Scott jams with Naima Wilson, Marketing Director for Patagonia Australia and New Zealand. Patagonia is a mission and values driven outdoor apparel company that has led the way for many businesses in the purpose-driven space having been founded on ethical principles by Yvon Chouinard nearly 48 years ago. Naima discusses the company’s environmentally and socially conscious approach, their support of grassroots environmental groups (nearly $110m to date!), customers as family and friends and the origins of the brand name. They explore the relationship between brand and marketing, the way Patagonia supports each employee’s individual journey as well as the company’s foray into food via Patagonia Provisions. It’s a brand that has succeeded through consistently being true in what they do, not just what they say.
00:00:00
Naima Wilson is the marketing director at Patagonia Australia and New Zealand, where she is charged with amplifying the outdoor apparel company’s mission and values throughout the region.
Naima has over 17 years of experience in the surf, action sports and fashion industries, having held various roles in Australia and Europe – from sourcing to brand management. Joining Patagonia in 2015, today she oversees all marketing channel strategies and the running of environmental and sports campaigns. She has strategically guided regional environmental campaigns such as takayna (to protect Tasmania’s Tarkine region) and Big Oil Don’t Surf (a fight against drilling in the Great Australian Bight, which resulted in oil conglomerate Equinor abandoning its drilling plans in 2009).
She holds master’s degree from France’s renowned ESC PAU Business School, which included a year study in Sao Paulo, Brazil, specialising in international trade and marketing strategy. These experiences helped her forge a diverse business acumen, a creative mind, and to develop in-depth understanding of global cultures and markets.
Passionate about social justice, authenticity and making an impact, Naima feels very fortunate to be working for a business where the core values align with her own. She believes in the power of business to effect long-term positive change and is committed to use business and marketing as tools to educate and inspire customers to become more active in environmental and social issues. In tandem, she seeks to use her role to help influence other companies in Australia and New Zealand to evaluate and improve their approach to their industry.
She currently lives in Jan Juc, on Victoria’s Surf Coast, where she enjoys surfing, trail running, mountain biking and spending time with her husband and two young children.
READ TRANSCRIPT
© 2024 Scott Oxford
