Dive Brief:
- Unifi, Inc. has announced it will collaborate with seven professional sports teams to promote "environmental responsibility" and encourage recycling efforts among fans, according to a press release. The teams include the Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Bruins, Detroit Red Wings, Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils.
- This collaboration is part of the Repreve #TurnItGreen mobile tour, an effort in which Unifi travels to sports stadiums in an interactive trailer to teach the importance of recycling. The company also showcases Repreve products that were made from recycled water bottles during this tour.
- This collaboration also serves as a launching pad for the Repreve Ultimate Sports Fan Experience, a sweepstakes series that will allow fans to enter for a chance to win VIP tickets and special access to games as well as Repreve products.
Dive Insight:
Unifi is not a stranger to sports leagues as the company has been encouraging various sports fans to "turn it green" for years. Unifi has partnered with both college football teams and NFL teams to create uniforms and apparel out of Repreve fibers, and the company's ability to engage with fans through fun, interactive educational opportunities has allowed for a valuable combination of brand recognition and increased diversion rates.
In a 2016 educational session, representatives from Nielsen presented data that found consumers are more likely to purchase goods that they know are sustainable. By engaging in consumer-focused initiatives like the mobile tour and Ultimate Sports Fan Experience, Unifi is leveraging these findings by promoting their sustainable products directly to the consumers. This tactic — which Unifi has managed to make entertaining through the appropriate partners — has helped Unifi maintain its relationship with the brands that use its Repreve fibers, like Patagonia, Quicksilver and Ford.
These strong business initiatives have also helped Unifi open new processing facilities to increase supply. In September 2016, the company opened a $28 million Repreve Bottle Processing Center in North Carolina which was intended to expand the local recycling market. Once the new facility is fully operational, it will be running 7 days a week.
