Podcast: How Rothy’s Is Building Cultural Relevance
The Green Behavior podcast is BACK!
From a Times Square activation to hosting a pizza party with , sustainable footwear brand Rothy’s is embedding itself into the cultural conversation,
In this week’s episode, Zoë Richards, Director of PR & Communications, shares how Rothy’s builds cultural relevance without leading with sustainability, the strategy behind moments that spark mainstream buzz, and the tactics that keep the brand woven into the zeitgeist on a lean budget.
Listen now on Spotify | Apple Podcasts
If you want to shift consumer behavior at scale, you have to meet people where they are. Not where you wish they were, not where you think they should be, but where they actually are. That means showing up in culture—in the moments, spaces, and conversations that already have their attention.
The biggest mistake I see is sustainability only showing up in sustainability spaces.
Meanwhile, mainstream fashion brands are driving hype through experiences and pop ups and loyalty activations and unexpected partnerships that create buzz, spark desire and cement their place in the cultural conversation.
Too often, sustainable brands opt out, worried about being seen as promoting consumption or playing by the same rules as the incumbents. But the unintended consequence is removing themselves from the very spaces where trends are set, attention is captured, and consumer desire is built.
Cultural moments are where brands become part of people’s social conversations, gain relevance, and create the emotional pull of being in the zeitgeist. If you’re absent, you miss the chance to build the excitement, status, and connection that drive purchasing behavior.
That’s one of the reasons I’ve been loving Rothy’s recent approach. They’re showing up in places that have nothing to do with sustainability per se, but everything to do with culture, relevance, and connection.
I spoke with Zoë Richards, Director of PR & Communications at Rothy’s, about how the brand balances sustainability messaging with cultural touch points that generate mainstream buzz, without the blockbuster budgets typically behind high-impact campaigns.
Listen now on Spotify | Apple Podcasts