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BBMG PRESENTS
Reclaimism
Aspirational Consumers
and Emerging Trends
JUNE 2014

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reclaimism
[ree-kleym-ism]
noun
1. the art and science of reselling,
remaking and rediscovering
used products.
INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION

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Pioneering apparel brand Patagonia takes
out a single full-page ad. “Do not buy our
jackets,” it says. Repair them instead. Yerdle,
a new startup based in San Francisco, urges
members to “nab” items from each other,
a more sophisticated take on the “freecycling”
movement. And Macklemore and Ryan
Lewis, a white hip-hop duo from Seattle, win
multiple Grammy awards for their hit
single “Thrift Shop,” a playful critique
of conspicuous consumption.
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Once again used is cool.
But where previous
throw-backs to “what’s
old is new again” focused
mainly on vintage apparel
and paid homage to
certain styles (e.g.,
fifties leather bomber
jacket, anyone?), today’s
movement finds higher
purpose in extending the
lives of category-spanning
products through repairing,
reselling or finding other
creative uses for them.
The rise of localism, the
Do-It-Yourself movement
and collaborative
consumption business
models (think AirBnB,
Uber, TaskRabbit) are
corollaries to the trend
we call reclaimism, part of
an emerging ecosystem
of products, services and
experiences that make it
easier to live well and do
good. Big brands are taking
notice, too, recognizing the
trend as a key signifier of
Aspirational consumers, a
fast-growing segment that
refuses to compromise and
wants to unite style and
status with social purpose.
This snapshot—the first
in a series from brand
innovation firm BBMG—
brings the trend to life by
articulating its key themes,
providing related brand
examples, consumer
stories and clear takeaways
for today’s forward-thinking
brands.
INTRODUCTION

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INTRODUCTION
“50% of Aspirational
consumers are
making, repairing
or reusing products
rather than buying
new ones.”
Rethinking Consumption: Consumers and the Future of Sustainability (2013)1
The insights are based on our primary research, both
quantitative research conducted with GlobeScan in
20 markets and qualitative research conducted with
The Collective, BBMG’s online community of 2,500+
Aspirational consumers.
If you enjoy the report, by all means please share it.
Sign-up to receive future trend snapshots at bbmg.com.
Or check TheAspirationals.com for regular updates. This
microsite houses key data points, expert commentary,
press clips, videos and more about how Aspirationals are
driving a profound shift toward sustainable consumption.
The power of reclaimism is not to be underestimated.
The most sustainable product, after all, is one that
already exists.

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Trend Drivers.
Why are we seeing such a big uptick around reclaimism?
The following pages explore five key drivers of the trend.
All are unfolding against a backdrop of social change
influenced by increasing globalization, protracted
economic recession, disruptive new technologies and
generational shifts bringing new perspectives
on individual and corporate responsibility.

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No wonder consumers feel
good about buying used—
they’re saving money. And
though it’s often cheaper
to purchase used over
new, buying second-hand
now carries a certain
caché: you’re doing your
part, keeping items from
landfills, saving resources,
conscious about the
implications of your
consumption, proud to be
part of a larger movement
interested in sharing,
wasting less and enjoying
more of what matters in
life. The larger economic
climate is only spurring
the trend.
“Resale shops are thriving,
popping up across the
country,” says Adele Meyer,
executive director of the
Association of Resale
Professionals, which
tracked a 7% increase
in the number of resale
shops within the last year.2
“The thrift store is now
cooler than the mall,” she
says. About 20 percent of
consumers now shop in
thrift stores, compared to
14 percent in 2008.
An e-commerce startup like
Rent the Runway—whose
membership in its first four
years went from zero to 3.5
million—allows members
to rent used haute couture
1. Save money. Do good.
looks with a few clicks of
a computer mouse.
Jennifer Fleiss, Rent the
Runway’s co-founder, says
that the company’s core
demographic includes
Millennial women who
generally wouldn’t be able
to buy high-end designer
dresses. Side benefit:
renting luxury goods
becomes a pathway to
empowerment for many.
“We see young women
putting on these dresses
and feeling empowered,
twirling in the mirror,” says
Fleiss. “That’s amazingly
gratifying.” 3
TREND DRIVERS

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TREND DRIVERS
“Most people
share because
of convenience
and price, not
an overwhelming
desire to live
sustainably.”
Ariel Schwartz, FastCo.Exist
Angie, 42, Minnesota, loves buying used,
“new-to-me” clothing for many reasons.
“I often get my clothes from either a clothing swap
or second-hand store. The clothes are in great
condition. I save tons of money. I discover fun things
that I might not otherwise try, and I keep more
things from being manufactured.”

