What Patagonia’s ‘gift to earth’ means for authenticity
Nick Rewcastle, Managing Director of New Reach PR, ponders in SportsPro
whether Patagonia’s lauded decision to commit all future profits towards protecting the planet could mark a shift in the meaning of brand authenticity.
Patagonia has ‘given their company to planet Earth’. In layman’s terms, what that means is that the ownership of the company has been transferred to two charitable trusts, allowing profits not required to be reinvested into the running of the business to go directly towards fighting the effect of climate change.
The brand claims that “instead of ‘going public’, you could say we’re ‘going purpose’.” It’s fair to say that sacrificing profit to instead give back to the planet is pretty purpose-led.
The news spread like wildfire across the US and overnight here in the UK, before we knew it, every daily was running it. It was even the second most read story on BBC News – yes, in the week after The Queen’s death.
However, the best thing about this was that it wasn’t a ‘PR activation’ from Patagonia – this is genuine. Patagonia embodies the definition of being a purpose-led business. It actually cares. We can’t ignore the fact that founder Yvon Chouinard (pictured above) is a billionaire, but the authenticity comes from the fact that instead of financial growth, he commits to giving back and to his values.
Chouinard has written an open letter detailing the reasons behind this decision. He claims that he never wanted to be a businessman, things escalated and before he knew it, Patagonia was what it was. He never wanted to be a billionaire, and just wants to do good – that ethos has resonated through the brand’s existence.
Now, Earth is Patagonia’s ‘only stakeholder’. It’s powerful, and everyone is talking about it. Could we regard this as the most authentic moment in business history?
For a few years now, in the rise of the purpose-led movement, and the need for brands to be seen to do good, the definition of authenticity has been scrutinised. Nobody has really come up with the answer. Perhaps unbeknown to Chouinard, we finally have our answer.
Is this the big shift that we needed in authentic action?
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Sport and impact focused PR and communications agency, New Reach, has renewed its partnership with Hampshire Cricket and the iconic Utilita Bowl for a fourth consecutive year. This continued collaboration underscores New Reach’s commitment to delivering exceptional PR and media relations that has amplified profile for the club and venue, alike. Since 2022, New Reach has worked closely with Hampshire Cricket to deliver strategic media relations, innovative campaigns, and impactful storytelling that showcase the club’s achievements both on and off the pitch. New Reach has led PR campaigns including the historic solar project in partnership with Utilita, established new and improved relationships with media brands, driven global announcements and managed key media moments including media days, the signing of cricketing icon Ellyse Perry and the club’s acquisition by GMR Group. Throughout 2026, New Reach will closely align with a new-look team at Utilita Bowl, delivering PR strategy across key moments inside and out of cricket. This will include The Hundred in its new format, the stadium’s 25 year anniversary, positioning the club and venue as leaders across T20, women’s and international cricket, ongoing cricket and regional media engagement, celebrating impact in the community and placing the club’s leaders at the heart of the industry. Nick Rewcastle, Managing Director at New Reach, commented: “We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with Hampshire Cricket for another year. Utilita Bowl is one of the most exciting venues in global sport and entertainment, and we look forward to continuing to help Hampshire Cricket and the venue tell its story and connect with audiences in meaningful ways. “Every year is an exciting year at Utilita Bowl, and we’ve enjoyed working across such a variety of powerful projects and initiatives. 2026 is set to continue in that trajectory, but with some new faces internally at the club and the first full year of new ownership. We’re truly looking forward to backing the Rose and Crown again this year.” Jonathan Peace, Head of Brand, Digital and Marketing at Utilita Bowl added: “New Reach has been an invaluable partner in elevating our communications strategy. Their expertise and creativity have helped us build stronger relationships with fans and media alike, and we’re excited to see what we can achieve together in 2026.” With deep-rooted expertise in sport, media and events, New Reach crafts tailored campaigns across PR, social media and video that inspire action and create lasting impact. New Reach’s commitment to transparency and authenticity drives everything the agency does, with partnerships going beyond business; ensuring every collaboration is rooted in integrity, trust, and a shared purpose. New Reach will not compromise trust, morals or rules to profit.
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