Thursday, 20 June 2019
Social Economy success (or failure?): Corporate Cred Appropriation reaches new heights (lows) - continued
Noticed anything peculiar about mainstream business marketing recently? They're talking about their ethics, or charities or general community vibes. A&W touts its nice to animal beyondmeatness, while H&M talks about its members (no longer just purchasers) . And in 2019 there are many more. Many might feel their bile rising about the idea of recreants reformed, since the bottom line motivation is still profit uber alles. But in spite of the credibility challenges posed by reckless guys turned best friends there is a good side to this story, a kind of moral capitulation as themes and discourse have edged from silent self-enrichment to planetary survival, or rather to self-enrichment and planetary survival.
Simply put the powers that be recognize that they have been ethically (aka PR) weakened by the myriad of organizations now engaged in a kind of capitalist repair project. Where, in pursuit of profit, corporations often had little, if any, regard for the damage to workers, consumers, the environment or the community as they did so. Of course there have always been ethical actors like Cadbury's since the onset of industrial capitalism, but for the most part profit at any cost had been the motivating drive. Among non-profiteers the question before us is this development good or bad. The cynic says bad, while our inner Polyanna says Halelujah. A better option is that of what Benckner has called realistic, albeit realistic utopianism. By force of public opinion corporate marketing options are being squeezed by a basic human instinct to do the right thing, if a right thing is available and clear. So we will call this a qualified good. But, of course, if quantitative profit is the arbiter the consequence is always flexible; as carbon pricing diehards, like the cancer causing cigarette companies did long ago.
When TorontotheBetter was conceived at the beginning of the second millennium we identified 4 key criteria for "better" businesses, of which environmental care was one. The others were worker rights, consumer transparency and community partnership. Check one box for recent business environmental awareness, but true success will only be validated when the same is true for our other boxes. We are waiting hopefully, but making capitalist businesses comprehensively social is to ask a leopard to give up on the spots and global economies have allowed the leopard to go spotless in one jurisdiction by retaining them in othersout of sight and mind. A kind of better word progress is being made, but we have a long way to travel before we reach the land of promise. We must remain aware and critical for real progress for all to be achieved. Even when all boxes are checked affordability remains a block for all except elites. Here is where government must intervene in market dynamics.
Simply put the powers that be recognize that they have been ethically (aka PR) weakened by the myriad of organizations now engaged in a kind of capitalist repair project. Where, in pursuit of profit, corporations often had little, if any, regard for the damage to workers, consumers, the environment or the community as they did so. Of course there have always been ethical actors like Cadbury's since the onset of industrial capitalism, but for the most part profit at any cost had been the motivating drive. Among non-profiteers the question before us is this development good or bad. The cynic says bad, while our inner Polyanna says Halelujah. A better option is that of what Benckner has called realistic, albeit realistic utopianism. By force of public opinion corporate marketing options are being squeezed by a basic human instinct to do the right thing, if a right thing is available and clear. So we will call this a qualified good. But, of course, if quantitative profit is the arbiter the consequence is always flexible; as carbon pricing diehards, like the cancer causing cigarette companies did long ago.
When TorontotheBetter was conceived at the beginning of the second millennium we identified 4 key criteria for "better" businesses, of which environmental care was one. The others were worker rights, consumer transparency and community partnership. Check one box for recent business environmental awareness, but true success will only be validated when the same is true for our other boxes. We are waiting hopefully, but making capitalist businesses comprehensively social is to ask a leopard to give up on the spots and global economies have allowed the leopard to go spotless in one jurisdiction by retaining them in othersout of sight and mind. A kind of better word progress is being made, but we have a long way to travel before we reach the land of promise. We must remain aware and critical for real progress for all to be achieved. Even when all boxes are checked affordability remains a block for all except elites. Here is where government must intervene in market dynamics.
# posted by Taodhg @ 10:56 am 