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One person’s trash is
another’s treasure. Trite
but true. Why give it away
when you can make a
few cents on the dollar?
Reselling is big business
and part of the reclaimism
narrative. Craigslist, for
example, manages 1.5
million new daily postings
and over 40 million unique
visitors per month—on
the top ten list of most
visited websites. Although
revenues have never been
released by Craigslist itself,
estimates hover around
$300 million annually.4
Expected to process
$300 billion worth of
transactions a year by
2015, eBay is the biggest
sustainable marketplace
in the world.5
Niche players are arriving
in droves, of course.
Gazelle, the dominant
marketplace for second-hand
electronics has
experienced exponential
growth and is on track to
hit $100 million in revenue.6
The new app Decluttr
offers to buy any and all
used CDs and DVDs. Both
business models take
advantage of real after-markets
and let consumers
find a home for outdated
computers, televisions, cell
phones and long-forgotten
2. Make money. Trash is cash.
video games—at a profit.
Tradesy makes it easy to
buy and sell fashion online.
“We have a section on the
site for wedding attire,”
says Tracy DiNunzio,
founder of Tradesy. “We
have seen three brides
wear the same dress. The
first bought a Vera Wang
wedding dress for $8,000
and then sold it on Tradesy
for $3,000. The second
wore it and resold it for
$3,000. So the bride in
the middle of that trade
wore her $8,000 Vera Wang
wedding dress for free.”
“Spring cleaning has
never been more
profitable.”
Thomas Freidman, New York Times
TREND DRIVERS

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Platforms like Tradesy remove the friction and risk from
multiparty transactions. Consumers feel empowered
to sell their space, their belongings and their time in ways
that weren’t previously possible. Durable goods cease
to be ‘belongings’ but objects to enjoy and pass along,
either by selling or giving them away. This has the added
benefit of promoting better care: you’ll get more money
if it’s in great shape. And it cuts down on clutter, the
hassle of accumulating more stuff than you need. In sum,
it’s about access to good stuff rather than the stuff itself.
“We’re moving from
a world where we’re
organized around
ownership to one
organized around
access to assets.”
Lisa Gansky, author of The Mesh:
Why the Future of Business Is Sharing
Suzanne transforms an old desk.
“I got this old writing desk from
a thrift store and gave it a few
coats of paint. Now, I use it every
Suzanne, 39, day in my home office.”
South Carolina
TREND DRIVERS

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The key insight behind BBMG’s recent Earth Month campaign for
eBay Green: the most sustainable product is one that’s already been
made. Keep things from landfills and cut the need for new ones
by “reloving” them.
Chris prides herself on her creative
repurposing of an old cigarette case.
“Smoking is horribly out of fashion
these days, so this cigarette case
needed a new life. The case was my
mom’s in the 60s and 70s, but today
I use it as a wallet. It holds money and
credit cards perfectly as it is the right
shape and size. As an added bonus the
case is made of metal and won’t allow
anyone to read your credit card strip.”
TREND DRIVERS
Chris, 35,
West Virginia

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TREND DRIVERS
3. To reclaim is to remake. The joy of second lives.
Shabby chic. Mod-podge.
Rough luxury. A glue gun,
can of paint and a little
imagination can go a long
way. Tin cans become patio
lanterns. An old ladder
becomes a display
shelving unit. Leftover
fabric refreshes a seat
cushion, or makes a new
pillow. The options are
endless and practical,
craft-savvy celebrities
like Rachael Ray and
Martha Stewart have
built merchandising
empires tapping the
world’s penchant for
imaginative remaking.
Perhaps no marketplace
has done more for our
inner craftiness than Etsy,
“home of the handmade.”
Now boasting more than
a million sellers of goods,
generating $1.4 billion
in sales a year, Etsy thrives
on reclaimism. Pinterest,
too, with its visual
emphasis, is popular for
sharing tips and tricks.
For many consumers, the
joy of repurposing comes
from it being a creative
exercise. It affirms the
“curatorial eye,” the ability
to see the potential
in an old or discarded
object. It invites a
gratifying transformation.
Suddenly—thanks to a few
coats of paint—this has
become that. It can carry
a heritage note: this thing
has been in the family
for years…and now it’s
relevant again. It fosters a
narrative of desire: this was
unwanted but now I want it,
or at least somebody does!
Finally, as underscored
by the real stories below,
it carries the subtext of
utility: we recognize that
this thing can be used
again, if not for its stated
purpose then some new
purpose we assign it.
Reclaiming and remaking
is empowering on all fronts.
Amy turns old soup cans into
an herb garden.
“Saw this on Pinterest and totally
love it. Recycling soup cans and
making them into beautiful
gardening supplies. Can’t wait
to try it this spring when it’s
time to plant the seeds.”
Amy, 39,
California

