i+m’s big plus – fairness principle is top priority

The story of the Berlin natural cosmetics firm i+m began 35 years ago. Seven years ago, the founder of the firm Inge Stamm brought a new generation on board. Career-changing newcomers, Bernhard von Glasenapp and Jörg von Kruse, have clothed the brand in an urban outfit. The i+m team has been working on its profile once again, and what has emerged is a much slimmed down, unmistakable look that condenses the brand’s values into three concepts: fair, organic and vegan – the three important assets of the firm i+m. Fair is the top priority and is expressed in various projects. A video shows a shea butter project in Uganda.

(Picture: Bernhard von Glasenapp and Jörg von Kruse are pleased with the results of the re-launch)

Two young Berlin business lawyers get to know the natural cosmetics pioneer Inge Stamm. She’s looking for advice because her company is having problems. That was back in 2007. Bernhard von Glasenapp and Jörg von Kruse are fascinated by this different world in which nature and conviction have priority. Both of them had been searching around for some time. because not only did they want to find a concept of business that was new and sustainable but they also wanted to put it into practice in a way that meant economic activity was in harmony with nature and people.

“i+m was a revelation. Experiencing the manufacture of creams was intoxicating,” they recall. “Seeing the creation of a value chain of plants and natural ingredients was a very special experience that moved us deeply.” But at the same time a sober analysis of the state of the company was far less impressive. “We had before us a consistently ecological and sustainable organic company with a strong ideological orientation that had remained aloof from the pressure in the industry to go down the path of conventional production. This had held the company back,” von Glasenapp explains. This is how it came to the point where the lawyers changed their jobs in order to lead the firm into the future. (Pictures: Inge Stamm in the early days of cosmetics production. Inge Stamm being congratulated by Rainer Plum on the 35th anniversary of the firm)

The company i+m now has 7 years under new leadership behind it. “We’ve used the time to turn i+m into a future-oriented enterprise,” says von Glasenapp. The quality has been improved by introducing modern machinery, so that the high-value recipes developed by
Inge Stamm meet the standards required today. The special features of i+m have been carried over into marketing. “With our brand we want to convey an urban, aesthetic but ecologically sustainable consciousness,” he explains. “Urban dwellers often feel a strong affinity with nature and yearn to live lives that conserve not destroy the world around them.” (Picture: The old look and the new)

The 7-year process culminated in the re-launch and in the conviction on the part of von Glasennapp and von Kruse that they wanted the overarching concept embracing all aspects of the firm’s philosophy to be the concept of fairness. “We want “fair” to pervade our business thinking. For us, it’s the opposite pole to competition, to the classic mechanisms in the business world, and it radiates out in all directions.” For von Glasenapp the first principle is “fair to people”: this applies to both the procurement of raw materials from the company’s own projects and fair trade and to the structure of the firm itself, with flat hierarchies and broad-based company management.

All the 15 employees share the profit, which accounts for 20 % of the total. Another 20 % goes to each of the following:  the company’s projects, an example being a women’s refuge in Zambia, pump-priming for eco-social projects, investments and to the two partners in the firm. “We think the fair thought in all directions,” is how Jörg von Kruse sums up their approach, and mentions further matters of principle: “Fair to animals equals vegan; “fair to nature” means economical PP packaging without a mix of materials and without outer packaging. (Pictures: The three core brand values: fair, organic and vegan)
 

Since the re-launch the company has focused even more on its own fair projects. “We can say that fair is our top corporate value, and with it we have enhanced the profile of i+m,” von Kruse maintains. Fairly traded raw materials come from five projects in Africa and Israel. The two managing directors spend a lot of time visiting the projects in Uganda (shea butter), Kenya (avocados), India (coconut oil), Morocco (argan oil) and Palestine (olive oil). “We don’t want to rely only on labels, because a lot of companies can’t afford them,” Kruse observes. “We feel very strongly about not only examining operations and quality but also supporting the people and working together to find solutions.” A consequence of this approach is, for example, that i+m this year took over the marketing of the shea butter from Uganda. “They simply don’t have the marketing know-how and the infrastructure there,” comments von Glasenapp.
 

The fairness thinking of von Glasenapp and von Kruse covers a wide area, giving rise to a wholly new product idea – the Fair Edition. “The principle is this: we donate limited editions bearing their logo to small eco-social projects that are being built up.” The first two projects are YuMiG (Yoga and Meditation in prison) in Hamburg and Off the Mat in Frankfurt. The project partner takes charge of sales at, for example, its own events or via yoga studios. The logistics, on the other hand, are the responsibility of i+m. “All partners in the chain donate their services, so that sales in their entirety benefit the project. Our plan is for 10,000 euros to come together per project. We want to generate added value and to support change-makers,” says von Kruse, himself an active yogi. (Picture: The women’s refuge in Zambia and yoga projects are the beneficiaries of the Fair-Edition products)
 

The theme of vegan cosmetics is nothing new for i+m – for a good ten years, their products have managed perfectly well without animal substances of any kind. Von Glasenapp and von Kruse are pleased that many natural cosmetics firms are now following suit: “Nothing gladdens the heart more than an idea that is shared.” The two are convinced that this is precisely what the new product design can communicate. Their aim is product appeal via minimalist design, strong colours, a matt appearance, a velvety feel and of course the high-value contents – not forgetting what in their words is a huge positive: “It’s a magic symbol and it contains the quintessence of seven years. We believe in the magic of our idea.” “We all like the new launch very much and we’re keen to see how customers in the shops will react to the new look of our products. The ten series with a total of 46 products have been on sale since 1 October.

The specialist trade is the sales channel for i+m. “We love the many little shops. They’ve got to carry on – that’s our sincere wish,” says Jörg von Kruse. In order to strengthen the advisory capacity of the retail trade, the Berliners have expanded their field service and offer training sessions. Von Kruse is convinced: “There’s such a lot to tell about i+m, and it’s best if it comes from the sales people.” In its export business the company concentrates on reliable partners in 15 countries. “We don’t force anything but we’re glad to see how well i+m is received in for example Sweden, England, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Czech Republic and even South Korea,” von Glasenapp explains. (Picture: Idyllic in the middle of Berlin: i+m’s administration building)