In this short video, I talk about how the outdoor and sport clothing manufacturer Icebreaker successfully embraced digital disruption. Icebreaker who competes with the likes of Patagonia and North Face acknowledged a couple of years ago that consumers' ability to make price-comparisons in real-time by scanning barcodes posed a serious threat to their vertically integrated business model. In this blog post, I'll explain how they managed to embrace this disruptive trend.
As a reponse to this threat they launched Baacode Product Traceability which enabled consumers to get information about where the merino wool of their particular garment is from.
Moreover, consumers could get information about the living conditions of the sheep, meet the country farmers who manage the sheep stations and follow how Icebreaker turns merino fibre into high quality garments.
What's particularly interesting about this case is that it truly adds value for the customer and that's it's not just a simple PR-stunt. Icebreaker prides itself in having long term partnerships through the supply chain, and works with Merino wool farmers on a long term contractual basis which gives the farmers certainty and market access in a long term fashion, and ensures supply and high quality for Icebreaker.
In essence, this case study shows us that digital technology can be used as means to seamlessly integrate product traceability, sustainability and transparency with your brand while at the same time engaging in a dialogue with your customers.