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4. What’s mine is yours. The community of nabbing.
Reused Garden Gate
“A few years ago, we bought a used
garden gate and arbor from an older
lady no longer wanting it. My husband
put it in our front garden (where
I take the boys to play and learn
about gardening), where a chocolate
vine now climbs up the side of the
arbor and fills the top. He built
a different gate entrance
to accompany it - so we did not need
the doors that came with the gate.
We hinged them, cleaned them, and
restained them. Now, I use them
to display my photography at farmers
markets and similar shows. It’s a great
way to reuse something that someone
else might have tossed out!”
Sarah, 35,
Virginia
TREND DRIVERS
First there was Freecycling.
Then Freegle, the British
spin-off. Craigslist added
free listings, of course.
Then a raft of startups
focused on helping
us share or exchange
goods, often free,
sometimes
at a price:
Flooting. FreelyWheely.
ReUseIt. Full
Circle.
SnapGoods.
NeighborGoods.
WhatsMineIsYours.
Big Wardrobe.
Now Yerdle has
entered the fray.
Yerdle, a trading platform,
reinvents the barter system
where you can trade your
goods for points, then
“buy” other used goods
with what you’ve earned.
While the platform
is designed as one
to share among friends,
“one of the bonuses
is meeting like-minded
people nearby that you
might not otherwise meet,”
notes Kelly McCartney of
Shareable. Adam Werbach,
former Sierra Club presi-dent
and yerdle’s founder,
says the platform came
from an urgent need to
shift the status quo and
“use software, technology
and good old-fashioned
community organizing to
make sharing ubiquitous”
and lower the environmen-tal
impact
of our purchases.7 Within
six months of the platform’s
launch, 17,000 members
could log on to nab 350
free items nearby.8
Nabbing has rules. It
comes with a code of
conduct. You should
give if you get.
It comes with a sense of
place: we’re a community
of like-minded, like-hearted
individuals engaging in this
exchange of stuff. Usually
the sites are locally based
and volunteer run.
Both donor and recipient
are intended to benefit.
Value exchange is inherent
in the design of the
freecycling movement and
serves as an important
undercurrent to reclaimism.

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“We need to radically
change the way
we acquire the
things we want.”
Adam Werbach, founder of yerdle
Danielle nabbed a free, broken-down
loveseat on Craigslist and turned
it into something that reflects her
personal style.
“The owner described this love seat as
having a ‘bit of wear’, which is Craigslist
free-speak for ‘absolutely trashed.’
But I knew from looking at the photo
that it had good bones and would be
like new with updated upholstery.
A month later, after approximately
a billion staples and lots of pulling and
stretching, the loveseat was completely
transformed into my new favorite piece
of furniture! I chose a gray and white
trellis pattern for a fun print.”
TREND DRIVERS
Danielle, 25,
Illinois

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We’d like our clothes
back now, thanks very
much. Big brands have
started moving to meet
the growing consumer
desire for sharing and
repurposing. It makes
sense. The designers,
makers and distributors
have roles to play in
promoting reclaimism but
also stand to gain loyalty
and reputation by adopting
a proactive stance.
In 2013 Eileen Fisher
released a cheeky Earth
Month campaign that
launched their “Green
Eileen” Collection Program.
It encouraged shoppers to
return gently worn apparel
in exchange for a tax
receipt and $5 Recycling
Rewards coupon, valid at
any Eileen Fisher store
or online. The brand also
launched a new store
concept under the “Green
Eileen” umbrella to sell
the gently worn items
consumers returned at four
locations nation-wide. This
move is environmentally-and
socially-impactful:
the proceeds from any
sales go toward funding
one of a slew of non-profit
causes, from the National
Women’s History Museum
to Planned Parenthood.
To date, the program
has collected 203,000
garments and raised more
than $450,000 in its first
two years.9
Through its Common
Threads Partnership,
Patagonia helps
consumers find new homes
for the Patagonia products
they no longer use.
Patagonia buys back used
items and consumers can
shop returned products in
stores and on eBay. With its
“Worn Wear” blog, Patagonia
shares consumers’ stories
of travel, adventure and
the resilient clothing that
makes it all possible.
As of last year, 60,000
consumers have taken the
Common Threads Pledge,
agreeing to buy only what
they need, repair what
breaks and share what
they don’t need. Vickie
Achee, Patagonia’s head of
retail marketing, says “Our
customers love knowing
they can find their gear
a second home while
earning credit toward
new or used products for
themselves, all while doing
their part to reuse, recycle
and keep Patagonia gear
out of the landfill.”10
Sprint has a buyback
program, too, one of
the first of its kind—
consumers trade in their
old wireless devices
and receive up to $300
in account credit. As of
March 2014, Sprint Buyback
and the brand’s other
wireless device recycling
initiatives have collected
more than 50 million items.
TREND DRIVERS
5. Take me back. Branding the good loop.

