Sliding Liberia Film
"Sliding Liberia" is a film that crosses genres. Conceived of by Stanford filmmaker Britton Caillouette and Stanford PhD student Nicholai Lidow, this surf film/social documentary follows a group of young surfers to Liberia in search of more than perfect waves. As they travel through the West African country, devastated by decades of brutal civil war, they record the stories of people they meet along the way––people like Alfred, a young boy who became Liberia's first surfer after finding a bodyboard while fleeing from rebels. Besides rediscovering a world-class point break that could be the best-kept secret in the surfing world, the surfers find something much more important––a way to travel responsibly in the 21st century. Featuring Patagonia Surfers: Dan Malloy, Crystal Thornburg, and Chris Del Moro. Cinematography by: Dave Homcy (Shelter, Brokedown Melody).
Naturals Market Maintains Strong Global Growth
Posted: March 11, 2010
According to Nancy Mills, an industry manager for the consumer products division of market research company Kline & Co., the market for natural personal care products has persevered through the recession, posting strong gains around the world. Spurred by growing consumer awareness, better raw material supplies, and wider availability of more affordable products, the naturals market posted double-digit gains in 2009. It is a sustained pattern of strong growth that has personal care product marketers of all sizes looking to seize the growing opportunities in worldwide markets to tap into this attractive industry.
Naturals Here to Stay
With more than a 15% CAGR in the past five years, the naturals trend seems to have solidified its position as more than just a passing fad. While the trend is growing steadily worldwide, what makes it most interesting is the diversity of impact in each region. Kline’s Natural Personal Care 2009 report—one of the only such studies to examine the naturals industry in the United States, Europe, Asia, and Brazil—reveals significant differences among the major markets with regard to consumers’ adoption of the trend, the popularity of products, the competitive landscape, and the degree to which so-called natural products really live up to their billing.
As a clear indication of the growing naturals appeal, manufacturers are pushing the envelope of what passes for natural in order to get on the bandwagon. Kline’s ingredient analysis finds that nearly 75% of so-called natural personal care products are not so natural after all. The overwhelming majority are considered “natural-inspired,” comprised mostly of synthetics with just enough natural ingredients thrown in to take advantage of low consumer differentiation. Unfortunately, the lack of explicit standards that define the degree of naturalness in most markets makes it possible for manufacturers in some countries to call their products “natural” just by adding a flowery label to the package.
Booming in Brazil
As the second-largest single country market for naturals in the world, Brazil is one of the most attractive opportunities for natural personal care marketers. Growing consumer purchasing power and greater supply of products have also made it the fastest-growing, up more than 15% from 2008.
Dominated by a single supplier that commands about two-thirds of the total market, Brazil has also benefited from a weakening U.S. dollar that has made the importation of natural products more affordable. Consumer differentiation remains quite low here as well, with most so-called natural products merely natural-inspired.
