Dr. Bronner’s Announces ‘Fair Trade 2.0’ Campaign in Stores Throughout Germany to Celebrate World Fair Trade Day
Campaign in Müller and Manufactum Stores Nationwide will Educate German Consumers on Business for Social Good
April 24, 2017
NEUSS, GERMANY – On May 13, leading natural soap and body care brand, Dr. Bronner’s will launch a new campaign titled “Fair Trade 2.0” in Müller and Manufactum stores throughout Germany, organized by its European headquarters in Neuss. This new campaign targeting German consumers is part of a worldwide celebration of World Fair Trade Day organized by the company in partnership with its global network of distributors. Participating markets include: Australia, England, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, and the United States.
Dr. Bronner’s global World Fair Trade Day celebrations will include educational events, in-store demonstrations and promotions, product giveaways and social media campaigns on May 13. Dr. Bronner’s partners worldwide will use the retail space to inform and educate the public about fair trade, and promote the importance of knowing how people all along the supply chain are treated, and how informed and ethical consumption choices can lead to better livelihoods for all. In Germany, Dr. Bronner’s is working with two key accounts to promote their ‘Fair Trade 2.0’ campaign with the goal of educating consumers on Dr. Bronner’s holistic approach to business and expanding common understandings of fair trade principles.
“Fair trade is probably most associated with ensuring fair and stable prices and safe working conditions for farmers and producers,” says Axel Rungweber, Managing Director of Dr. Bronner’s Germany. “Although this is a key aspect, it’s only one aspect of a bigger picture. For Dr. Bronner’s, fair trade is part of a holistic business model dedicated to doing business for social good. “Fair Trade 2.0” is meant to promote the concept of being a fair trade brand who is dedicated to fair trade throughout its supply chain rather than just using one or two certified ingredients to enable us to use the fair trade seal for marketing purposes, as is becoming increasing common in the marketplace. We want consumers to understand that we are a brand who does business with a full commitment to being good for our customers, our employees, our suppliers, our community, and the environment as a whole.”
For Dr. Bronner’s fair trade is key to ensuring a clean and ethical supply chain. The nearly 70-year-old family company sources its major raw materials from certified organic and fair trade projects around the world, including from Sri Lanka (coconut oil), Ghana (palm oil), Palestine and Israel (olive oil).
“My brother and I view our family company as a social engine that does business so we can do good,” says Michael Bronner, President of Dr. Bronner’s. “Sourcing fair trade ingredients allows us to maximize our positive impact, since the production of the coconut, palm, and olive oils we put in our soap helps to improve the livelihoods of the farmers, workers, and communities that produce them. As a global brand sold throughout North America, Europe, and Asia, we are excited to demonstrate our worldwide commitment to fair trade. This will be the first time our global sales and marketing network will mobilize and activate around one cause on the same day. For over 24 hours, around the world, we will demonstrate the power of global community and global business in support of fair trade.”
The campaign will also promote Journey to Serendipol, an eight-minute documentary about Dr. Bronner’s Fair Trade and Organic Coconut Oil from Sri Lanka, now subtitled in Spanish, German, French, Japanese, Korean, and Mandarin. To watch, go to: https://youtu.be/gtOQd748dC0.
Fair trade is a movement that empowers farmers to organize and earn a livelihood within the highly competitive global marketplace. Started by the World Fair Trade Organization, World Fair Trade Day began in 2001 to showcase the small-scale producers and farmers at the heart of the global fair trade movement and the contributions they make to healthy, sustainable communities around the world. World Fair Trade Day is now celebrated by millions of people across every continent (except Antarctica), and is led by the World Fair Trade Organization and other fair trade movement partners. For the last six years, Dr. Bronner’s has partnered with the organization Fair World Project to organize successful campaigns in retail stores in the United States to connect dedicated fair trade brands with consumers. 2017 will be the first year Dr. Bronner’s celebrates World Fair Trade Day globally.
“Consumer actions play a significant role in the big picture of trade,” says Dana Geffner, Executive Director of Fair World Project. “More and more consumers are saying that it’s important to them to shop with their values, they just don’t necessarily know which brands to trust. Dr. Bronner’s models what it means to be a dedicated fair trade brand. Part of the importance of celebrating World Fair Trade Day is to help grocery retailers meet consumer need, while highlighting and supporting companies who are doing good work in their supply chains.”
World Fair Trade Day retail campaigns have helped to distinguish brands in the U.S. like Dr. Bronner’s from brands who use fair trade ingredients in some products but do not have a dedicated fair trade supply chain. In an era where major corporations are taking stances on global politics and social issues, fair trade is a business model where action to support small-scale farmer movements and fair supply chains results in rewarding returns and job creation. Participating brands in Fair World Project’s program have reported sales growth of nearly 200 percent each year, demonstrating the increasing consumer demand for ethical products and fair trade brands.
###
Dr. Bronner’s is a family business committed to honoring the vision of founder Emanuel Bronner by making socially and environmentally responsible products of the highest quality, and by dedicating profits to help make a better world. Dr. Bronner’s commitment to social justice, environmental sustainability and progressive business practices is part of the company’s mission to put into practice the principles that inform the philosophy printed on the company’s iconic soap labels written by founder Emanuel Bronner. The company is the top-selling natural brand of soap in North America and widely renowned around the world. Based on 2015 sales, a bottle of Dr. Bronner’s soap was sold, on average, every three seconds throughout the year.
For further information on Dr. Bronner’s, please visit: http://www.drbronner.de