It Seems to Me
Business Takes the Rap Again in “Michael Clayton” and “There Will Be Blood.” In the category of advertising known as “institutional,” companies try not to sell products or services but to craft an image of themselves as decent, upright, responsible … Read more…
It Seems to Me
In Memoriam: Anita Roddick, Frizzy-Haired Lady Who Pioneered Social Responsibility in Business Anita Roddick, fiery founder of the Body Shop cosmetic stores, died last September 11. She was only 64. No one who ever met Anita is likely to forget … Read more…
Strategic View
Do Markets Need Government? When I studied and taught economics 25 years ago, the basic model of efficient markets was straightforward. Investors and businesses maximize profit, consumers seek value for money, workers search for lucrative jobs. Competitive market forces were … Read more…
It Seems to Me
Now You Can Hire an Advertising Agency to Spread Your Social Responsibility Messages I have been a journalist for virtually all my working life, except when I took up residence at the J. Walter Thompson Company from 1963 through 1967, … Read more…
Fighting Poverty, Protecting Biodiversity in Honduras
I spent my summer vacation being educated and inspired on an eye-opening trip through the Honduran rainforest as a new board member of the EcoLogic Development Fund.* EcoLogic is a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to community-led sustainable development that strengthens the … Read more…
Strategic View
What Fair Trade Means for Alejandro and Elida Maldonado This summer I had the honor and the privilege to live for several days with Alejandro and Élida Maldonado, who own a small coffee farm in northern Peru. I saw first … Read more…
Book Review
“FOODFIGHT: The Citizen’s Guide to a Food and Farm Bill” by Daniel Imhoff. Read more…
It Seems to Me
Who Says We Have Made No Progress? Read more…
Strategic View
My Vegginator’s a BABE Read more…
Spotlight on Your Portfolio: Carbon Footprinting Your Investment
You hear a lot of talk from Wall Street these days about how climate change presents “unprecedented business risks and opportunities.” While investment action doesn’t yet fully match this rhetoric, many major firms are establishing research shops focused on the … Read more…