A RESPONSIBLE MOVEMENT - FLAGGED ON CONSUMER RIGHTS DAY

We may be up to our oxters in a recession but there’s some green shoots of responsible recovery in evidence.

I’ve blogged and tweeted various brands’ individual activities in this regard, but am today heartened to see industry-wide moves. Especially as they’re all the more important being announced on Consumer Rights Day:

Today March 15th in the UK, more than 150 brands have signed up to the government’s “Responsibility Deal” http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publichealth/Publichealthresponsibilitydeal/index.htm  This is about food and drink brands embracing the increasing view that companies need to act responsibly, whether they’re legally obliged to do so or not. This is about taking collective responsibility and an individual moral position, on improving consumer health.


Although announced today, some of the product promises have, in reality, been a while in the making. Brands have long recognised the consumer movement away from less healthy options, so arguably this is a move motivated as much by market and profit as morals. But to be fair, the actions regarding displaying calories on menus and labeling changes, indicate a clear leaning towards greater transparency. And something I’ve long called for – better consumer education and information.


Also the brands’ commitment to increase physical activity in the workplace and improve workplace health is inspiring. This is about implementing ethics throughout the value chain and taking responsibility for employees’ health as well as consumers.


With regard to the drinks industry, it’s now promising to ensure advertising is not within a certain radius of schools http://www.marketingweek.co.uk/sectors/food-and-drink/alcohol-industry-to-ban-school-ads/3024393 Again this shows a shift in the industry’s mindset, building on what it has already created - a recognisable and cognisant responsibility towards young vulnerable consumers.


In isolation each activity by each brand might seem quite discrete. But when collated, these show a distinct directional shift… I guess you could say the industry is taking a leaf out of its own advertising campaign and living the Change4Life message.

Collective Responsibility

Ask yourself: “What do you or your organisation do when a social issue like obesity or marketing to children, is raised?” The typical knee jerk reaction is to point the finger: At other brands; at industry; at parents; at schools; at politicians; at anyone other than yourself.

If ethics is about exercising good judgement for the greater good, then it follows that if we all act responsibly then this collective responsibility will generate behaviour and actions that address issues such as these.

If there is something – however small – that an organisation, brand or individual can do, then it is our civic duty to do so. Passing the buck is not acceptable. And ignorance, in this multi media age, is not excusable.

Being responsible is more than a CSR page in the annual report. And more than donating to charity. It is about questioning your morals and values, and embedding them in your actions. For a business, that also means immersing your supply chain in these values. And codifying these so that your staff actually know what is deemed ethically appropriate for the business.

For an individual, it’s about retaining your own inherent morals and ethics, even and especially at work. Because individual decisions can be employer-focused and still ethically sound. And where they’re not, the organisation must address this.

Whatever way you look at it, acting responsibly is ultimately about doing good. And in times of recession and consumer disillusionment, doing good, is now good for business too.

So the bottom line is… the bottom line. Because no man is an island. Even in Ireland.