Why Maine Beer Company Chose 1% for the Planet from Day One—And Never Looked Back
Banner photography by Maine Beer Company.
If you’ve read about our biggest myths, you know that you don’t have to be a big-name brand to join 1% for the Planet. Purpose is scale-neutral. In other words, your ability to make an impact doesn’t depend on how big, small, old or new your business is.
Take it from Maine Beer Company. Back in 2009, the brand took its purpose statement, “To do good through great beer,” and put it into action by becoming a 1% for the Planet Member on its first day of operations.
It’s now approaching two decades in business and has contributed more than $5 million USD to vetted environmental solutions through its annual 1% commitment. We chatted with CEO Steve Mills to get his take on how Maine Beer Company baked environmental action into the business from the beginning and how it’s shaped the brand.
Why did you start membership on day one? What has the outcome been from baking in certification from the start?
Our original business plan included giving back in some way, and we decided 1% for the Planet was the vehicle to do that. We liked the accountability our membership would provide through annual verification, and the focus on vetted environmental nonprofits was a good fit for us. It was a real advantage to start with one percent of our gross revenue going to qualified nonprofits, because we included that in our cost structure. We still do today. To us, it’s like paying taxes—you have to do it, and it’s baked into our annual plan as soon as we set our revenue target. The rest of the budgets follow.
How has your membership scaled alongside your business?
We have been very fortunate to have mostly seen year-over-year growth, and our giving budget has grown proportionally. With the additional dollars, we typically add a nonprofit or two, or we contribute more to a specific, major project that one of our nonprofit partners is undertaking. Sometimes both.
How has Maine Beer Company benefited from being a 1% for the Planet Member?
There is real brand identity and equity in 1% for the Planet. Our membership helps our teammates and consumers understand, at least in part, who we are and what we stand for. It resonates with them, which helps us attract and retain customers and employees.
What partnerships are you most proud of?
So many good things have come from the relationship with our first impact partner, College of the Atlantic Allied Whale. We’ve partially funded their emergency mammal response program, and other invaluable educational opportunities focused on marine mammals. They also worked with us to feature a 53-foot whale skeleton in our tasting room, which is quite the attraction and raises awareness of their important mission. We also credit them with teaching us about a specific female fin whale that frequented the Maine coast and was nicknamed Lunch. We named an IPA after her, and it is now our most popular beer.
What are some examples of how you’ve approached communicating your membership?
We use the 1% for the Planet logo across most of our branding and our external communications because it resonates with our consumers and holds us accountable for our commitment to supporting environmental nonprofits. We view this as a sound investment that is a major contributor to our success.
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