Case Study of the "Life is Good" clothing company.

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Case Application

More Than a Good Story

1.        Jake and Rocket a cartoon guy and his cartoon dog, can be found on most of the apparel and other branded products sold by the Life is Good Company. With his perky beret (or other appropriate head gear), Jake has that contended look of being able to enjoy life as it is and finding reasons to be happy right now, and Rocket? Well he is just happy to be along for the ride. And what a ride it’s been  for the two! They’ve been part of the company growth to over $100 million in revenues. Company co-founders and brothers, Bert and John Jacobs have a personal and Business philosophy much like Jake; simplicity, humor and humility. However both understand that even this philosophy they need to be good managers throughout the organization in order to stay successful.

2.        Bert and John designed their first tee shirts in 1989 and sold them door-to-door in college dorms along the East Coast and in Boston where they’d set up shop using an old card table in locations on one way streets so they could pick up and move quickly if they needed to. They used this simple approach because like many young entrepreneurs, they couldn’t afford required business licenses. Although  they met a lot of wonderful people and heard a lot of good stories during those early years, sales weren’t that great. As the company legend goes, the brothers “lived on peanut butter and jelly, slept in their beat-up van, and showered when they could.” During one of their sales trip parties, Bert  and John asked some friends for advice on an assortment of images and slogans they had put together. Those friends (some of whom now work for the company) liked the “Life is Good” slogan and drawing of Jake that had been sketched by the John. So Bert and John printed up to 48 Jake shits for a local street fair in Cambridge, Massachusetts. By noon 48 shirts were gone, something that had never happened! The brothers were smart enough to recognize that they might be on to something. And, as the old saying goes…..the rest is history! Since that momentous day in 1994, they’ve sold nearly 20 million Life is Good shirts featuring Jake and Rocket. Bert attributes their success to his belief that the “ the ‘Life is Good’  message, coupled with the carefree image of Jake, was simple enough to swallow, light enough to be mistaken for preachy, and profound enough to matter.” He goes on to say that, “Note that we don’t say ‘Life is great!’ We say life is good, period. These simple words, People connect with it instantly.”

3.        Another important facet of Life is good is their commitment to good causes. And those aren’t just “words” to Bert and John; they act on their words. They are passionately involved with Project Joy, which is a nonprofit organization that fosters the development of at risk children through the art of play. Bert says their partnership with Project Joy aligns with Life is good’s philosophy. The financial commitment the company has made is supported by its Life is good Kids Foundation, which raises funds throughout the popular Life is good festivals and through sales of fundraising t-shirts and books at its retail stores.

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4.        Today Life is Good, based in Boston has a product line of more than 900 items. The company continues to grow about 30-40 percent annually. Bert and John’s style of managing is guided by another of the company’s mottoes, “Do what you like, Like what you do.” As the company’s web site states, “In addition to knowledge, skills, and experience, we look to hire people who possess the same optimistic outlook on life that Jake has.” It’s an approach that seems to be working for Bert and John and for Jake and rocket.

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