It's been said that in today's money-centric community if you want a voice, you vote with your buck. With increasing numbers of organizations moving into the waters of conglomeration while rallying like-minded cash to causes which might be "good for business," it's not easy to make your voice be more than a drop of water landing within an ocean of judgment. The reality is, nevertheless, that we the consumer are (obviously) the life-giver of this economy. Certainly we consumers could conglomerate too, correct? Surely we can band together to discover advantageous circumstances to the (gasp) general public?
Enter consumer advocacy. If our dollars go to companies that then employ that money to lobby for regulation in Washington then one can easily determine that yes, we do actually vote with our dollar. Through educating ourselves with product sources, company practices, etc. we can efficiently pick exactly what organizations stay in addition to which ones do not. We also impact actions, if I'm a business and I know I'm being watched - I'm more prone to keep my dirty fingers out of the cookie jar so to speak.
The act of consumer advocacy is not a fresh notion, nevertheless it appears to be a device that is starting to become realized by the public. Many social movements have used consumer advocacy as a weapon for years, but only now is it hitting a critical mass that's reinventing the conventional business design. Philanthropy is now a marketing and advertising tool - and for good reason. If a Soy Candles business like Enlighten Natural Candles, which donates 25% of all of their earnings to charity, gets additional business due to their philanthropic actions then that is a good thing. It shows the collective ethic, which would seem very much to be trending up. Those of us parked in front of the T.V. might not notice it, however the Internet community certainly does.
So do I purchase footwear from a company who knowingly exploits personnel, or from Toms who gives a pair away for each pair sold? Do I purchase a car from a company which intentionally suppresses technological innovation that would enhance safety and be more efficient or an automobile from Tesla Motors who is approaching our petrol addiction with brute creativity? I think the answer is obvious, the responsibility is on the back of the buyer to hold business's feet on the fire. Make your dollar count.
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