Business Trends
Suddenly, organic and otherwise eco-conscious companies are hot. So hot, in fact, that they're getting snapped up by the very mega-conglomerates they once positioned themselves against. First there's Ben and Jerry's, which was bought by Unilever. More recently, Tom's of Maine was purchased by Colgate-Palmolive. And L'Oreal took over Anita Roddick's ethically-minded Body Shop. In each case, pains are taken to stress that the smaller companies will retain their independence and character. Inevitably, the founders insist it's not about selling about, but about getting their product to more consumers. Do you buy it? Is it the sudden co-opting of eco brands a positive development or just the triumph of Wall Street? Perhaps a better question: Can it be both?
2 Comments:
Of course I don't buy it. The people who sell their ethical small business to an ethically challenged conglomerate essentially sell their ethics in the deal.
Probably best to stop buying those products.
As a fellow cynic, I'm inclined to agree, but stepping back ... Are you really so certain of your claim, bill b? For the sake of argument, if I take a job with an ethically challenged company but try, working from the inside, to make it better, have I sold out or am I doing the right thing? Is the only ethical thing to work from outside that company, in opposition to it? Just asking.
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