The Brazilian Retail Textile Association (ABVTEX) brings together 23 groups that represent more than 50 major retail fashion brands in Brazil with more than 6,000 stores, creating 400,000 jobs.
Since 2007, we have been providing ABVTEX with media relations services, creating a monthly newsletter, and supporting their institutional communication.
At the beginning of the project, ABVTEX was virtually unknown in the media, and news articles about the textile and clothing sector mostly featured industry-related sources. To change this, we developed a comprehensive spokesperson relations program that put ABVTEX in the forefront of responsible supplying, especially after launching the ABVTEX Supplier Certification in 2010, a significant step in the fight against slave-like labor conditions in the supply chain.
Over six years, we helped ABVTEX certify over 4,000 clothing manufacturers and subcontracted companies and carry out almost 20,000 audits by independent certifying bodies. Together with their supply chain development and anti-informal labor initiatives, these efforts have been widely covered in the media, with an average of 350 articles published every year. We also wrote the winning case for the “2016 Von Martius Sustainability Award,” one of the most prestigious awards in Brazil, granted by the Brazil-Germany Chamber.
By exposing ABVTEX in the media, we helped the association build its image as a supporter of sustainable supply chains in the clothing and footwear sectors.