Summary

Vom Kassenzettel zum Stimmzettel (Study on ethical consumer guides) 

In view of regulation deficits in risk areas like climate change, loss of biodiversity and international and national social polarization, new approaches towards a solution are wanted. One such approach is political pressure by citizens – in their role as consumers – on companies that are held responsible for the problems mentioned above.

This study analyzes those media that provide information on corporate social responsibility towards consumers that are willing to instrumentalize their purchases in order to sanction companies. In the focus of the study, there are socially and ecologically oriented consumer guides that provide rankings of companies in order to give consumers information for positive and negative sanctions which aim at stimulating competition for the best company image. Special attention is given to the transition from print medium to internet format. The objective of the study is the analysis of factors relevant for the success of such guides.

Along the history of ethical consumer guides, the paper illustrates that it is a very recent development that consumers in the mass market are able to sanction companies – far beyond the range of boycotts - in a systematic and continuous way. While the positive influence of the social movements of the late eighties and early nineties does no longer exist, an institutionalization of critical consumer guides can be observed in several industrialized countries. While the range of books seems to be limited, there are interesting developments to be observed in the worldwide web.

First, it can be noted that ethical consumer guides find their readers largely in niches (eco-social pioneers). However, two factors pave the way into the mainstream of society:

- the big consumer and testing organisations are starting with CSR tests, and

- the internet offers both an enormous range and room for interactive involvement.

However, both influences are young and it is not yet a trend detectable. It is neither possible to detect a successful breakthrough nor could one say that the activities are too ambitious and destined to fail. While practicians are looking for evidence that their activities are worth while, this cannot be proven – nor can the opposite be proved. However, there are some reasons to believe that critical consumer guides – both in their original as in their new form – can provide substantial contributions to sustainable development.

The study shows that ethical consumer guides have several effects. The interviews carried out and the analysis of documents show that there is consumer demand for these consumer guides resp. for comparative CSR analysis. They are being bought or searched and they are being applied. At the same time, it becomes obvious that companies – where the image of their brands is affected - care about their social and ecological rating. While it is of course interesting whether consumers can make companies change their activities, this is not the only measure of success, as the simple change of brands – towards the best in class – could also have some effect in the market. In many industries or product groups there are considerable differences between companies regarding CSR so that consumers can find clear alternatives. While there is evidence that consumers have begun to understand the mechanism of changing brands there is not yet any broad effect on the markets.

The main focus of this study is on how ethical consumer guides can increase the demand for their information and how they can improve their distribution and effects.

Many people state that they would prefer products from responsible companies to those from companies considered as acting less responsible. This widely distributed attitude can serve as a socially relevant starting point for communicating the important role of CSR for sustainable development and the social and ecological benefit to be expected from ethical consumer decisions. Offering high quality information requires a sound financial basis. While the benefits of CSR information is widely acknowledged, individual disposition to pay for such information seems to be low. This is one reason why consumer guide projects are looking for different financial sources, ranging from public and private support to new approaches such as commercial ways of financing.

As ethical guides may gain substantial influence on consumers, they might face increasing scrutiny regarding credibility and transparency of their ratings. Furthermore, different ratings by different projects due to different methods and values might be discussed and may raise questions as to how they secure quality and to plurality of company rankings that is possible in pluralistic society.

A factor of highest relevance for success is the concept of communication that is being applied by a project, regarding both communication with the traditional social environment of an organization and communication with further groups. This includes questions such as an intuitive, emotional approach for consumers, it includes low thresholds and low costs towards CSR information, easy orientiation between product alternatives and paying attention to the individuality of consumers.

The research undertaken shows that the internet is a medium capable of fulfilling such requirements: the world wide web allows quick answers to users’ questions, it works with succinct, intuitive signals and it allows interaction, customized feedback and activation of consumers including membership within active web-communities. Furthermore, the internet allows customized company rating according to individual value sets of consumers on the basis of company profile data bases. Finally, first experience is being gathered on direct ethically guided online shopping thus facilitating the transmission from value to decision to acting.

The study shows that the different ethical consumer guides differ considerably in concept and practice, partly due to a process of „trial and error“. At the same time, it shows that existing projects may learn from each other while, at the same time, they have to find their way to success for their own public.

Success means transparency for and empowerment of consumers, and at the same time, it is a contribution to sustainable development. In view of the general acknowledgment of sustainable development, this study concludes with an outline of a web-based information plattform which would allow consumers easy decisions in areas of ecological and social priority.