In this article we are talking about consumer movements. A frame is offered for discussions towards the needs of an organization to plan and act driven by demand. With the advance of digital media and new forms of communications, we face e new era where consumers are even stronger. Communication platforms, group discussions, complaining sites and others brought even more empowerment to the consumers.
The possibility of protesting and really damaging brands and images got stronger, and almost for free. Consumers just need to use the existing platforms, and if it gains a viral expansion, reaches audiences all over the world.
In the other side, the concern over environment, people, planet, local communities, small companies, overconsumption and several other topics increased within consumers and organizations (companies). Several practices of what is called “corporate social responsibility (CSR)” gained attention in the last decade and companies really involved in these topics are anticipating their movements, discussing these topics from the beginning of any project.
The idea here in this article is to share several questions that may help a company in thinking and planning a new offer to the market, already linked to these emerging needs.
I will divide the questions in 4 major blocks. The first will address questions related to environmental and green movements. The second block will address consumerist movements, well know for criticizing the sales and marketing approach of companies, and linked to responsible consumption. The third block is quite linked to the second, is the societal concept of marketing, which means more inclusion, more linkages of social causes and others. The fourth block considers questions related to ethics, rights and regulatory framework, mostly coming from Governments, but pressured by NGO’s and other types of organizations.
Questions related to environmental and green movements:
- What is the amount of resources used (water, air, energy)?
- Recycling and reverse logistics are possible?
- How to do disposure and retrieval of waste?
- Which certifications will be needed?
- Can we offer compensations programs?
- Is it improving quality of life?
- Is it healthier?
- Is it linked to the movement of smaller portions avoiding waste?
- What is the impact of transport, logical systems and usage of infrastructure?
- Which are the most important groups and NGO’s to be, in some way, linked to the company?
- How to link to these groups?
Questions related to consumerist movements:
- Is the offer bringing long-term satisfaction?
- Is it designed for well being of buyers?
- Is it technology based or just to promote marketing and sales?
- Is it designed to over consumption?
- Does it bring a balance equilibrium buyer-seller?
- The functional value is clear?
- Is need satisfaction considered as a first objective of the offer?
- Will consumers perceive this?
- Is the new offer a solution to simplify procedures?
- Which are the most important groups and NGO’s to be, in some way, linked to the company?
- How to link to these groups?
Questions related to societal movements:
- Is the offer promoting social development?
- Is the offer promoting inclusion?
- Promoting individual or collective well-being?
- Is it promoting local communities development?
- What are the economic or people side effects?
- Can it apply for fair trade?
- Is the company controlling the behavior and practices its suppliers?
- Does it have a clear, written and will communicated “corporate social responsibility” policy?
- Employees satisfaction and well being is considered?
- Which are’ the most important groups and NGO’s to be, in some way, linked to the company?
- How to link to these groups?
Questions related to ethics and regulatory issues:
- Is the offer taking care of all ethic concerns?
- Inefficiencies/transaction costs at company level
- Is it adjusted to the institutional (regulatory) environment (”rules of the game”) of the country or region?
Answering these questions will help the company in anticipating reactions and conceiving the offer designed to satisfy consumer movements, when this is possible. Radical movements and other types of demands that are non-sense will not be attended by the company and should be monitored and even avoided. But the list here will give ideas for the design, integrated communication and go to market strategies. I hope there is a contribution here for China Daily readers.
The author is professor of strategic planning and food chains at the School of Economics and Business, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil (www.favaneves.org) and international speaker. Author of 25 books published in 8 countries and in China, “The World on the Tongue”.
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