2. Ethical Branding

Doing business the right way is important but often the question is: What is right? Ethics is not something that should be left and just considered as an afterthought. Ethical actions should be integral, inherent and intentional. It should be fully integrated into the activities of the brand. This chapter will focus more on business ethics, which cover ethical branding, and less on consumption ethics, which explain how consumers engage with products based on their ethical values. This chapter further explores what ethical branding is and what are the ethics of brands, and some misconceptions will also be addressed. We will look at the key considerations of ethical branding and see how the importance brands place on being ethical in their activities is a justification for doing what is right, even though it might be expensive. This then leads to the exploration of the challenges brands may face as they aspire to be more ethical. Importantly, this chapter will consider how to go about ethical branding, recognising that it is a long-term strategy.