Featured Client /

Recycling Giant Trailblazes a More Sustainable Future

Brand

I:CO / SOEX

Industry/Sector

B2B | B2B2C | Impact | Fashion & Textile

Applied Expertise

Data-Driven Analysis

Market Analysis

Positioning Development

Custom Planning

Brand Strategy

Story & Campaigns

Website Audit & Analysis

Web Design

Custom CMS

Advertising

Packaging

Photography

Copywriting

Social Media

SMS & CRM

Overview

I:CO, short for I:Collect, is a subsidiary of the textile recycling giant SOEX Group. As joined forces, they combine a modern vision of product circularity with a tradition of over 40 years of experience in the collection, sorting, reuse, and recycling of unwanted apparel, footwear, and other textiles. With its mission to eliminate textile waste, I:CO pioneered an innovative retail product take-back system and worldwide infrastructure to keep consumers' pre-loved clothing and shoes in a continuous closed-loop production cycle where these goods can be reprocessed and reused again and again. Working in over 60 countries, I:CO partners with leading fashion brands and retailers to embrace product end-of-use responsibility and make it convenient and rewarding for consumers to give their items new life.

Challenge

We all know that we should recycle but it is difficult to make someone want to recycle AND have brands and retailers want to engage in product responsibility, especially when they are both unaware of how detrimental textile waste is to our communities and environment. Billions of pounds of clothing and shoes end up in landfills or incinerators every year, wasting valuable resources and causing great harm to the planet. Most of these tossed items are completely reusable or recyclable.

With their take-back concept only available in Europe, the I:CO team wanted to accelerate their impact and decided to make a bold move -- enter North America. With our history of growth and success working with new category start-ups and impact brands, we recognized I:CO’s program had the great advantage of being a disruptive idea to address the overwhelming textile waste challenge. We were all in! So how could we bring their message to potential fashion brands, retailers, customers, and the country at large, get them on board, and cause massive change for good?

Action

We knew we were embarking on an immense journey with I:CO. We jumped right in. Starting with a deep analysis of their business, the recycling, fashion, and textile industries, competition and their digital presence, government regulations, target audiences, and consumer attitudes, behaviors, and consumption habits, we gained actionable insights that drove the development of a 360-degree launch plan.

Some key observations helped us craft targeted strategies and solutions: 1) core audiences perceived used clothing and shoes as having no value, and 2) the I:CO concept spoke to both the fashion business and consumer audiences when showcased as a tool for empowerment, and an easy, convenient, and rewarding way to do the right thing.

We ran with these findings and formed a holistic go-to-market roadmap, breaking down stages into pre-launch, execution, and post-launch. Strategic planning, brand strategy, and positioning work underpinned everything. We identified fashion brands and retailers targets and developed sales and marketing strategies, recruitment tools, and communications materials including an online and physical pitch box with an infographic explaining I:CO’s circularity process. Once onboarded, partners were provided training and marketing materials through a partner-only access portal to alleviate any greenwashing concerns. From a new tagline to digital marketing and content creation to event and exhibit work, I:CO tapped into the full depth of our capabilities to amplify their brand presence and unlock their business’s potential. As our partnership grew beyond the initial launch, we developed a long-term strategy for brand growth and sustainability and provided additional support along the way.

What We Did...

Strategy

From the Discovery Phase, we surfaced key learnings and developed a strategic platform to guide the brand and a simple, clear messaging framework.

Data-Driven AnalysisMarket AnalysisPositioning DevelopmentCustom PlanningBrand Strategy

The Results

Our work with I:CO successfully turned a market disruptor into an established brand that is a respected reuse and recycling solutions provider to the fashion industry in North America. Over 100 brands including H&M, Levi's, and American Eagle Outfitters became partners, making a commitment to product end-of-use responsibility and taking strides toward circular fashion. Together with I:CO and their customers, millions of pounds of clothing, shoes, and other textiles have been diverted from landfills. Through memorable digital experiences to speaking engagements at key events such as the United Nations NGO Conference to exposure on The Today Show and online news and lifestyle channels, we succeeded over our ten-year partnership in bringing the I:CO story to life and igniting a systems change, moving us further into a more sustainable fashion future.

0100%

Exceeded

Client partner acquisition goals each year

021MM+

Pounds of Textiles

Diverted from Landfill

020%

Average Monthly

Web Traffic Growth

Consistently delivering...

“The Ocean Group has been integral in helping us build our brand from the start. They wholeheartedly believe in our mission and have been a committed partner for over ten years. Their team’s work ethic, creativity, tech skills, responsiveness, and collaborative mindset are exemplary. As smart strategists, they push us to think bigger, and are truly a pleasure to work with.”

Ken Johnson

I:CO Chief Executive Officer

Let’s put our solutions to work for you.

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