Let the corporations rule us (or: the power of public opinion)
Monday, 07 August 2006
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An interesting op-ed in the Post this morning on how, with a do-nothing government, corporations have taken on a new role: "shadow government," controlled by customer opinion to protect their brands. It's somewhat of a disturbing thought--especially with the supply chain that is so long that it can obscure where anything came from, or the conditions they were produced in. The piece concludes: "[Corporations] cannot replace the real [government], not by a long shot. But they are better than nothing." Hmmm....maybe. But why don't we just get a real government?
The rising power of brands has implications for public health, globalization and the environment. It may even be changing the political equation.
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brands are eclipsing factories in value, and big brands appear to be crowding out smaller ones and reaching all around the world.
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Mighty companies have so much riding on their corporate image that they quiver in the face of customer opinion. And if they are mass-market companies, customer opinion is the same as public opinion, so corporate bosses become as sensitive to political and social shifts as elected officials.
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Or consider the environmental behavior of U.S. companies at home. This used to be the classic case of politics leading business: For most of the past generation, regulators have forced environmental rules on grumbling corporations. But in the current debate on climate change, this order has reversed itself. Impatient companies are capping their own carbon emissions: Wal-Mart has promised to double the efficiency of its vehicle fleet and achieve a 30 percent cut in its stores' energy usage. Its motive is not complicated. Internet-enabled critics have assaulted Wal-Mart, and the firm's polling has suggested that 8 percent of shoppers have quit visiting its outlets because of its stance on social issues. An environmental makeover was essential to the brand.
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