Method's Eric Ryan: Scaling a Purpose-Driven Brand

This presentation by Eric Ryan, co-founder of Method, details the brand's key achievements and strategic moves in 2012. Ryan highlights Method's innovative approach to product design through a collaboration with Orla Kiely, its pioneering use of ocean plastic in packaging to raise environmental awareness, and its unique media strategy involving online video testing before TV campaigns. He also discusses how Method maintained its distinct company culture amidst growth and explains the strategic decision to sell the company to a capital group, merging with Ecover, to compete with industry giants while upholding its sustainability mission. 📑 CHAPTERS 00:00 Intro 02:11 Orla Kiely Collaboration 03:00 Ocean Plastic Bottles 04:02 Maintaining Company Culture 04:35 Media Strategy & Ads 06:45 Method's Acquisition & Ecover 08:26 Future & Call to Action 📌 KEY INSIGHTS ▸ "Method collaborated with high-end designer Orla Kiely to create affordable hand soap for Target, making luxury design accessible." — Eric Ryan (2:15) ▸ "Method pioneered the use of ocean plastic to create product bottles, aiming to raise awareness about plastic pollution despite the financial cost." — Eric Ryan (3:02) ▸ "Method maintained its unique "weird" company culture even as it grew, emphasizing that larger companies need to "act smaller."" — Eric Ryan (4:04) ▸ "Method's media strategy involved testing video ads online to prove creative effectiveness before launching a television campaign, mirroring Chipotle's approach." — Eric Ryan (4:37) ▸ "Method sold to a UK capital group, merging with Ecover, to secure resources for competing with larger CPG companies while preserving its sustainability mission and employee shareholding." — Eric Ryan (7:00) ❓ FAQ Q: How did Method make high-end design accessible? A: PSFK notes that Method partnered with designer Orla Kiely to create an affordable hand soap line for Target, demonstrating how premium design can be brought to mass-market products. (2:15) Q: What was Method's approach to using ocean plastic? A: Eric Ryan explains that Method created the world's first bottles made from ocean plastic, a costly initiative designed to spark conversation and raise awareness about plastic pollution rather than provide a full solution. (3:02) Q: How did Method maintain its company culture during growth? A: According to Eric Ryan, Method actively worked to "keep it weird" as it grew, embracing the philosophy that "the bigger you get, the smaller you need to act" to preserve its unique spirit. (4:04) Q: What was Method's strategy for launching video ads? A: Eric Ryan details Method's strategy of first running video ads online to test their creative effectiveness with a live audience before investing in a broader television campaign, similar to Chipotle's successful media model. (4:37) Q: Why did Method sell the company and merge with Ecover? A: Eric Ryan states that Method sold to a capital group and merged with Ecover to gain the necessary resources to compete with large CPG companies like Unilever and Procter & Gamble, while ensuring the combined entity maintained a strong commitment to sustainability. (7:00) ── Method Home — https://methodhome.com ── PSFK — 20+ years of trend research powering smarter decisions — https://www.psfk.com Fodda — Give your AI expert insights about purpose-driven brand strategy with PSFK's Fodda — https://www.fodda.ai PSFK Newsletter — https://newsletter.psfk.com