By HOLLY JACKSON
For many of us the pandemic has been a time to sit in silence and take a look at our lives. Some of us took up knitting or crochet. Some of us repainted our kitchens. Some of us finished the giant list of life projects we’ve been putting off for ages. I would argue that for most of us though, this pandemic has been a time to take stock of the things that really matter to us and figure out how to prioritize them once this is all over.
Brands are clearly just like us, at least from the amount of re-branding press releases Ellen and I are getting in our inboxes. The recent one from Cake Lingerie stood out though, both for the plan’s thoughtfulness and for the concrete steps laid out in it. I also appreciate that this re-branding came from an evaluation about what Cake’s customers really wanted out of a brand. Sustainability wouldn’t be such a focus right now without massive consumer demand driving it. Cake says that demand for sustainable nursing bras and related products has increased dramatically since COVID-19 came on the scene, so their re-brand is responding to that demand.
In addition to a focus on durable and sustainable products, Cake has made several other smart changes that reflect that they are listening to customers and stockists. They’ve eliminated plastic when shipping directly to customers and removed all single use plastics from the business entirely. I hear complaints all the time about how much plastic brands use and how wasteful it seems, so this is a huge step in the right direction for any brand. There’s zero debate about how horrible single use plastics are for the planet and all businesses should be trying to get rid of them.
Cake headquarters itself now runs on 90 solar panels, which is one of the benefits of being based in Australia! Most companies don’t talk about improvements that they can make to their buildings when they discuss sustainability initiatives, but it’s a big area where some thoughtful planning can create major changes.
Finally, Cake has announced that they will stop editing photos of their models so they will more accurately empower and represent motherhood and its various stages. While this isn’t sustainability, I do think it matches with this idea of openness and serving customers in a more organic way. Customers are demanding more transparency from businesses than ever before, from how the models are chosen to how the goods are shipped.
I love how companies like Cake Lingerie are taking on customer feedback and making real actionable changes that benefit their communities and the planet as a whole. I’d love to see more companies follow their example! Listening to what your customers really want is the best plan in these hard times, both for the future and for the bottom line.
