Recently purchased a top from the prAna brand. It’s a pretty shirt with butterflies, a woman’s face and earthy watery colors. I like the top and it’s comfortable. I didn’t even know anything about the company until I got home and took the tag off. I was struck by the poignancy of the comments on the tag… enough so as to write a blog post about it.
Curious to know more about this company, I checked out the website and was pleasantly surprised. The lay out is beautiful, earthy and creative. Their website speaks about their company name: “Our name, prAna, holds great meaning to us. PrAna is an ancient Sanskrit word for breath, life and vitality of the spirit. We are honored to borrow this name that lifts our aspirations and guides us towards a positive vision for the future.”
Reviewing different pages, I came to understand that prAna has a lot of rock climbing and yoga clothes as well. While I love yoga, I probably won’t be getting into rock climbing anytime soon (I’m a bit scared of heights – mostly scared of falling) but, I can appreciate comfortable clothes.
Additionally, their website outlines their social interests and the organizations they support. I find it refreshing when companies are willing to speak up and share what their company stands for in the community. At the end of the day, as a consumer, I don’t have to support any company which I don’t endorse the same organizations and/or social values, but I think it’s great that prAna is making a stand for what they believe in. They may lose some customers along the way, but I imagine that doesn’t matter too much to the folks at prAna… I bet they are pretty comfortable (pun intended) with their social stance and the customers who want their clothes.
It’s interesting what you can find out about what a company stands for when reviewing their website. Take a minute sometime to check out the website of a company whose product you’ve purchased. You may find yourself unhappy with what they stand for, or perhaps you’ll find a new company to endorse. Either way, keep in mind that the personal brand you’re building for yourself will be impacted by the clothes you wear, the car you drive, the products in general that you purchase and use.
What is your favorite company and/or product?