This article was first published in ARS Tannery
It is hard to imagine that we are half way through the second decade of the new century. While in many ways little appears to have changed that would be a misinterpretation of reality. There have been a number of fundamental shifts. Most of all for the first time the industry has begun to think through the implications of a growing world population that will not be matched by expanding livestock numbers.
Secondly the industry has stopped trying to escape its societal responsibilities and throughout the world has started to acknowledge not just the necessity but also the value of dealing properly with environmental matters and the inputs of materials, chemicals, energy and water that we use. The European tanners were always ahead of the game with social and legal pressures forcing major change or closure for old city centre tanneries. But the whole landscape across the world is starting to look different. Who would have thought that one major tanning group in Brazil would be able to enter 2015 with fifteen tanneries highly ranked in the LWG audit and all with top marks for traceability?
Leather is a material to be proud of.
This gives everyone a huge boost and allows us to be less defensive about what we do. If we do look up and face our critics we actually have a good story. Leather is a material to shout about and be proud of.
Certainly we still have blackspots throughout the Indian subcontinent and elsewhere which provide the anti-leather fanatics facts and photos with which to damage us. Yet in most of these credible action is now being taken to move, close or otherwise correct these situations.
This gives us the first of our tasks on our To Do list as an industry for 2015:
- use all the weight of our international organisations to keep the pressure on every area where leather is being made without proper treatment of the workforce or the environment. Not every small tannery can afford to achieve and pay for a gold rating but it can ensure that basic norms of worker health and safety are maintained and pay for the treatment of its own effluent and wastes. If it is too small to be able to afford a treatment plant it must move to a locality with a central effluent plant or close. And our industry must be seen to be forcing the pace everywhere in the world. There is no excuse.
- as long as we are actively dealing with the negative issues in our industry and constantly seeking further improvements in best practice we need to start talking more loudly about leather as a well made material that offers proper sustainability without the use of carbon based products. One whose supply may be limited but which is available year after year. We need to do this by company, by sector and by region but overall we must do it also as one leather industry. Leather may come in different types and forms but deep down we know there is only one leather that shares the same versatile fundamental characteristics however it is made and used. Consequently as well as more localised and sectoral programmes leather generically needs a strong positive PR campaign to get moving in 2015. Our industry needs to support LeatherNaturally! to reaffirm all that the consumers knows is good about leather, to ensure that the new up and coming middle classes all round the world learn the correct things about leather and to make the leather industry feel truly feel good about itself.
It was argued not long ago that promoting leather would just create more demand that could not be met, merely pushing prices up. Hopefully we are now wiser and accept that promotion is about positioning leather correctly in the mind of the customer. Thus the value, and so the price, of leather can be understood by the consumer when compared to plastic and textile substitutes.
Increasingly modern marketing communications is developing along this route of education rather than broadcasting propaganda. It is a two way exercise with audiences that can be large bodies, companies and right down to individuals. This means that all our staff and employees need to be involved. Employing marketing and PR personnel that do not understand this is very risky as what is required is fast responses with accurate and pertinent information which largely has to come from technically expert staff.
- at the same time as pushing for an improving industry and promoting the one we have we must be transparent and honest about where we stand, the problems we still have and the roadmap we have drawn for future improvement. None of our customers will believe our claims if we pretend all is perfect. Suspicion will grow if we are at all secretive. So for 2015 transparency becomes a vital adjunct to all promotional activity.
- Finally 2014 saw the flicker of what has to be called the “spirit of Santa Croce”. Recognising that with craftsmanship and inspiration all types of leather can attain the heights of beauty and performance expected of our raw material. Keeping lower grades away from commodity prices and a weak competitive mix compared to alternatives is vital for the prosperity of many tanneries and for the whole future of the leather industry. Creative technology is more important here than anywhere, just as Santa Croce prospered on in the 1960s and 1970s.
So for 2015 great marketing must begin deep inside the tannery with the product. It was ever thus.
Mike Redwood
January 14, 2015