Together and Fair Pledge: Because Ethics Matter

Recently, more than 9,000 customers of The Body Shop® in the U.S. and Canada took part in a survey indicating that most of us are more concerned with corporate ethics than we were five years ago. (If you are, we have a new pledge on Facebook that let’s you tell the world about it… but I’m getting ahead of myself.)

Even though we’re all facing some economic pressure right now, the survey showed that many of us are as concerned about the ethics of the companies we buy from, as we are about the price of the products we buy. An overwhelming 76% percent of U.S. customers said they make more purchasing decisions based on corporate behavior and ethics than they did five years ago.

70% of respondents said that the quality of products and their trust in the brand influenced their reasons for buying what they did, while 39% told us they buy based on the ethical reputation of a company. This was slightly higher than those who said they buy on price and value.

Since I work for a company who has ethics that are at the core of our being, it’s exciting to see that our customers know and appreciate what we stand for.

It appears that consumers today want the story behind the product. This helps to assure consumers them that the company has behaved appropriately and that it has done its best to take into account its impact on the environment; and that perhaps someone has actually benefited from the sale of that product.

Sign the Together and Fair Pledge on Facebook

Now, back to that pledge. Today I’m happy to announce that The Body Shop® is launching a new initiative on Facebook, giving you the opportunity to sign a “Together & Fair” Pledge to show that you “think ethical” when making purchases. By signing the pledge, you can help us spread the word about making ethical purchases. Just tell one person a week about ethical products and services you’ve discovered, and you really can help to make a difference. You can also join our group on Facebook, to let everyone know that you “Support Businesses That Play Fair.
Not on Facebook? Grab this badge and place it on your homepage, blog, or personal profile instead.

September is a big month for us because (as you may have noticed) we have a new look and feel which more directly reflects our philosophy and commitment to bringing you the high quality products you have come to expect, while providing ways to make a positive difference in the world.

Our lives are busy, no doubt, but I hope that by making this information easy to find and using the popularity and functionality of Facebook, we can help spread the word about joining the ethical consumer movement. The pledge begins today (September 3rd), and I hope you’ll sign up and help the people you know learn more about ethical practices in business.

And if you think one person really doesn’t have the power to make a difference then ponder on a favorite quote from our Founder, Anita Roddick who often would tell us: “If you think you’re too small to have an impact, try going to bed with a mosquito in the room!”

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 3rd, 2008 at 8:00 am and is filed under The Body Shop Values & Campaigns. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.