Jun 30 2011
Method is the real deal.
I have been critical of Method for not putting their money where their mouth is and for sometimes taking ownership of other’s achievements. I tended to favor 7th Gen and their transparency policy, mainly by disclosing all their ingredients and being a pioneer of Corporate Social Responsibility under Jeffrey Hollender’s leadership.
In our efforts to promote sustainable practices along with bringing to market safe, potent and natural products, calling on companies that best represent this effort is not always well regarded but I feel it is a as important as singling out the dirty ones.
So it is time to praise Method for stepping up not only for greening their household and personal care product lines, but also for being a leading socially responsible company.
Method: green and sustainable.
Kudos to the skippers, good cops and others for formulating greener and greener products. Kudos to the leadership team for disclosing the ingredients in all of Method product lines. Kudos to the green giants and others for lowering Method’s environmental footprint. And kudos to everyone for building successful partnerships. And that is probably what will set Method apart from their competitors – this and retaining talents – in years to come, which has become an increasingly important success factor in the FMCG space that requires a constant input of creativity. When Clorox and P&G buy a brand to grow their market share or reach, Method seems to have chosen to partner with topnotch experts and suppliers to expand their own. And it seems to add considerable value to the organization as this network of top green and sustainability experts, researchers and scientists are helping them stay on tracks, reach their sustainability goals, lower their environmental footprint and create even better products.
Method: a key member of the B-Corp family
One action is quite telling of the company’s mission and values – and to be honest, triggered this post. Assemblyman Huffman introduced a bill earlier this year that will establish a new form of corporate entity known as Benefit Corporation. There are probably over 100,000 businesses that operate on the principles in the country and California is home to the largest concentration of these companies that measure their performance not just by the money they make but also by their environmental and social impact. If passed, California would be the 5th state to enact such legislation. There has been tremendous support for it, with many investors, businesses and other professionals rallying to Sacramento to show their support and offer their own testimony, a major factor in convincing committees. One company has answered Erik Trojian’s call every time and to add their voice to hearings both in the Assembly and in the Senate: Method and Ryan Williams’ (Method’s Good Cop) testimony was very compelling in passing the Senate Banking and Financial Institutions Committee yesterday.
In the photo: First row in light grey business suit A. Jared Huffman, far left Erik Trojian, B-Corp Policy Director, last row, third from right Adam Lowry, first from right, Marc Thibault. Click to enlarge.
So my hat off to you all at Method Home and thank you for stepping up and showing you are more than a branding genius.
Jeffrey Hollender has made the decision to step aside as CEO of Seventh Generation, a company he grew to become one of the most iconic sustainable brands. He should be saluted not just for building a company of which social and environmental values have inspired many entrepreneurs but also for realizing what many entrepreneurs have failed to realize in time when the conjuncture of rapid growth and market switch call for a new set of skills. The newly appointed CEO, Chuck Maniscalco – a former Pepsico executive, will have the challenging task of growing the company from $150 million in annual sales to $1 billion in a market that should grow 873% over the next 5 years. But don’t think for a second Jeffrey Hollender will stop being the inspiration behind Seventh Generation conquest of the home natural products … he is still the Chief Inspired Protagonist after all. 
The Fire Retardant Dilemma is one of these issues that have started to receive some media and public attention for their short and long-term effects on our health and the environment. As I rediscovered last Friday at the 4th Symposium on this topic, the urgency of addressing the issue of fire retardant chemicals has to do with several upcoming meetings (1) that might seal the presence of brominated and chlorinated hydrocarbons in many household and office products for the next decade (or longer) all over the US. It is also an issue that could have a pervasive effect in how we address such issues: it is not about whether we are in favor or against fire retardants but rather which ones should be used to delay or prevent the ignition of such items as bedding, mattresses, upholstered furniture, TVs, VCRs, monitors, computers and so on. 
This time they are in the kitchen. My mistake, I have waited too long to bring the compost bag downstairs. Last time was during the hot and dry month of July. They had found their way to the restroom in quest of water. These are the two most common causes for ants invasions of our houses along with flooding and cold.
