Cast The Right Retail Vote

As the days and years roll by, like so many of you, I have become more and more acutely aware of how what we do as individuals has the power to make a difference in so many people's lives. The ripple effect is truly tremendous. When we as consumers purchase products from a company, we are basically saying to that company that we agree with their business practices.

We are literally funding their business by giving them money when we purchase their products. What we are saying in essence is that we’re OK with how you treat your employees, whether or not you test on animals, how you treat the planet, what kind of recycling practices you have in place, and so on and so forth.

In the traditional retail system, we have become used to paying for a product that includes the cost of the manufacturer, wholesaler, warehouser, advertiser, retailer and more. With so many steps along the way, the cost to bring the products to market is unnecessarily inflated, especially with the advertisers where 10s of millions of dollars are spent.

What we do in social marketing is harness the power of the internet and make recommendations that we would have made whether we were connected to a company or not. When that recommendation results in a purchase, the product goes directly from the manufacturer straight to the consumer. Orders are easily placed online, 24 hours a day, which

means that those making recommendations don’t stock product, deliver product or handle money. Customers simply log online, place their own order, and it’s shipped directly to their chosen address. This is not to say that those making recommendations don’t use the products. It’s the exact opposite; they are using them and loving them. That’s exactly why they are recommending them and why so many people are following their recommendations. They are authentic.

As consumers, every dollar we spend in the economy acts as a vote. When we make a purchase we are, in essence, agreeing with the ethics and standards that the company selling the product conducts itself with. More than ever, we have ACCESS to information that can drive CONSCIOUS consumer choices. The info is a click away on our smart phones and devices.

For example: If we buy a product that is manufactured in a third world country using child labour – we are saying directly to that company that it is “okay by us” that they continue to produce product in this way when we give them our business and purchase from them. If we purchase a product from a company that systematically destroys the rainforest in order to make a particular product – then we are saying it is “okay by us” that this product continues to be manufactured in this way.

Alternatively, when you purchase a product from an ethically responsible company like Arbonne, you are voting for GREEN & CLEAN. Arbonne has numerous certifications including a Fair Forestry Stewardship Council designation, a Carbon Neutral Certification and Fair Trade. We have been recycling since Day 1 and we are proudly cruelty-free and more!

When you purchase a product from Arbonne, you are voting for ethical business practises. Arbonne is a member of the DSA and has phenomenal policies around the high standards of how employees are treated and remunerated.

When you purchase a product from Arbonne you are not pandering to shareholders to keep stock process high – we are NOT a publicly traded company. We can make deliberate changes, independent of outside pressures which are good for our customers AND our consultants, while maintaining our strict environmental commitments and stringent ingredient policy.

For all of these reasons, this is why I liken Social Networking to conscientious consumerism.