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What constitutes an ethical company?

I wanted to explore the meaning behind the word ‘ethical’ today, and how some companies manage to slip through the net using marketing tactics.

I recently read articles praising companies that were considered the most ethical – there is a list of these illustrious and successful business companies from 2013, 2014 etc. – and set as the benchmark for the rest of us. I opened the list expecting to see estimable companies mentioned, but was horrified to see several corporations on the list that are known for creating products that compromise health or are involved in deforestation or child labor, to name just a few crimes against humanity. .

Even if a company is taking steps to become more ethical, it surely should not be admitted to that list until it has a substantial record of ethical practice. These questions immediately came to mind: “Who the heck compiles these lists and what is their agenda?” “Are they really ignorant of the practices of these companies, or is profit the only criteria?” Or even worse: “Is ethical practice now being judged by the 80/20 rule?”

So what is considered an ethical company today?

Employment

Is it about how a company treats its employees? If the people who work for them are treated well, receive decent wages and benefits, does that make the company ethical?

If your employees are wearing protective clothing while they spray the planet with toxic chemicals, does that make the company ethical because they are taking care of their own?

If employees receive the benefit of cheap food and clothing in the form of company discounts, is the company ethical if the food is the end product of compromised ingredients and tortured animals?

If job opportunities and helping the economy are asserted as a valid reason for companies to launch commercial projects that poison the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, I have to ask: who benefits?

Marketing

Or maybe being seen as ethical is all about a brilliant marketing campaign. A campaign that makes the general public feel warm and fuzzy, filled with cute animals, little kids, or a celebrity or two, or maybe all of the above if the company has unlimited funding. We are presented with an emotional roller coaster that dulls the senses and convinces people of its sincerity and authenticity, because it is so damn pretty!

For example, the food and beverage industries are money machines that can employ the most resourceful and brilliant salespeople who are able to fool the uninformed into believing every word they say. Many of them produce addictive products that lack nutrition and create serious health problems by adding ingredients that kill brain cells and generally attack the body’s organs. Yet that seems to be acceptable because their marketing campaigns bring people together in ways related to happy food and drink, and their packaging is so bright and colorful and the wording is so reassuring: natural, farm-fresh, has to be true, right?

It comes to mind that some of the most successful confidence scammers and serial killers come in a very nice physical package. It is because they are handsome that they can get close to their victims, but beautiful on the outside does not necessarily mean beautiful on the inside. I think this rule also applies to companies and their marketing campaigns.

We are surrounded by marketing images promoting ‘beauty’! These images not only corrupt and destroy people’s self-confidence, but also set the precedent that beauty is the best. Therefore, in our subconscious we associate beauty with everything that is good and dismiss everything that is not beautiful, according to the current standards set by the media and marketing industry.

I lived in the Algarve, Portugal for a couple of years and while there I met people who had orange trees on their land. They were the sweetest oranges I had ever tasted, but none of those oranges would have made it onto supermarket shelves. The reason is that they were all ‘ugly’ fruits: they were not tampered with to make them visually pleasing. The owner of the orangery told me that the ugly fruits were the sweetest, and I think that is something that is worth remembering, because it opens our minds and we will not be so easily seduced by beauty if we know that there is a viable alternative.

charitable donations

If a cosmetics company donates money to eradicate skin cancer, it has to be ethical, right? People will think you are wonderful and will more easily buy your products. However, what if that same company includes ingredients in their products that can cause cancer? Aren’t they just creating a market for themselves? It’s worth thinking about!

If a food or beverage company donates to schools in the form of computer or sports equipment, etc., is it really altruistic? They often make a profit in the form of on-premises advertising and massive increases in sales as word spreads about their good works. Without forgetting that they are creating a new generation of people who will be addicted to their products.

Charitable giving should also be a win-win situation. People who need help are not inferior beings to the people who provide it, just because they don’t have financial wealth. They should not be exploited in the name of profit.

I think we need to remember that companies that donate a lot of money to charity are usually companies that can easily afford it. It doesn’t do them any harm, in fact, it often benefits them: they don’t feel the pinch. There are many companies that give money selflessly and genuinely help everyone they touch, and there are others that give money to earn goodwill and increase sales. It’s our job to figure out which is which.

So what percentage between donations and damages constitutes ethical by today’s standards? Is it 25%/75% or does it have to be 50%/50%? Who makes these decisions and what is their agenda? It doesn’t seem to be the health and well-being of the planet, that’s for sure.

Conclution

I suggest that before deciding that a company is ethical we look deeply into the face of that company, look into its eyes and see its soul. Remember that a beautiful face is not an indicator of a beautiful soul – the eyes are the windows of the soul and by looking deeply into them you will be able to discern if it is transparent or deceptive.

My father was a magician, a member of the Inner Magic Circle, and when I was a child I used to watch him practice. He told me to always watch the hand that seemed to do nothing, and that taught me a valuable life lesson. So when a company or institution of any kind puts on a spectacular exhibit that catches my eye, I drag my eyes away from where the lights shine and look into the shadows to see what they hide, what they don’t want. me to see? If after careful scrutiny and investigation I find there is nothing hidden, then I consider the company ethical and sit back and enjoy the show!

I am not for a minute telling anyone what to think or what to do. What I humbly suggest is that everyone carefully consider the decisions they make and the companies they support by using their services or buying their products. Then each of us will know that we are not being led by the nose into compromising our own set of values ​​and what we personally believe in.

The bottom line is that if people, animals, and the planet are adversely affected by a company’s products or services, that company is unethical, no matter how much they donate to charity or how many compelling marketing campaigns they launch. They are shirking their responsibility towards all living beings in the name of profit. That’s the truth!

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