Conscious Consumerism

Consumer tastes are notoriously fickle, changing at an ever-faster pace.  

Nonetheless, contributions from the ubiquitous ‘Red’ campaign – Motorola mobile phones, The Independent newspaper, Ipods, credit cards, etc. – recently topped $10 million. 

As yesterday’s Sunday Times reported, Ali Hewson’s Edun ethical fashion range is another recent example. 

Closer to home, Oxfam Ireland launched The Cake Sale: a 9-song CD by a loose and expansive collection of well-known musicians and writers. 

As the trend continues, it seems that like any other business, the companies and charities co-operating in these ventures will have to be both leaders and followers: shaping the direction of campaigns while at the same time adapting to consumer tastes.