Jamie asked last week about what soft drink one should buy if they wanted some, weren’t into the organic stuff, and was ready and looking for, ‘the lesser of two evils.’ I think it’s an excellent question and a great topic to address on a general level for the back-by-popular-demand Corporate Responsibility Monday (Yes, this is the continuation; it’s like MJ coming out of retirement).

My general rule is: When In Doubt, Always Buy Generic. I have a few reasons for this which I’ll try to has out below, but I want to make clear, I see this applying to nearly all products.

1. By not buying brand name products, you specifically make the statement that advertising and image is not what influences your purchasing choices. You need to recognize that branding is a multi-billion dollar business. My brother can give you all kinds of information about it, but we all know how much commercials during the Super Bowl cost. ‘Coke’ is the most universally recognized word, next to ‘okay;’ I’ve heard baby’s begin to show brand recognition as early as 6 months; and images of Ronald McDonald are more recognized then pictures of Jesus. Billions are spent on advertising and image every year because companies know that branding works. By choosing to buy a product that is not focused on selling you a brand rather then a product you make it clear through your purchase choices what you value.
2. Because price does still matter. Now, this can be tricky, because we don’t want to support the production of more Big Box retailers, but price does play a role. As consumers who are trying to promote an economy and marketplace that is affordable for all people, price is still a concern. By purchasing the generic brand which is almost always more affordable then name brands, you send the message that you are looking for products that are economical, and that will be dictated by the quality of the product, not the image on the label. As a side benefit, the money you save buying generic in some areas will allow you to spend the extra buying organic and fair trade in other areas.
3. We allow for a level of trust, but show we will respond when we hear of wrong doing. I think this lesson is best conveyed through letter writing and speaking with managers. The idea is basically, that if there isn’t a known fair trade, socially responsible product to purchase, then we have to be willing to trust another product is at least close to making an effort (lesser of two evils). The goal though is to make this known to the companies and stores from which you purchase. For example, if I were to buy cans of soda for a party (which I do for the youth I work with), I choose to buy the generic Kroger brand, Big K. I do not buy Coke or Pepsi products if there is a generic brand. And I’ve chosen Pepsi products when there are options between Pepsi and Coke. Then the part of being vocal comes. Write a letter, an email or make a call to Coke and let them know the reason you have chosen not to buy their products is because of the human rights violations and other injustices you have heard about concerning their company and product. Then, write a letter, email or talk to a manager at your local grocer and let them know why your choosing their generic brand over Coke. Let them know what you value, why you’ve chosen the purchase you have, and why you’ll be willing to give up buying products that don’t align with your values. It might seem like a drop in the bucket, but I believe these are important steps for us to take, both collectively and as individuals in an attempt to create a world that aligns with our values.

So there you have it, three reasons why, when your unsure of what product to purchase, I would go with the generic brand.

1. Avoid Brand Name
2. Choose Reasonably Priced
3. Trust until you hear otherwise
4. And if you must, choose the product you’ve heard less ‘evil’ about.

I added the last one because inevitably I think there are going to be situations some will come to were they feel for whatever reason that they must consume a product they know is ‘evil’ and when that comes you still have the opportunity to be vocal and explain why you chose one product over the other.