Branding and Ethics

[2ndRateMind]

Yesterday (1/03/09) on the BBC News channel the Managing Director of FutureBrand was being interviewed. She (Jasmine Montgomery) felt that businesses should not act ethically (it's to complicated - are we to choose utilitarianism, or the categorical imperative, or altruism?) but should package up a bundle of ethics into their brand, and let the consumer decide whether or not to do business with the brand concerned.

Is this a cynical exploitation, or a legitimate method of employing the free market of ideas (and money) to decide what ethics should govern us?

Best wishes, 2ndRateMind.

PS. I first posted this in the business and economics forum, but it got no response.

 

[Mystman]

Depends a bit on what you mean with "bundle up"...

I think it would be 'best' for the average company, if it could just choose it's own ethical guidelines and act according to them (as long as they're not doing something illegal ofcourse), but that they would be forced to be open about said guidelines; possible even including notices on products in case of objectionable conducts.

Like... I think a company certainly has the right to let Chinese factory workers mass produce shirts for 10 cents each in bad (but legal in China) working conditions, and then sell them for $50 here.

But it would be better if the consumer was notified of such practices.

As it stands, most people may want to act ethically in their purchases, but for some reason don't search out the correct information on the products they buy - and thus end up buying stuff that they wouldn't have bought if they knew the whole history of the product. This is bad, imho.

Exceptions might be companies that have a near-monopoly status in a certain business / geographical area. If a customer only has a choice between an unethically produced good-quality product, or an ethically produced piece of **** (sorry mods, can't think of another way to say it -_-), then he will probably buy the unethical quality product, even though he might want to buy ethical products.... In that case, the company should certainly try it's best to get some ethical business practices, or the government might force them (or stimulate the creation of competitors, etc)

 

[Mystman]

/tumbleweed... tumbles.. through the thread

Hmm... would it be ethical for a company to advertise their opposition to GAY MARRIAGE on their products?

If FRED PHELPS is a major shareholder of a company, should that company be forced to admit to that? Should it be on the labels?