Patagonia Offers $100 to Customers Who Help Others Plan to Vote

Patagonia is offering customers a financial incentive to encourage friends and family to make a plan to vote in the midterm elections.The outdoor apparel company announced it would give up to 112,000 customers a $100 discount on Patagonia merchandise if they enroll three people in a program to encourage registered voters to cast a ballot in the midterms.The initiative begins Saturday.Support for the environment has been a core part of Patagonia’s brand for decades, yet the move is an extraordinary step in corporate activism.

The company, based in Ventura, Calif., previously bought political ads, campaigned against the oil and gas industry and endorsed candidates who ran against lawmakers who rejected the scientific consensus on climate change.Ryan Gellert, the chief executive of Patagonia, said he was concerned that many Americans had become disengaged with politics and environmental issues since President Trump returned to the White House last year.Company executives want to “get people off the sidelines,” he said.“A lot of people are feeling a sense of hopelessness,” Mr.

Gellert said in an interview.“We’re trying to cut through the apathy.”The people Patagonia customers refer are sent to a third-party website where they can check their voter registration, and find out if they can vote early and whether they need to show identification at their polling site.

They must then develop a plan to cast their ballot — by voting early, by mail or in person on Election Day.We are having trouble retrieving the article content.Please enable JavaScript in your browser settings.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.If you are in Reader mode please exit and log into your Times account, or subscribe for all of The Times.Thank you for your patience while we verify access.Already a subscriber? Log in.Want all of The Times? Subscribe....