"The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it." - Robert Swan, Author
Sustainability and corporate responsibility initiatives are seemingly no longer on the back-burner when it comes to who we choose to do business with these days. In fact, going green has made its way to the forefront of consumers’ minds everywhere after the global events of the last two years, which has swiftly pushed sustainable business practices to be the focal point of strategic business planning moving forward for all industries across the globe. Whether it’s partnering with businesses who are doing their part to offset carbon emissions, eliminating non-recyclable materials from their production facilities, or buying products that have give-back components from companies passionate about community involvement, it’s clear that social responsibility is no longer becoming a lifestyle trend; it’s becoming a movement.
While quality product is essential to everything we do in business as much as our personal lives, we realize that who we are as people and who our brand partners are as a company carries an equal level of importance to our customers, as it’s becoming more and more important to yours. In our new blog series, we’re taking you Beyond the Brands to shine a light on the global impact the creators of your favorite promotional products are making, and what they’re doing behind-the-scenes to ensure you and your clients can feel great about who they choose to brand their business with.
First up? Matador.
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Matador is a brand-centric designer and manufacturer of innovative adventure travel equipment, built with functionality and durability in mind. The minimalist design of each product in the line makes Matador a versatile, gender-neutral piece that targets a wide span of potential markets, both demographic and geographical, for your clients’ next marketing opportunity.
While laptop backpacks have historically been the go-to in the bags category for branded corporate gifting over the past decade, now more than ever before employers are recognizing the importance of supporting a healthy work-life balance within their organization. Not only is the Matador Beast18 Technical Backpack lightweight and compact, making it easy to fit in an over-packed suitcase on the flight home from any corporate event, it whispers a story to the recipient; it lets them know that you support them having a healthy, active lifestyle outside of the office.
Beyond their commitment to creating exceptional products that will last, Matador is dedicated to doing their part to reduce their carbon footprint in all that they do. And they’re not alone.
Travel across the United States is quickly becoming “the norm” again, and it’s been reported over 70% of travelers are now actively looking for destinations where they can feel good about their chosen accommodation partners. With air travel being the not-so-eco-friendly necessity for most destination hotspots, travelers are leaning on their hotel partners to make up for what the airlines can’t when it comes to sustainability measures. Hilton continues to implement eco-friendly measures throughout their properties, and their Tapestry Collection brand is set to open Hotel Marcel New Haven in Connecticut later this month as the first net-zero hotel in US history. Hyatt brands worldwide implemented global sustainability initiatives to reduce single-use plastics, and as of June 2021, they are reported to have moved to large-bathroom format amenities across all properties, and they have discontinued the use of plastic water bottles in all guest rooms.
“Sustainability at Matador isn’t a marketing strategy, but a non-negotiable obligation that
we uphold, born out of love and protecting travel and the outdoors.”
While other major hotel chains are quickly following suit, green initiatives aren’t often the most budget-friendly, and they take time to fully implement. Creating social change, however, isn’t limited to those with the most locations under them or largest capital behind them. Unilever, a London-based consumer goods company, reported over five million bars of soap are thrown away by the hotel industry each day. They would know… Unilever also happens to be the largest producer of soap in the world. Not only do items such as the Matador Flatpak™ Soap Bar Case and the Matador Flatpak™ Toiletry Bottle make for great additions to those employee welcome kits we mentioned earlier, they’re a creative, uniquely tangible way to help your local hospitality and boutique hotel clients draw in new business by showing they, too, are doing what they can to be a part of the sustainability movement.
Sustainability and corporate responsibility is no longer a chosen lifestyle; it's become an active responsibility that all of us share to leave the world a better place than when we found it. We at Hirsch Gift pride ourselves on our continuous commitment to our communities, as well as the give-back programs we offer. We are beyond proud to be able to partner with incredible retail brands like Matador, who have the same core values and commitments to sustainability as we do.
Hirsch is the premier family owned and operated supplier of leading retail brands in the promotional products industry. Located in Houston, Texas, Hirsch employs over 100 dedicated people who thrive in a company culture of sustainability, giving back, and caring. For more information on who we are and what we do, follow us on social media @hirschpromo. For more information on the other 45+ retail brands we partner with, visit our website at hirschpromo.com.