I wanted to explore what the word “ethical” means today, and how some companies manage to get online using marketing tactics.

I recently read articles praising companies that are considered the most ethical – there is a list of these illustrious and successful business companies from 2013, 2014, etc. – and set themselves as the benchmark for the rest of us. I opened the list in anticipation of the mention of estimable companies, but was horrified to see several companies 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, surely they should not be allowed to be on that list until they have a substantial track record in ethical practice. These questions immediately came to mind: “who the hell compiles these lists and what is their schedule?” “Are they really ignorant of the practices of these companies or is profit the only criterion?” Or even worse: “Is ethical practice now being judged by the 80/20 rule?”

So what is considered an ethical company today?

job

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

If your employees are wearing protective clothing while spraying the planet with toxic chemicals, does that make the company ethical because it takes care of its own?

If employees receive the benefit of cheap food and clothing in the form of discounts from the company, 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 claimed as a valid reason for companies to start business ventures that poison the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat, I must ask: who benefits?

Marketing

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

For example, the food and beverage industries are money-making machines that can employ the most resourceful and brilliant marketers who are capable of tricking 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. However, that seems to be acceptable because their marketing campaigns bring people together in happy ways related to food and drink, and their packaging is so bright and colorful and the wording so reassuring (natural, fresh from the farm) has to be true, right?

It comes to mind that some of the most successful trusted tricksters 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 that promote ‘beauty’! These images not only corrupt and destroy people’s self-confidence, but also establish the precedence that beauty is the best. Therefore, in our subconscious we link beauty with everything that is good, and we discard everything that is not beautiful, in accordance with the current standards set by the media and marketing industry.

I lived in the Algarve, Portugal for a couple of years and while I was 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 to supermarket shelves. The reason is that they were all ‘ugly’ fruits, they were not manipulated to make them visually pleasing. The owner of the orange grove told me that the ugly fruit was the sweetest, and that is something that I think 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.

Charity 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 buy your products more easily. However, what if that same company includes ingredients in its products that can cause cancer? Are they not simply creating a market for themselves? It is worth thinking about!

If a food or beverage company gives donations 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 deeds. Not 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 for everyone. The people who need help are not less than the people who provide it, simply because they do not have financial wealth. They should not be exploited in the name of profit.

I think we have to remember that companies that give a lot of money to charities are usually companies that can easily afford it. It doesn’t hurt at all, in fact it often benefits them, they don’t feel the pinch. There are many companies that give money sincerely and genuinely help everyone they touch, and there are those 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 is ethical by current standards? Is it 25% / 75% or should it be 50% / 50%? Who makes these decisions and what is their agenda? It doesn’t appear to be the health and wellness 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 it in the eye and see its soul. Remember that a beautiful face is not an indicator of a beautiful soul: the eyes are the windows to the soul, and by looking deeply into them, you will be able to discern whether it is transparent or deceptive.

My father was a magician, a member of the Inner Magic Circle, and when he was older I used to watch him practice. He told me to always watch the hand that seemed to be doing nothing, and that has taught me a valuable life lesson. So when a company or institution of any kind presents a spectacular exhibition that catches my attention, I turn my eyes away from where the lights are shining and I 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 that there is nothing hidden, then I consider the company to be ethical and I sit back and enjoy the show.

I’m not going to tell anyone for a minute what to think or do. What I am humbly suggesting is that everyone carefully look at the decisions they make and the companies they support, whether it’s using their services or buying their products. Then each of us will know that we are not being tricked 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 give to charity or how many heartwarming marketing campaigns they launch. They are shirking their responsibility to all living things in the name of profit. That’s the truth!