That is the question posed by Dara O'Rourke in her April 5th editorial in The Boston Globe. As corporations continue buy into socially responsible businesses as a means to enhance their own brand and capture the ever-growing market for earth-conscious products, consumers are left to wonder what this all means. As O'Rourke states,
"... maybe this is good news for environmentally and socially responsible products. A sign that Main Street and Wall Street are finally buying into companies that do well by doing good. Certainly this reminds us that global corporations have the potential to spread phthalate-free perfumes and organic juices just as fast as they spread Marlboros and Coke".
O'Rourke points out that when Tom's
of Maine announced their partnership with Colgate , maybe it is about "reaching the masses through those elusive retail channels only a multinational company can access". Whether good or bad, it is a trend not likely to end anytime soon. As reported in the April 23rd issue of parade magazine,
"89% of adults surveyed believe that businesses have a social responsibility to their employees and the community, but ... 81% believe that American businesses make decisions based on what is best for their shareholders and investors - not what is best for employees ...."
Comments