The dawn of the ethical brand

Chris Davis and Corrine Moy

As brands have gained global prominence, they have also become more vulnerable to public scrutiny, and have been accused of all sorts of misdeeds, from polluting the environment to corrupting our children.

The dawn of the ethical brand

Chris Davis and Corrine MoyGfK NOP

Background: A Short History of Brand Controversy

Brands are no stranger to controversy, having been accused of all sorts of misdeeds, from polluting the environment to corrupting our children. Perhaps the darkest hour for brands and big business was in 1984 when a poisonous gas leak from a Union Carbide plant in Bhopal, India, instantly killed 8,000 people. Throughout the 80s, Nestle was raked over the coals for marketing powdered baby milk in Africa in the knowledge that customers would mix the product with disease-infested...

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