Ethos Water- Social Entreprise or Marketing Scheme?
Recently I stopped by a local Starbucks on my way to class. On top of feeding my caffeine craving I also decided to pick up a bottle of water upon realizing I had left my own back in my dorm room. After paying and cracking open my bottle I read the packaging. The company, Ethos Water, claims to be on a mission to provide clean drinking water to children who do not have access to it. This made me question, is Ethos really the social entreprise it claims to be or is this just a clever marketing ploy?
Upon further investigation I realized that although Ethos indeed partners with the Starbucks Foundation and has provided more than $6 million dollars for water sanitation and hygiene programs this is a very small percentage of what the company could be doing. The company donates $0.05 from every bottle towards its charitable endeavours. Considering each 700ml bottle retail for close to $2.00 this is a puny percentage.
The main focus of Ethos is still to maximize profit for the company, while tugging at the heartstrings of consumers by donating a minimal amount to charity. My suggestion? If you are concerned about the lack of access to potable water for children bring your own bottle of water next time and donate that $2.00 directly to the charity.