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TREND DRIVERS
Darren Beck, director of Sprint’s environmental initiatives,
noted that the “buyback program can help customers
offset some of the cost of their next device and helps
Sprint avoid substantial operating costs by reusing most
of the devices we collect. It also helps our communities,
reducing electronics in landfills and reducing the
resources, energy and emissions required to produce
even more new devices.”11
In 2013, Sprint broke the Guinness World Record for the
“most cell phones recycled in one week” with 103,582
phones recycled, more than twice the previous record.12
Lululemon’s recent missteps showed the folly of trying to
fight reclaimism. Following a massive recall and offensive
comments referencing plus-size consumers, the
company made a puzzling but concerted effort to stop
consumer attempts at creating a second-hand market
for Lululemon apparel and accessories, going so far as
to ban some customers from the brand’s e-commerce
site and trying to dissuade consumers from reselling
merchandise on eBay. Predictable backlash and bad PR
followed with the company finally, reluctantly, issuing
an apology. Many experts note, however, that the
brand’s ethos—promoting mindfulness—has been
called into question.13

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Implications.
In the end, reclaimism is sure to rise in frequency and
import, spurred by sustainable brand innovation and
consumers’ increasing desire to do good, save money,
make money, have fun, be creative and support local
communities and brand partners that get it.

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IMPLICATIONS
How might you leverage this trend to drive growth,
loyalty and deeper consumer engagement?
Here are a few thought-starters and implications given
the dynamics at work:
Embed it.
Authenticity is key. Host a visioning workshop
to determine how reclaimism can strategically and
authentically fit into your ethos or mission—not
become “tacked on” to an existing marketing strategy.
Make it easy.
Pre-paid postage. Bins in stores. Partnerships with
local programs or take-back facilities. How can
you take friction out of the process and ensure
participation that closes the loop? Do whatever
it takes to make it easy. Otherwise it’s just lip
service and not part of a long-term strategy.
Make it rewarding.
Incentivize participation through a mix of benefits.
Discounts on future purchases. Points that can
be redeemed for goods/services from your brand
or from affinity brand partners. Badges that
recognize frequency, volume or level
of engagement with the program.
Happy
reclaiming.

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1. BBMG, GlobeScan & SustainAbility. (2012, November 12).
Rethinking Consumption: Consumers and the Future
of Sustainability.
2. Tully, J. (2012, July 12). Recession has many looking thrift store
chic. USA TODAY
3. Galbraith, S. (2013, December 3). The Secret Behind Rent the
Runway’s Success. Forbes.
4. Kidd, G. (2011, June 6). White Paper: Craigslist: By the
Numbers. 3Taps.
5. Friedman, T. (2013, December 21). How to Monetize Your
Closet. The New York Times.
6. Kirsner, S. (2013, April 12). Electronics reseller Gazelle on track
to hit $100 million in revenue for 2013. Boston.com.
7. McCartney, K., & Gorenflo, N. (2012, November 23).
AdamWerbach Launches yerdle on Black Friday with 10,000
Free Items. Shareable.
8. Aster, N. (2013, June 15). Video Interview: Adam Werbach,
yerdle’s 6 Month Progress Report. Triple Pundit RSS.
9. Green Eileen Store Opens in Yonkers. (2011, December
1). Westchester Putnam NY Natural Awakenings.
10. Patagonia’s Common Threads Worn Wear™ Program Comes to
Denver. Transworld Business RSS.
11. Sprint. (2014, March 14). As Wireless Carriers Race to Reclaim
Phones, Sprint Phone Trade-in Program Remains No. 1.
12. Sprint. (2013, September 4). Sprint Breaks GUINNESS WORLD
RECORDS® Record for the Most Cell Phones Recycled
in One Week.
13. Shayon, S. (2014, February 20). Lululemon Tried to Ban
Customers from Reselling Clothes, Because That’s Going to
Go Over Well. Brand Channel.
END NOTES

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This snapshot is designed to inspire dialogue about the emerging
trend of reclaimism, as evidenced by the attitudes, behaviors and
values of Aspirational consumers, a global consumer segment
that cares about uniting style, status and sustainability.
For the latest data points, trends and best practices, visit
TheAspirationals.com
Executive Creative Director: Mitch Baranowski
Associate Creative Director: Casey Coyle
Designer: Maddie Young
Strategist: Suzanna Schumacher
Associate Editor: Carola Beeney