Use Of The Term “Green” In Russell Simmon’s Marketing
Introduction:
The ongoing marketing of “green” jewelry became a subject of conversation on the Madison Dialogue list serve. This list is composed of many of the leaders in the multi-sector initiative to clean up the jewelry supply chain.
One person was concerned about how Russell Simmons was using the term. I requested that the entire conversation be made public on my blog, but my request was declined. Russell Simmons’ company knew about the conversation but did not comment at all. However, I weighed in with the following comment.
I believe the larger issue here is transparency and how companies highlight one element of their product without giving us information about the rest.
A company with ten components making up a piece of jewelry can claim one element as socially responsible, distracting the public from what may be happening in their Chinese sweat shop factory or in their diamond mine in Angola.
I wrote about the very issue that Estelle has raised with Simmons and also noted similar concerns with other companies in two posts on my blog last year:
https://fairjewelry.org/archives/50
https://fairjewelry.org/archives/67
Without discounting the philanthropy of Simmons, I have to agree with (name withheld) that his using the concept “green” in his marketing can be perceived as misleading unless it is backed up.
Every day I track press releases and blogs on green and fair trade jewelry. Green wash and fair wash have become norm. Simmons, with his “green” malachite, might be adding to this spin or not– we do not know.
If his products are not sourced and produced in an ecologically responsible fashion, his “green” marketing spin is counter productive to those of us who are making honest sacrifices involved in cleaning up our supply chain.
If Simmons adopted radical transparency,
as I have with my company through my open source FRE System, this green marketing might not be an issue. We would know how people who make his jewelry are treated and the environmental impact of his manufacturing and sourcing. If his altruistic views are vertically integrated into the making of his pieces, his product would be even more appealing.
It remains my strong conviction that one of the key elements to helping poor artisanal miners is making the supply chain public. Only by revealing all elements of production, both the good and those areas that need improvement, can a consumer be aware of what his or her purchase supports. I am confident, based on my experiences as a retailer, that the market will reward real efforts toward green and fair jewelry practices.
If a company with Simmon’s stature and media power adopted radical transparency, it might have profound philanthropic benefit.
