Aligning Business With Social Activism

ETHOS is the school supplies brand that empowers students to raise awareness of key social issues. Since its launch in June of this year, it has been quickly disrupting a commoditized industry in which competitors struggle to differentiate themselves. Whether it’s big-box retailers like Amazon, Staples, and Walmart or smaller brands like Mead and Five Star, the products are all very similar – there are only so many ways to differentiate a spiral notebook.

The year 2020 has witnessed a remarkable surge in youth activism. Young people have highlighted systemic injustices in the criminal justice system, the economy, and education. They have called for reshaping society’s institutions, including business institutions, to put people first.

The new generations of consumers – millennials, gen z, and gen alpha – are no longer content supporting the businesses that only focus on selling high-quality products. Instead, more than ever, these consumers are equally concerned about supporting brands that make a positive social impact. Younger consumers have an extremely critical eye for where their dollars go, and they are asking powerful questions like: What does your company do for the community? What charities does the company support? What type of diversity does your company have? What type of labor do you use? Where do your products come from?

ETHOS is capturing these shifts in consumer preferences and disrupting a commoditized school supplies industry by leveraging its social activism as one of its greatest competitive advantages. For every sale that ETHOS makes, they donate a notebook to underserved schools to enable them to spend more of their budget on what matters most: teachers, technology, support staff, resources, and much more. Additionally, ETHOS also donates 10% of proceeds to organizations supporting social activism, including the NAACP LDF, Pride Foundation, Equality Now, Vote.org, and much more.  

Make the decision to support the brand that is making a difference. Visit them at ethosmaterials.com or on Instagram at: ethos_materials