Question

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
Think about how your company's social responsibility has changed your purchasing decision. What changes will you have in the future as a result of your learning? Consider your last three largest purchases. (EX: Men's products, household appliances, foodstuffs, etc.) Go to the website of the company that manufactures the purchased product and explore the company's commitment to social responsibility. Are they more or less than they expected? Does your discovery make a difference to you about your purchases and / or how you think about the money you spent on these items?

Answer 1

Corporate Social Responsibility is a key component for selling goods and doing business. Consumers today are aware about the products and the company. people act responsibly and are concerned about the impact of their actions and the social impact of the products they use. Consumers today, also take keen interest in what a company stands for and what values does the company present. In other words, the buy the products only if they associate with the company's values and products. For example, people in the state of Kerala, India, stopped consuming all PepsiCo products in 2016 when they got to know that the plant in Kerala was releasing affluents into the environment and that it increased the toxic elements levels in the region causing health hazards for animals and complex problems in people as well. Eventually PepsiCo had to shut operations in the plant and move to a different location.

We see today that the people want a respectful, equal, free and all inclusive society and social norms. They are looking to opt for products, that represent these values and stand for what they believe in. Let's take Men's deodrant product brand Axe. Initially when Axe started, they came out with misoginistic ads which featured girls falling over men that use the product. The campaign though initially successful, but was not sustainable in the long run and people started distancing themselves from the product given its social non-acceptance.

While looking for products to purchase, I as a consumer always check the back label of any product to see which is the company behind the brand and what values it stands for. Even big players in the FMCG sector like Unilever saw resistance and protest from the market over its product offering that claim to lighten the skin tone of a person.