By Michelle Joe
There is no doubt that, to a large measure, business organizations have become manipulative towards customers. They play all kinds of turns and tricks to milk out dollars from them.
Due to this money-driven approach, people are not only suffering on a personal level but collectively as well. Climate change is a fitting example of that. However, some ethical brands are defying these traditional boundaries and actually chipping in to make the world a better place. Here is what they are doing:
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Using quality material in products
When we buy a product, we typically overlook the list of ingredients used in it. This attitude has been skillfully crafted in consumers because the general public cannot even pronounce those ingredients, so why bother reading it. It is actually the trick played by corporations. They don’t want their customers to learn what raw materials are being used in the manufacturing process.
That’s not the case with ethical brands. They always use quality materials and list them clearly in layman’s terms so that every commoner can read them. Even when slightly harmful substances are added into products, ethical brands make it a point to “warn” consumers beforehand. That way, customers are not cheated because they have prior knowledge of what they are buying and know its consequences.
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Minimum packaging
Climate change is the biggest elephant in the room worldwide. Do you know that the Arctic is undergoing the worst climate change? Almost all the countries on the globe are being negatively influenced by this mess. As a matter of fact, a sizeable portion of waste comes from the packaging used to wrap up the products. Unfortunately, brands invest in packaging instead of improving the quality of their product.
The biggest irony is that health products come in harmful polythene wrapping. It takes a single polythene bag hundred years to get dissolved. They have been the biggest culprit to extinct marine life since it is designed in such a way that it can’t be recycled.
Ethical brands have a more responsible approach to the environment. They avoid excessive packaging in order to save the atmosphere. This measure has led to increasing awareness among masses with regard to climate change.
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Encouraging fairness by hiring the right people
There is no dearth of small people occupying big offices. This is truer in the corporate world. Commonly, during the hiring process, companies recruit employees who can add more into their bottom line by whatever means. The ethical side of the prospects is completely ignored.
That’s not how an ethical brand operates. Undoubtedly, the potential of the candidate is given due importance, but that’s not their only criteria. Ethical brands ask open-ended questions to their applicants which unfold their character. If the candidate prefers money over ethics, he is discarded.
The buck does not stop here. As we know, a wide majority of people classify humans based on their color, race, or religion. The ethical brands are doing their bit to spread tolerance in society by not taking any such factor into account. The hiring is based on complete merit.
It is also the hallmark of ethical brands to echo against sexism. We know how women are deprived of equal opportunities. Even when women are preferred over men, they are highly underpaid. Statistically speaking, the maiden salary of a man is 21 percent higher than the maiden salary of a woman. Ethical brands encourage equality by hiring women at an appropriate ratio and also pay them their due wages without any nepotism of gender.
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Promoting truth
At some point, lying to the public had become a norm. Brands exaggerated their products at great length in the advertisements without any remorse. Even today, despite government regulations, companies are boasting all sorts of unproven claims about their products. Misleading health claims are perhaps on top of the list.
However, ethical brands are great believers of truth. Be it a sustainable shoe company or a software house, they don’t murder authenticity in advertisements. Unlike the previous generations, this generation is not as naïve. They are armed with technology and know the pros and cons of what they are using. So by admitting the shortcomings of their products, brands actually uplift their reputation.
We know that charity begins at home. So ethical brands nurture a truthful atmosphere in their companies as well. They even reward employees who raise concerns about the health of products. You can imagine the costs on the redesigning of a product, but socially responsible companies hold truth above all.
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Contributing to the social cause
While conventional companies do business to line the pockets of their bosses, ethical companies are driven by philanthropic mindset. They are concerned about the development and well-being of communities more than their personal gains.
Some brands contribute even on a higher level by addressing the global challenges. For example, they donate a fair percentage of their profits to the organizations working to tackle the issue like child abuse, pollution, terrorism, and so on.
Such steps send a positive message loud and clear that one should not be self-centered and think about the others around them.
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Fair treatment of employees
Employees are the biggest asset of any organization. Some businesses crumble only because they fail to pamper the needs of their staff and, as a result, employees don’t give their hundred percent. There are even companies where employees are given the treatment according to their rank. It can’t get worse than that.
Ethical businesses recognize this fact and take every possible stride to look after them. Not only because it increases their workplace productivity but because it improves the standard of their employees’ lives.
By giving equal treatment to every staff member, responsible brands convey that nobody is a lesser human being. Just because people work under you, you can’t treat them like slaves.
Final thoughts
The world is far from ideal, but some brands are at least doing their best to fix things. Defying conventional thinking and establishing upright ethics indeed takes time. In all likelihood, other brands can also follow their suit. Let’s know in the comments how ethical is your favorite brand?
About the Author
Michelle Joe is a blogger by choice. She loves to discover the world around her. She likes to share her discoveries, experiences, and express herself through her blogs. You can find her on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook
