Back in 1985, the Coca-Cola Bottling Company decided to change the formulation of its flagship drink, and built a marketing campaign around its new shining star. There was only one problem...
People did not want "New Coke", they wanted Coca-Cola the same way they had been drinking it.
The backlash came swiftly and strongly. People hoarded Coke, newspaper articles and commentaries noted the public outcry, and comics had a field day with the situation. Not surprisingly, Coke backtracked, noting that it would still sell "Old Coke" under the brand "Coca-Cola Classic", and "New Coke" under a separate and distinctive label. Just four years ago, Coke finally removed the "Classic" from its label and now, twenty-nine years later, we have just Coke again.
Turns out, that even the biggest corporations bow to the will of the consumer, especially when they cannot control them through marketing and advertising. Looks like another giant multi-national might try the same path. Monsanto, after years of trying to convince the public that its GMO products will not harm them, might have shifted strategies and will focus on traditional breeding techniques to deliver new vegetable products. This does not necessarily mean they will abandon their GMO products, but it does show that they perceive a market trend against GMO products that will harm their bottom line.
Although many people I know consider this a desirable result, it may represent something even more scary: large corporations shifting at the will of the mob. The most rational advocates have sought labeling and independent testing of GMO products, not necessarily an outright ban. By shifting away, will we lose some of the potential benefits of GMO products as the industry seems to acknowledge some concern with them.
Markets can be a great tool of democracy because they convey the will of the people. However, in the same way that a true democracy has not survived inour civilization, this form of mob rule has its drawbacks. The recent uptick in measles across Europe and the US comes to mind. An uproar about a perceived link between vaccinations and autism caused a number of parents to decline vaccinations, creating a pool of unprotected children. The study on which the fear found footing proved erroneous, and now we have a problem that may extend beyond those who made the choice.
Consumers need to make smart, informed choices, and allow those choices to drive the actions of corporations. That said, we should remember our tendency towards panic and put in place some common sense safeguards. If we follow the precautionary principle in allowing new products to market, require clear information, and ongoing, independent testing, we will not need to overreact.
It's one thing to produce an odd-tasting soda. It's quite another to stop developing food products that can feed an ever expanding world population.
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