Being a vegan, is  something that has been known to have less impact on the environment, on average. The word vegan has become something beyond not consuming animal products, it is a lifestyle and a title people carry with pride. For this reason some individuals have taken it very seriously, and even consuming leather, can make you skeptical about using that title on yourself.

As a former vegan, that’s how I discover some vegan brands.

Among these, there is KEEP, a shoe company that sells online. What is interesting about KEEP is that, even if they manufacture vegan, they don’t primarily advertise it as such.

For example, the description of KEEP on their website, never clearly mentions animal free. Throughout the first three paragraphs they never use the words, animal or vegan. The closest words that could connect their brand to something vegan  through this paragraphs are “Keep came into being through … the deep desire to make classic, clean shoes without the bulk and bother of other brands“. They use the word “clean” and “without bulk” implying light comfortable shoes, however it’s vague if they also want to infer their products are animal free through this wording.

They do mention their shoes are vegan and use it in different parts of their website, however they don’t highlight that as much. KEEP expands their target audience, by appealing to more segments, through this strategy. They are focusing on design and the experience consumers live through their products. That’s why you cannot find the words animal free in their description but you can find “… keeps is what you remember doing when wearing our shoes or clothes, the memories you have of your wanderings, the feelings you’ve experienced along the way.” Using words like “memories” or “experienced”, account for a completely different marketing strategy that doesn’t primarily appeal to true-blue greens or Greenback Greens.

As the sustainability trend evolves and green has become mainstream, I’m surprised even a small businesses, would incorporated a marketing strategy, that positions their product as great first and green second.

Do you like KEEP’s current marketing strategy ? Would you change it in order to mainly target True-blue Greens or Greenback Greens? Would you be interested to try KEEP even if you weren’t a vegan? I would love to hear what you think about KEEP.