Good Brand Karma A Valuable Corporate Asset
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by: menteithty12
The extensive power of multinationals in today’s increasingly globalised community has seen the exploitation of developing countries, their populations and the world’s environment. Fortunately eco-efforts or lack thereof have become more news worthy and more notable than ever. With the development of new technology, communication tools, social networking sites corporations have been put in a position where they must comply with a certain brand karma attitude or risk damage to their brand reputation.
Despite the obvious leverage wielded by multinational corporations, consumers have been regaining the power in the influence they have over brand reputation and brand karma. Without the consumer these corporations cannot be profitable – if the consumer does not agree with the brand karma of the corporation, inevitably their brand reputation will suffer as will their sales. It is up to the consumer to hold corporations accountable, insofar as they can no longer afford to act with recklessness and disregard for the environment and global community.
BP is one corporation which has felt the effects of bad karma, however not the only one. When there is bad, there is always good – there has been a significant shift in the approach of manufacturing and production, one that is infused with an environmentally friendly and socially responsible ethos. The growing awareness of our planet and the effect we have upon it, is slowly growing traction and resetting the paradigm multinationals once worked within. We must give praise when praise is due regarding environmental efforts and corporate responsibility to really ratify the notion of brand karma. The Pepsi Refresh Program has been at the frontier of corporate activism and social consciousness with an array of environmental and social projects across the globe. This brings good brand karma to the Pepsi brand and with the growing importance of brand karma in the minds of customers, Pepsi is sure to reap rewards for their actions.
However, it is the corporations who fail to uphold strong ethical conduct in their international discourse that are of most concern. Walmart is a massive corporation with bad brand karma and a bad brand reputation to match. So how does one of the world’s biggest multinational corporations continue to confirm their bad brand karma with the rest of the world and avoid adhering to an obvious call to action regarding environmentalism and the building of positive brand karma.
An investigative report from Greenpeace reports that Walmart’s close relationship with corporation Sinar Mas in Indonesia encourages the environmental destruction of rainforests and peatlands also home to endangered species such as Sumatran tigers and orang-utans. Criticism and social activism on behalf of consumers and civil society are the tools to fight bad and unethical corporate behaviour. Changing the brand karma of multinationals will determine their success or their demise – it is up to the consumer to acknowledge good brand karma and bad brand karma in order to change the world’s future. If corporations fail to meet acceptable standards on the environmental or community level then consumers must veto their products regardless of price savings. Unless consumers recognise the power they hold over the destiny of corporations, and use it, then little can be achieved.
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Brand Karma - help everyone make better brand choices and influence brand behavior for good. Visit us: http://www.BrandKarma.com
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