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Three Minute Happiness

Hands up who hates Howies? 

Comments:4   Add your comment

Anyone? No, thought not. Not even the people stuck in their dreary advertising jobs could possibly feel anything but a warm glow about this company.

 

I have followed them since I saw their ads  in the D &AD annuals about 10 years ago. As a writer and someone interested in outdoor sports they seemed like my kind of people.

What's so interesting about them is that I know a lot of people who know them, from the industry and outside and they just seem to get everything right. From being green before most people or forgoing a posh photo shoot in order to build a printing shop and then making that the focus of their brochure magazine they just get it. And, as they said in the yahoo chair piece in Campaign, they blogged very early on.

I guess it's a similar story to Innocent but I think there are a few people out there who are a little sick of the nicey-nicey way innocent go about their business. There is the thought that they might just be trying a teeny bit too hard. Anyone agree?

Anyway, Howies, like innocent, are to start 'advertising' more, through Dave Hieatt's old chum from AMV days, Dave Dye. I can't wait to see what they come up with. it promises to be special.

Published Mar 23 2007, 11:57 AM by James Cooper

Comments

by Michael Byrne
March 23, 2007 12:38 PM
 
Can't get sick of Innocent. Fantastic brand, fantastic company, fantastic corporate ethics and most importantly (and something that many companies forget) an absolutely fantastic product. Brands like Howies and Innocent have been around for years, but are really only being noticed now, as consumers start buying products that had that added dimension -- a feelgood factor. Expect to see more small companies like these two to emerge in the next 5 to 10 years.
 
 
by Andy Middleton
March 23, 2007 3:05 PM
 
The test will come under the microscope - customers and fans will run if leading companies don't walk the talk. We've been doing the Howies and Innocent stuff at TYF for over 20 years, and know how hard it is to make things work together - life, health, family, work, money, impact etc. Dave and his team are setting some great examples, and more importantly perhaps, communicating it in a way that makes others want more. In the past, eco activists have often lacked the networking, comms and marketing skills to connect to audiences other than their own. One opportunity that we're looking forward to is to increase the power of networking and trading between like-minded businesses. We're members of 1% for the Planet, and like playing and working with others who do the same. At the end though, remember Lao Tsu - "Only those who know the meaning of enough will ever be rich".
 
 
by Simon Wilden
March 23, 2007 3:16 PM
 
I love Howies and although a big fan of Innocent product, find their marketing and whole brand nauseatingly twee. Surely there is an important difference between the companies. Innocent decided on that tone of voice in order to best appeal to a well understood target market. Their behaviours are designed primnarily to achieve commercial success. However the impression you get from Howies is that it is a real labour of love. They do it the way they do it because they believe that is right and they want to do the right thing. If that brings them commercial success then all good - but it hasn't really (although I'm glad to hear they're gonna do some more ads - they must be doing ok and the work will be something to look forward to). Frankly I think it's unfair to comapre the two brands - one is a cunning contrivance, the other a craft and conviction brand.
 
 
by patrick morrison
March 23, 2007 3:50 PM
 
I loath both. Whether they came from agency planner doods on a busmans holiday or lovely hubby and wife team or some bunch of college frat back scratchers who ponced about talking smoothies one day whilst cramming fruit. Smug but human allbeit but neither have any soul. Kid yourself not. Calm down about any new campaigns for godsake its Friday.
 
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