Responding to Ernest Fung’s blog ‘Go Green’ or ‘Go Greed’, I agree on Milton Friedman’s viewpoint that social responsibility is a strategy in positioning the company to have an appealing impression to consumers. In addition, a lot of products nowadays claim that they are ‘green’ yet with NGO like Fairware (company that assesses supplier with environmental criteria), consumers will have fully understanding of the true green company.

On the other note, although going green is a popular trend, the products often result with a higher cost from manufacturing. Furthermore, the degree of acceptance also depends on the income level and development of technology in the area. For instance, there are more citizens prefer using smart cars in Vancouver than in Alberta because
1) the needs are different and
2) people with high income level can afford more expensive car.

In short, the above example confirms that many firms take up social responsibility as a branding position, yet the trend requires the combination of people, time and environment. Following the trend of being sustainable, for example, might not be as popular in some regions.

Further reading: Harvard Business Review’s Blog – Making the Business Case for Sustainability.