• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, September 4, 2020

Tommy Hilfiger is introducing a new #MakeItPossible campaign, one of a growing number of brands trying to
navigate the way back to environmental marketing in the wake of COVID-19.

The new effort focuses on both product sustainability and social inclusivity, to ensure every product is designed to be both recyclable and reusable by 2030.

“During COVID, we focused on health and safety messaging, guidance and support for our associates, specifically retail and warehouse,” says Michael Scheiner, CMO at Tommy Hilfiger, in an email to Marketing Daily.

“That was important information to talk about over the summer. We made the conscious decision to spotlight sustainability at a time when it feels appropriate and there was airtime for moving beyond.”

Tommy Hilfiger, which is based in Amsterdam and owned by PVH Corp., is committing to 24 ambitious targets, all focused on circular use of materials and inclusivity, with a target date of 2030. To get the word out, he says the company is using consumer-facing efforts like Instagram Live, as well as industry channels.

And it’s focusing on expanding the program, which it created by working with 100 associates around the world, through stepped-up social listening.

“Great ideas come from anywhere and everywhere, and through dialogue, we strengthen our platform and targets,”
he says. “Our focus is not just on the launch, but ongoing communications around sustainability.” PVH Corp. just released second-quarter results. Tommy Hilfiger’s net sales fell to $803.7 million, down from $1.11 billion in the comparable period of the prior year.

The brand is not the only one eager to put the shutdown behind them and get back to purpose-marketing platforms built on protecting the planet. That’s especially true after six months of disheartening setbacks, including the stepped-up use of plastics, disposable everything and a sharp decline in recycling.

Indeed, a new report from Coresight Research finds in the U.S., some consumers — about 29%— say the pandemic has made sustainability more of a factor when shopping. Among the biggest concerns? Wishing that retailers would reduce the use of plastics and switch to biodegradable, recyclable or reusable packaging.

Four in 10 see household products as the most problematic category, followed by food or drink products, at 38%, since they’ve been reflecting more on what is most important. And 45% say they were inspired by the immediate impact of changed behavior on the planet.

Among those who are less concerned, 37% say they are too worried about the crisis to pay attention to
sustainability, one-third say avoiding the virus has taken priority and 28% say saving money has become a priority.