What does Burt’s Bees and The Body Shop have in common? They are both “green” companies that were bought out by not-so-green companies.
Millions of oblivious consumers who want to take a more natural, greener approach in life peruse the drugstore aisles and immediately reach for a product with the words “Organic” and “Natural” plastered all over it, such as Burt’s Bees. They are praised for their environmentally friendly practices and natural ingredients, and who wouldn’t want to support that? But do these consumers know that Clorox, the company who promotes using toxic bleach for anything and everything, now owns Burt’s Bees?
The undeniable trend in the market today are eco-friendly products. Major companies know this very well. Instead of doing the near impossible task of re-positioning their brand image, they simply take over a company with an already well established green image. If you truly care about a company’s values and mission, I urge you to do your research and confirm what the company’s (or their new executives’) real motives are. With sales in the eco-friendly market showing no signs of slowing down, look out for buy-outs of a natural brand near you.