Taking your eco-brand abroad
In honour of yesterday’s Earth Day we took a little time at AJT to indulge in conversations about one of our favourite topics: Earth-friendly living.
And that’s not just because Anja and I are Germans living in an area of outstanding natural beauty (also known as Cornwall :). But it is safe to say that growing up in Germany has provided us with an environmentally friendly state of mind and a consciousness for sustainable living from a very young age. Several bins at home for recycling and the discussion about whose turn it is to roll the wooden handcart filled with empty glass bottles and jars to the local glass containers was part of our family lives. So was the constant carrying around of cloth bags for shopping – buying a plastic bag is theoretically possible in Germany, but practically it is a bit of a taboo and has been for at least 25 years.
Even though the UK is lagging behind Germany a little when it comes to eco-friendliness, Britain has seen a lot of progress in the development of initiatives and brands that really care about the earth in the past decade. In the 2014 Environmental Performance Index, which evaluates how well countries perform on high-priority environmental issues, the UK ranked 12th out of 178 countries showing a 3.48% improvement in the past ten years, while Germany comfortably rested in 6th place with an improvement of 1.89% over the past decade. These numbers show that eco-friendly innovation is growing fast in the UK and there are many reasons that suggest Britain could actually show Germany the ropes when it comes to making earth-friendly living even trendier. While Berlin is quickly developing as a hub for creativity and design, the UK still has an edge over Germany in most things aesthetic. NB: Our cloth bags in the 90s did not look half as cool as any of the designs you can buy in most fashion and health food shops across the UK today.
Breaking into the German eco-market with an innovative brand
German eco-brands are usually characterised by very high quality standards and plain or simple designs – a combination that is popular with German consumers. Still, there is a lot of scope for eco-friendly brands from the UK and elsewhere to mix things up and break into the German market. Here are just a few reasons why taking your eco-brand to Germany is probably a great idea:
- Germany has a longstanding awareness of eco-friendly living and many Germans make eco-friendly purchase decisions.
- Germans appreciate high quality products and are prepared to invest in sustainability and goods that last. A perfect example of this is Jack Wolfskin, a producer of high quality outdoor wear and equipment. They are so successful in Germany that spotting a group of people wearing Jack Wolfskin anywhere outside of Germany has almost become synonymous with “German tourists”.
- Innovative designs and a creative approach to marketing will stand out in Germany: Imagine the possibilities of a high-quality product with a fresh innovative look and feel to it!
A great partner to help take your eco-brand abroad
Even though translating (unfortunately) doesn’t entail sticking our hands into soil on a daily basis, we love nature and strive to help making this planet a greener place. Working in the cloud means we use virtually no paper in our office and paying our translators a fair wage in turn enables them to invest in sustainable products and living. But most importantly: We love working with brands that care! Whether it’s natural skin food from our local skincare line Beyond Organics or responsibly sourced fabrics from cold water surfing company Finisterre – we are always keen to learn about new, innovative approaches to eco-friendly living and think out strategies to help clients take their messages abroad.
Get in touch with us to talk about all things earthy and how we can help you take your brand abroad.