted a business plan to turn the idea in a full-scale business; BRANDcrafted was launched on June 11, 2013.

For more information on BRANDcrafted, contact:

Erica Younkin
Marketing Programs Director
917-520-5510
erica(at)brandcraftedgoods(dot)com

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