The levels of consumption consciousness: Level One — Label-aware
We’ve seen some great brands gather their crowds on our Australian and NZ sites. We’ve seen that people are passionate about supporting brands that are sustainable and ethical.
We’ve also seen how crowdfunding has entered consumer culture. People have always voted with their dollars but with crowdfunding, that vote means a hell of a lot more.
From this vantage point, we feel like we’re uniquely placed to start a conversation about conscious consumption.
Many of us recycle, care about the environment, and think that orangutans shouldn’t be facing extinction. But what does it really mean to be a conscious consumer?
consumption
/kənˈsʌm(p)ʃ(ə)n/
1. The action of using up a resource.
1.1 The action of eating or drinking something.
1.2 The purchase of goods and services by the public.
1.3 The reception of information or entertainment by a mass audience.
(Source: Lexico)
consciousness
/ˈkɒnʃəsnɪs/
1. The state of being aware of and responsive to one’s surroundings.
2. A person’s awareness or perception of something
(Source: Lexico)
We’ve come up with an idea: the levels of consumption consciousness. If we care about this world, maybe we can be a bit more intentional with how we interact with it. We’re thinking of the levels of consumption consciousness as the different levels of awareness / perception around the purchase of goods and services. Let us know what you think.
Level One: Label-aware
Are you buying what you think you’re buying?
You walk into a department store and buy some shampoo. You pick the organic one, because you care.
But is it actually organic?
Let’s say I had an organic brand. I could pay a pretty fee to get certified. There are six certification organisations with the federal department of agriculture’s stamp of approval (see here) but that’s just within one category!
I could also just wing it and add the label. This means that the ACCC will come after me to substantiate those claims if I get it wrong.
One company recently got it wrong. The company received a fine for $37,800.
There are many product labels that are for marketing instead of description. The goal is to get you to buy.
In 2013–14, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) received nearly 800 complaints or inquiries relating to the false representation of foods.
So, is it really a superfood?
Or is it really humane? Or sustainable?
The point is…it’s up to you to figure out what is marketing puffery and what is a true description of the product. Unfortunately, all the regulation in the world won’t change that. Learn what “organic” means. Figure out which certification organisations are legit. Read into what the makers’ definition is. Then support the good products.
(Don’t want to do the research? That’s ok too. Then it’s up to you to make sure you don’t buy because of those labels.)
Mungalli Family Dairy recently did a campaign with us. Check out what they said on their campaign page:
Until recently, our growth has been hampered by the amount of milk we could ethically and sustainably produce. So in 2015 we decided to act and purchased additional farms to convert to Biodynamic and organic farming methods. It’s a 3 year process but by July 2019 we can proudly announce that we will have an additional 1,000 acres of land fully certified Biodynamic with Demeter Australia.
— Rob & Dan Watson, Mungalli Family Dairy
What we’re trying to say is that there are great businesses out there. As a purchaser, you can find out this kind of information if you look for it!
As an investor (or even as a curious mind), you can look at offer documents or annual reports to see into a company in a much more detailed way than a label or a tag.
This is just the first level of consumer consciousness. Maybe we’ve opened your eyes! Or maybe you already know all of this.
In any case, let us know what you think. What are some labels you’ve been tricked by in the past?
And tune in next week for the next level.
