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The Brazilian-based company Havaianas has conquered 80 countries in just over half a century, becoming a worldwide phenomenon of success. In 1980, more than 80 million pairs of Havaianas were sold per year; in 2012, 184 million pairs were sold, which, in a row, would correspond to 40 times around the planet . To date, more than three billion pairs have been sold. Havaianas are so fundamental in the lives of Brazilians that they have been considered by the government as one of the essential taiwan email list products, just like rice and beans.
With this data, no one has any doubts about the greatness of this internationally renowned company. But the case we present here refers specifically to a partnership that began in 2004 between Havaianas and IPÊ – Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas .
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IPÊ, which began its activities in 1978 and was founded in 1992, aims to ensure the conservation of Brazil's socio-environmental resources, preserving the country's existing biodiversity. With more than 90 professionals, from biologists to educators, spread across projects in different regions of the country, its actions range from training professionals in environmental education to habitat restoration, rural expansionism, community-based ecotourism and income generation through sustainable practices .
In a restructuring process, at the end of the 90s, Havaianas was willing to find a type of partnership and cause-based relationship marketing product . The difficulty was finding someone who could add experience, value and bring know-how that Havaianas did not have at the time. “Our brand is very cheerful and authentic, simple and fun, known by millions of people. When IPÊ came up with the proposal, we thought it fit in with Havaianas’ philosophy”, explains Rodrigo Iasi, Havaianas’ Product Manager.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE HAVAIANAS WEBSITE
The opportunity was for a genuinely Brazilian brand to promote Brazilian fauna and flora species through its products, and thereby generate greater knowledge among millions of inhabitants, trying to foster this awareness in favor of conserving Brazil's nature.
Since 2004, each collection has chosen the animals or biodiversity of the season: “There is nothing more natural and correct than putting the animals themselves printed on the sandals , telling and sharing the story of each one to the consumer and to all Brazilian people in a very happy and fun way”, explains Rodrigo Iasi.
Each pair of Havaianas sold contributes 7% to IPÊ. By 2012, the partnership had generated more than 8 million pairs of Havaianas sold, generating R$4 million for the Institute, which is using the resources to create a long-term financial fund for institutional sustainability and maintenance of its work.
The partnership reflects a win-win strategy : Havaianas wins because it is building a positive brand image, and IPÊ wins by obtaining more resources for the projects and greater national and international notoriety. Society, consumers and nature also win through new supporters of its conservation.
Rodrigo Iasi, in 2010, had no doubts in stating that Havaianas embraced this cause because it realized that there was a lot to do in terms of maintenance and evolution: “We really believe that we can find new tools to connect with consumers and promote the cause.”
And August 2012 reflects exactly that. In yet another concerted action, they launched a new challenge : they put a website up for sale, in the form of an auction. The motto – the preservation of fauna and flora – led to the construction of a mini forest, in the form of small pieces of reforested wood. Each animal represented an endangered species that IPÊ helps to protect.
For thirty days, all interested parties had access to an online auction system, offering a price for the contents of the box, which included three pairs of flip-flops, a set of pieces representing endangered fauna, flora and animals. The highest bidder got the box and IPÊ got an additional amount to invest in its nature conservation projects.
Digital marketing was used to combine an ancient and widely used practice such as auctions with the creation of a website that brought people together for a cause that all Brazilians love. The traditional excuses of lack of time, availability or resources were eliminated when the entire action became accessible online. Distance disappeared, the cause went viral and brands gained not only success in their purpose, but also recognition and notoriety.
Havaianas communicates much more than just its product . Its success lies, above all, in the way it communicates, how it uses the means at its disposal and how it manages to perceive the digital world as an extension of the real world. In fact, the website itself, extremely colorful, customized and user-friendly, reflects a set of stories between people and Havaianas. This partnership with IPÊ is an example of exactly that: the construction of happy endings using the most modern tools and the simplest and oldest techniques of connection between people united by a belief.
CLICK HERE TO ENTER THE HAVAIANAS WEBSITE
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