Buy Less, Demand More
Pushing Brands to be Change Agents
I saw a post on Instagram where a friend had posted about how she gave into a Black Friday Sale ad and against her own will purchased products from an online sale for beauty products. It's the end of the year and there is a general aura of festivity especially after the doom and gloom that last year has been.
We feel the need for some cheer and positivity and as we scroll through social media, there seem to be quick fixes everywhere for the much-needed festive joy.
Being a millennial, urban Indian woman, I am sure I qualify for a lot of the ads that brands would have paid our dear newly christened friend Meta, and it has been raining ads, from clothes to jewelry to vacation to beauty products.
Before I know it, I am on the way to purchasing an under-eye cream that I never wanted in the first place. This year I decided to be a conscious consumer. Having been a part of the marketing world I knew it was going to be a tough battle, given how there were masterminds behind the whole exercise who were experts in baiting fish like me. Also thanks to dear Meta they knew too much about me. Meta allows doing a narrow targeting based on my age, gender, geography, and past purchase history. Also, the minute I am speaking about a product Meta graciously displays ads. I have now made peace with Meta’s intrusion into my purchasing decisions, it's a problem for another day.
But for today I would like to focus on my goal of being a conscious consumer.
Going through a constant bombardment of sale ads and not buying something that I do not need, reminded me of the story of the dangerous Sirens from the Trojan War, and how the travelers had to defeat the temptation to reach home safely.
The Sirens were known to seduce travelers who crossed the islands with their sweet songs, once the travelers listened to these sounds they were automatically drawn to the voice. The Sirens thus lured the travelers and killed them.
In the old folklore the travelers filled wax in their ears so that they did not hear the song of the sirens, not being on my phone was not an option, hence I came across a simple flow chart which helped me navigate through a set of questions whenever I wanted to buy something.
I feel happy when I am in control of my own decisions rather than allowing smart marketing teams to influence how I spend my time and money. As each of us makes a step towards becoming a conscious consumer we push the brands that we purchase also to take that stance.
Consumerism has long been “Business as Usual” for brands. For a long time consumers have been passive, but with social media there came a plethora of choices. We hold the power to make brands change agents (Like the push back Fair and Lovely received for its product name or Victoria Secret for pushing unnatural beauty standards )
Brands that are catering to socially conscious consumers ask their customers to only buy products if they are absolutely necessary, like this ad made by Patagonia around the Black Friday Sale.
How can I go about pushing brands to be more responsible?
- Use social media to make brands aware of how they can be more socially responsible
- There are a lot of brands in every sector that cater to conscious consumers, make a conscious effort to support such brands
- Do not shy away from borrowing clothes/products, especially ones which have rare usage, there is no shame in sharing things for a better world and the shame has mostly been built by brands that have advocated for “ Brand New” products, and shaming recycled or upcycled products.
Do not let your self-worth be determined by any brand, there is no pride in wearing a crocodile as your evening bag. Thanks, but no thanks Hermes’, Louis Vitton, Prada.
Many people are ready to make the switch to conscious brands but are not aware of the choices available, share your stories with friends. Word of Mouth Marketing is the most credible form of Marketing. It works the other way around as well, when brands are indulging in unethical behavior let your friends and family know. Always have data to back up your arguments.
Be demanding when it comes to brands. Meta is always snooping on our conversations, use it to get your message to your brand.
And if you see that a brand you frequently use is not changing, do not lower your standards, but instead, use capitalism to your advantage and choose a different brand.
Be demanding of the ethical and social standards when it comes to your brands because you and your planet are worth it.
