Anti-consumerism Online

Anti consumerism online Ann Longley, Head of Social Media MEC Visiting Lecturer 6 Dec 2011

Topics for todayAnti-consumerismRecent activityImplications for consumer PR

Topics for todayAnti-consumerismCase studiesImplications for consumer PR

Consumption continuum Anti-consumerism Ethical consumerism Consumerism Anti-consumerism refers Ethical consumerism is the CONSUMERISM - a social and to the socio-political intentional purchase of products economic creed that movement against the and services that customers encourages us to aspire to ever consider to be made ethically. more than our share of material equating of personal This may mean with minimal harm possessions, regardless of the happiness with to or exploitation of humans, consequences. consumption and the animals and/or the natural purchase of material environment. Supporters of consumerist possessions culture offer economic growth Ethical consumerism is practiced as a solution to world poverty. throughpositive buying in that They propose that impoverished ethical products are favoured, or nations and individuals can moral boycott, that is negative eventually attain a standard of purchasing and company-based living similar to our own through purchasing. the trickle down of wealthhttp://www.enough.org.uk creation.http://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ShoppingEthically/Topethicaltips/WhyBuyEthically.asp

Topics for todayConsumer empowermentRecent ActivityImplications for consumer PR

Anti-consumerism in action

Culture jamming Canadian-style http://www.adbusters.org/

Canadian ‘culture jamming’

Where did Buy Nothing Day come from?Buy Nothing Day was started by Adbusters in the early 90s and hasgrown into an international event celebrated all over the world.What is so bad about shopping?It’s not shopping in itself that’s so harmful, it’s what we buy. The richwestern countries - only 20% of the world population are consumingover 80% of the earth’s natural resources, causing a disproportionatelevel of environmental damage and unfair distribution of wealth. Asconsumers, we should question the products we buy and thecompanies who produce them.The idea is to make people stop and think about what and how muchthey buy effects the environment and developing countries.Increasingly large companies use labour in developing countries toproduce goods because its cheap and there aren’t the systems toprotect workers like there are in the west.http://buynothingday.co.uk/faq.html

Church of stop shoppinghttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4wxjl2ERhnI

Ad busters in actionThe ideology of the free market, once seemingly unassailable, lies in tatters. While the deathknell of capitalism may not yet be tolling, the crisis is undoubtedly of a different order ofmagnitude than anything seen in decades. Crises can be openings: moments when thestanchions are kicked out from under the status quo, when the pieties of the recent past fallaway and a revitalized sense of collective power takes shape.http://www.adbusters.org/magazine/99/crises-can-be-openings.html

WHAT IS OUR DEMAND?#OCCUPYWALLSTREET is a peoplepowered movement fordemocracy that began in Americaon September 17 with anencampment in the financialdistrict of New York City. Inspiredby the Egyptian Tahrir Squareuprising and the Spanishacampadas, we vow to end themonied corruption of ourdemocracy.http://http://www.occupywallst.org/

Manifestohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qb1aXmhu44ohttp://http://www.occupywallst.org/

We are the 99%http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znlOIvi9joA&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hW8e95ITb1Y&feature=related

The London Riots – On “There are pockets of ourConsumerism coming society that are not onlyHome to Roost broken, but frankly sick...It By Zygmunt09/08/2011 is a complete lack ofBauman responsibility in parts of“These are not hunger our society, peopleor bread riots. These allowed to feel that theare riots of defective world owes themand disqualified something.” Davidconsumers.” Cameronhttp://www.social- http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukneurope.eu/2011/08/the-london-riots- ews/crime/8692996/London-riots-on-consumerism-coming-home-to- David-Cameron-approves-water-roost/ cannon.html

"Every time we witness an act that we feel to be unjust and do not act we become a party to injustice."

Anonymous TVhttp://www.youtube.com/user/0407Anonymous?feature=watch#p/a/u/0/99cNEOS9Gvw

Topics for todayAnti-consumerismRecent activityImplications for consumer PR

Sustainable developmentSustainable development has been defined in many ways, but the mostfrequently quoted definition is from Our Common Future, also known as theBrundtland Report:[1]"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the presentwithout compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.It contains within it two key concepts:the concept of needs, in particular the essential needs of the worlds poor, towhich overriding priority should be given; andthe idea of limitations imposed by the state of technology and social organizationon the environments ability to meet present and future needs.“All definitions of sustainable development require that we see the world as asystem—a system that connects space; and a system that connects time.http://www.iisd.org/sd/

" To achieve sustainable development anda higher quality of life for all people,states should reduce and eliminateunsustainable patterns of production andconsumption..." (our emphasis) Principle8, The Rio Declaration on Environmentand Development, 1992

Businesses supporting sustainable development´Sustainability-Driven` Innovation means the creation of newmarket space, products & services or processes driven by social,environmental or sustainability issues”http://www.adl.com/reports.html?view=13

Celebrities supporting sustainable development

Strategic Philanthropy/ Social Enterprisehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zQo4VoLyHe0http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEZ30K5dBWU

Social enterpriseEthical businesses like Toms keep fresh with newcause marketing campaigns.

Principles of critical collaboration Balancing power asymmetries Acknowledging critical rights Negotiating conflicting and converging interests Managing relationships with key stakeholdersJane Covey, Critical Collaboration: An alternative form of civil society -business engagementhttp://www.worlded.org/docs/Publications/idr/pdf/17-1.pdf

THANK YOUa.longley@gre.ac.uk @annmargaret

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Anti-consumerism Online

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