PPB July 2015

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So how do you start this process in your
own business? What do you need to be doing
to be ethically sound and to meet global
product compliance requirements? And who
cares? Does it really matter to the corporate
buyer and the ultimate consumer?
The answer is yes, it does matter to con-
sumers. They have a greater understanding of
ethical business and of where their consumer
products are produced, and they have the
power to make their message heard clearly
and quickly thanks to social media.
Therefore, the issue should matter to corpo-
rate buyers and their stakeholders, too.
An interesting article in Director maga-
zine, “Warrior Consumers: Why Your
Reputation Is In Their Hands,” talked about
the powerful platform consumers now have
to vent their frustration at business behavior
through social media.
I have always found that when you talk
to consumers, buyers or marketeers about
ethical trading, they instantly relate it to child
labor but are less aware of other aspects.
Since the horrendous factory collapse in
Bangladesh and the tragic garment factory
fires in Pakistan, other issues have become
more apparent.
The article states, “Although labour
issues are already well covered, it came as a
surprise to some of our members that the
British consumers expect [companies] to be
concerned as much with factory buildings as
with the age of the workers making the gar-
ments. The truth is that consumers increas-
ingly expect us to go the extra mile when it
comes to ethical sourcing—even if that
means ensuring qualified British surveyors
are drafted in to check on building safety in
advance.”
A responsible supplier will put actions
in place to protect brand reputation. This
means following a careful process of due
diligence in selecting suitable factories,
often including factory audits—for example,
the SEDEX 4 Pillar covers environmental,
labor standards, health and safety and busi-
ness practices.
These approved factories will be slightly
more expensive because they have invested in
the right health and safety and work prac-
tices, and they pay the correct wages. There is
a cost in behaving responsibly, but what is
that compared to a damning piece of social
media? Have buyers calculated that cost to
the business, brand and reputation?
What about the environmental side of
this? What actions do we all take to be more
sustainable in respect for our world long
term? Many things can be done with prod-
ucts to make them a more sustainable alter-
native. Yes, it takes a bit of innovation,
research and time, and it may cost a little
more. However, thinking about what you buy
and evaluating the alternative solutions may
even end up saving you money or giving you
an edge over your competitors.
We experienced this recently with a new
innovation for one of our charity clients, so
we should not be put off at the outset but
instead be inspired to investigate, innovate
and make a positive change for the business
being more sustainable.
It is important to find the opportunity to
talk to likeminded, responsible businesses,
and dedicating time to get to events to share
wonderful knowledge and expertise is criti-
cal. Only when you really get behind sustain-
ability and take some positive steps will you
appreciate there are some very exciting
opportunities.
What about the products that you buy?
In the promotional products sector (clearly
my space) and of course in the retail environ-
ment there is an expectation by the recipient
or consumer that the products under your
brand are safe and fit for the purpose. But
are they?
Shockingly many unsafe products are
imported into Europe, but what’s worse is
that many buyers will leave the due diligence
to the supplier or simply assume compliance.
Many corporates will sign their suppliers to a
contract that might say products should com-
ply with the EU regulations. But where is
their own due diligence in that? What actions
are they taking to ensure compliance and
demonstrate their duty of care on individual
projects?
It was interesting to see the BBC’s
“Fake Britain” episode where it was revealed
that illegal and potentially lethal sofas and
mattresses were being sold by some the
UK’s best-known retailers. The UK has
some of the toughest fire regulations for
furniture in the world and consumers expect
furniture to be safe. “Fake Britain” discov-
ered furniture that dramatically failed cru-
cial fire safety checks and some items that
were even being sold with fake fire safety
labels.
This is without doubt a complex area,
and the fact that some of the biggest UK
retailers can’t get it right demonstrates even
further how critical it is to show your duty of
care. Is the safety documentation for prod-
ucts you are selling being requested and
checked? We don’t have the thousands of
products that retailers do but we use
approved inspection partners to support us in
this area. Not checking the product compli-
ance, testing and certification may put your
customers, employees or consumers in danger
of injury or worse. Plus, consider the legal
requirements and potential damage to the
brand or organization.
I would love to see more procurement
teams requesting proof of product compliance
and questioning their suppliers on the prod-
ucts they buy, particularly the high-risk prod-
ucts. I often have suppliers say to me, “No
one else has asked me to provide X, Y and
Z.”Well, they should, in order to protect
themselves, their clients and the ultimate user
of the product.
Product safety is a complex issue and it is
constantly changing. We as business owners
need to keep on top of it for our UK,
European and other markets such as the
U.S., Canada, Australia and UAE, because
66 • PPB • JULY 2015 THINK
TUNE IN
PPAI offers a number of
free, live webinars that
teach on all aspects of product
responsibility. Each webinar is 60
minutes in duration. Here’s what’s
on the schedule for July. Get details
and register at -
Peace of Mind Through Robust
Document Management
July 1 at 1-2 pm CDT
Ink Testing Protocols
July 8 at 1-2 pm CDT
Transportation Best Practices
July 22 at 1- 2 pm CDT