Building Call It Spring’s Brand Purpose Strategy
Yulu developed and executed a comprehensive brand purpose strategy for Call It Spring, an ALDO Group brand. The work focused on guiding the brand’s transformation into a fully vegan label and strengthening its commitment to sustainability and social impact. The strategy was designed to be embedded across all facets of the brand, ensuring both immediate results and long-term progress.
The Challenge
As a youth-focused brand within the ALDO Group—an organization recognized for its social and environmental initiatives—Call It Spring sought to further differentiate itself by offering stylish, affordable, and increasingly sustainable products. The fashion industry is often met with skepticism regarding sustainability claims, so Call It Spring required a credible, transparent, and authentic approach to communicating its initiatives, desired impact, and measurable goals.
““Yulu's team are social impact experts. They have significant experience working with various organizations to help formulate what the basis of their social impact should be, and we have a lot of trust in what they do. They’ve been incredibly helpful in guiding the conversation for us both internally and externally. We were lucky to find a communication agency that specializes in this niche area.””
The Strategy
Deep-Dive Research and Industry Benchmarking
Yulu conducted in-depth stakeholder interviews and comprehensive industry benchmarking to identify best practices and potential challenges in the sustainable fashion space. This research revealed a lack of clear standards in defining sustainability within the footwear industry, highlighting the need for Call It Spring to educate consumers and avoid conflating “vegan” with “sustainable”.
Transparent and Authentic Communication
Yulu recommended that Call It Spring embrace transparency and humility, positioning itself as a brand making significant strides toward sustainability while acknowledging ongoing challenges. Key achievements and certifications—such as being part of a climate neutral company, using FSC-approved packaging, and earning PETA-approved vegan status—were leveraged as foundational proof points.
Internal Alignment and Taskforce Development
A cross-departmental taskforce was established to embed both social and environmental purpose across the organization. This ensured that actionable steps were clear, measurable, and aligned with the brand’s long-term vision for positive impact.
Key Initiatives
- Vegan Transition: Launched fully vegan collections, including sustainable materials like recycled plastic bottles, algae-based insoles, and water-based adhesives.
- Sustainability Roadmap: Removed single-use bags, adopted deforestation-free boxes, and pursued ongoing improvements in material sourcing and environmental footprint.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborated regularly with internal teams and external partners to ensure alignment and accountability.
Results & Impact
- Consumer Reception: The vegan launch was highly successful, with 83% of Call It Spring customers stating that the transition to vegan products was a good or perfect fit for the brand.
- Media Coverage: Secured 26 high-quality media features in outlets such as Glossy, Fashion Magazine, Retail Insider, and Footwear News, with consistent messaging around the brand’s sustainability journey.
- Ongoing Progress: The brand purpose strategy continued to evolve, with an active taskforce spanning twelve departments driving continuous improvement in line with strategic objectives.
- Integrated Communications: Yulu’s messaging informed all aspects of the launch, including in-store signage, staff training, website FAQs, and visual assets, ensuring a unified and transparent narrative.