The one sentence summary

Sales of ethical products are increasing while those brands that ignore ethics are declining.

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WHAT THE BOOK SAYS

  • The new empowered consumer is using the pound in their pocket to make a point, not just a purchase. Ethical marketing isn’t just about environmentalism, it’s far bigger than that.
  • Brand ethos is essential to a healthy modern brand. Reputation is more important than logos. We need to make less and destroy less. Reuse and repair, not replace. As the phrase goes: Away? There is no away.
  • It’s not what you say, but what you do. Use absolute honesty to avoid anti-brand wash or brand terrorism, in which companies are hijacked by knowledgeable consumers exposing their flaws. This is often called eco-dirt or an ethical Achilles heel, and most companies have them. It’s when they adopt greenwash or ethical wash that the problems start.
  • Successful companies can afford to support communities and help charities. Profit is good. There is a financial gain to environmentalism. Tell businesspeople that they can save the planet and they look at you blankly. Tell them they can save money and their eyes light up.
  • KEVs are Key Ethical Values which can be expressed on an Ethical Sphere (see diagram).
  • “All this buy one get one free, this 3 for 2 stuff really winds me up. It’s just a way of inflating prices to encourage excessive consumption. We’ve come up with a really good alternative which we’re very excited about. It’s called buy one get one.” Mark Constantine, CEO, Lush cosmetics

WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT IT

  • When it comes to the debate about whether individuals can actually make a difference, the advice is:
  • Tell people what you want them to do (they need leadership) but keep it simple.
  • Tell people what can be achieved if lots of people did lots of little bits (because many think they can’t make a difference alone).
  • Make it socially acceptable, part of anyone’s lifestyle rather than just for people who go to church or are tree huggers.
  • The R&E line spans rational to emotional. It’s tempting to use logical or factual eco-ethical propositions but they don’t engage. Emotional ones result in more impulse actions (see chart).
  • In the geography of needs, people usually approach me, my family and community as a case of “We’re responsible.” When it comes to the planet, they are more likely to say: “They’re responsible.”

WHAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH

  • This book was first published in 2009, so a lot has happened since.