TENTREE CASE STUDY

GROWING TEN TREE: ENTERPRISE, SOCIAL MEDIA AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

MGT 630 Social Corporate Responsibility

Alesa Hamilton, Shawn Kingsglover, Jose Morales, Michael Trella

Conclusion

2016

Inception date - 2011

(June)

(September)

852,940tees/8.5+ million Trees

100 tees/1,000 Trees

What would our world look like if more companies fostered the same model?

June 13, 2016

CSR Update

• Employees
• Customers
• Environment
• Charitable work
• Society

Strength Building

• Adapt Social Media Campaigns
• Examine Manufacturing Carefully
• Maintain TT’s Brand

Key Success Drivers

Future Growth

• Consistent Brand Identity
• Founder Unity
• Strong Social Media Presence
• Non-For Profits Partnerships

• Build Loyal Fan Base
• Act as brand advocates for TT
• Expand Non-For Profit Partnerships
• Develop desired oversea markets
• Increase Accountability and Transparency
• Mission and brand differentiates TT from lower-cost competitors

What are TT's key success drivers? How can the company build on these strengths to lock in a sustained competitive advantage?

What other steps can TT take to achieve even greather growth?

What options does TT have for sources its apparel (e.g., offshore or onshore)? Which option should it choose? Why?

SOURCING OPTIONS

Onshore vs. Offshore

• Pros/cons
• Social mission and brand name

3 options on where to manufacture

• North America
• Middle East/South Asia
• China

SOCIAL MEDIA IMPACT

• Dragon’s Den appearance gave exposure
• Enlisted help from multiple advisers to ensure a good show

• Wide range of tools, each with a specific use
• You tube
• Twitter
• Instagram
• Facebook

• Non Traditional Advertising on Facebook
• Themed content with links to website
• Goal was to get “likes” and build a community
• Gives access to their friends
• Free!

How has TT innovatively exploited social media? How has TT's use of social media contributed to its success to date?

Not-For-Profit vs For-Profit

Planet Before Profit

• Ten Tree has a social mission

• Sell as many items of apparel to plant as many trees as possible

For Profit

• Ten Trees rapid success wouldn't be possible if it were a non profit

Not for Profit

• Dragons Den

• Partnership with non-profits

• CFW - Canadian Wildlife Federation
• WF - WeForest

• Splitting the business could help them

Tree planing business - Non-profit

Apparel business - For-profit

Arlene Dickinson of Dragons Den: "The future of business is to be socially responsible, environmentally friendly and make money".

• Ability to raise capital through private investors in a timely manner
• Freedom to use capital as desired

• Capital is raised from donations from individuals, foundations and corporations
• Can register for income tax exemption under section 501 (c)3
• No personal liability for organizational debts

CAPITAL & TIME

Could TT achieve the same success if it were organized as a not-for-profit rather than a for-profit enterprise?

Does TT have a sustainable business model, as a high-cost producer with social mission? Or is its business model just an easily imitated fad that cannot ultimately survive in a competitive marketplace?

Review the literature on the definition(s), features, and characteristics of social enterprise. What are the key features and characteristics of social enterprises? What are their implications? Be sure to provide comparisons among countries/regions, including Canada and the U.S.

TT manufactures and sells apparel based on simple designs.

TT’s strength is its social background and ultimate goal;

• Plant as many trees as possible around the world in locations where they would create the greatest environmental and social impact.

The final goal of TT and the necessity of the people to help the environment have made TTs business model sustainable

TT Monopoly

Social enterprises in US

• Represent $300 million in revenue
• Employ an estimated 14,000 people in 28 states

Characteristics of a social enterprise

Social enterprises in UK

• 7% of all small businesses meet the definition of social enterprise
• 68,000 enterprises
• £24 billion in revenue and employing 800, 000.

• Economic and entrepreneurial dimensions of social enterprise

Does TT have a sustainable business model, as a high-cost producer with social mission? Or is its business model just an easily imitated fad that cannot ultimately survive in a competitive marketplace?

• Social dimension of social enterprise

• Participatory governance of social enterprise

TEN TREE CASE STUDY AND ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

• Environmentally focused business
• Ten trees planted for every purchase
• Learning curve in apparel industry
• Successful marketing campaigns

Growing Pains

• On track to meet goals
• Experiencing growing pains
• Struggling to meet production demands
• Facing critical decision

Agenda

• Short Video
• Who is Ten Tree?
• Introduce case study and organizational background
• Case study question review
• CSR Update
• Questions