Call to action: Let companies know what we want. Now.
Working with corporations to ensure their marketing practices sustain healthy kids and families is a vital component of PEM. When I started on this venture last November, I didn’t think we’d have the opportunity to engage companies — or have our voices heard — quite so soon.
Shari Aaron from Vision Conscious Brands has contacted us for some feedback. She wants to take our opinions to her client corporations to help them see why and how they need to “address environmental, social, and economic (ESE) impact issues.”
Vision Conscious Brands works with clients who are interested in having a positive social impact. Currently, Ms. Aaron wants to show her clients that consumers do care about corporate social impacts and to prioritize our concerns. She can’t do that — and no company will make the move to change — unless we let them know what we want.
Ms. Aaron has provided some questions to get us going. Please respond in the comments, or if you’d rather, send me an email — lisa (at) parentsforethicalmarketing.org.
Chili, blue milk, MC, Amy, Mom, Neena, Jane, Helen, Jason, Solo Mother, Mrs. Flipphead, alimum, Mom Unplugged, Don Mays, Lisa, Robin, Jeff, Katy, Ariah — I bet you all have something to say.
Questions from Vision Conscious Brands:
1. Do you spend time learning about how products are made and pay attention to the social and environmental impacts of how companies produce, market, and sell their products? If yes, how do you evaluate this? Where do you get your information? How do you make your decisions?
2. Do you provide your feedback to companies? For example, on how you’d like them to perform on environmental and social measures?
3. If you are concerned about the environmental and social impacts of toy manufacturers:
Have you noticed the latest news about Mattel toy recalls and their safety concerns of the toys they produce?
Has this lead you to changing your buying habits over the past few months?
Do you think this news has impacted sales in a positive or negative way?
The latest financial reports on Hasbro and Mattel do not reflect that consumers are concerned with issues of the environment or safety. So where can I see how this news impacts parents?
Please take a moment to pass this link along to anyone else — parents, aunts, uncles, friends — who may want to add to the conversation.
And thank you.
February 18th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Hey Lisa…how did you know I would have something to say?
Could it be that I worked in the toy industry or just that I ALWAYS have something to say!
The questions sent are interesting. Obviously, the feedback we give here will be from thought leaders, as opposed to ordinary parents. In answer to question #1, for us that would be - on the web - blogs, news articles, etc. For ordinary parents..I think through word of mouth and traditional media primarily.
2. Do you provide your feedback to companies?
I think this is more and more common for all parents, as it has become easier and easier to do via the Internet. (Obviously given Amy’s experience with target as you wrote about here on your site, it’s not always a positive experience.) However, there is perhaps also, a bit of the “I give up” attitude out there.
3. If you are concerned about the environmental and social impacts of toy manufacturers.
I would think that this is an emerging trend. I think it has impacted some industries (pet supplies, autos) but only minimally at this point - however, with companies like Clorox ( Burt’s Bees) going right out there with ad campaigns that say, “hey consumer’s wake up!” this could change. Also the growing visibility of Fair Trade goods should impact this in the future.
I have more to say of course but…it’s your blog…I’ll cross link this and see if I can get some of my readers (many of whom are somewhat mainstream) to pop over here and comment too.
February 18th, 2008 at 1:06 pm
How exciting to be tagged!
Here is my quick response:
1. All of these things are important to me, but I don’t spend a large amount of effort investigating. What I try and do is find companies whose values are similar to mine, and then I trust them to be ethical in those regards until proved otherwise (This usually leads to buying from smaller, local, fair-trade labels, etc).
2. I haven’t made as much effort lately, but I regularly would contact companies I learned had done inhuman things. I also try and let the companies I do shop at know the reasons and values that brought me to that decision.
3. Definitely heard about the recalls
I already avoid new toys, etc anyways.
It has negatively impacted sales I’m sure.
Yikes! Sounds like our ignorance to Walmarts constant injustices. Well, the niche of concerned parents might be smaller then one would hope, but they are a definite niche.
February 18th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
We’re still so new at this parenting thing that we haven’t had time to breathe, much less research. We rely overly much at this point on other people informing us of things and making their recommendations versus doing our own research. At this point recommendations are the best thing a person can do to help us out, especially at this age, when she needs to little besides warm clothes, food and love.
In some ways it shows how powerful word of mouth and recommendations are, though, because we’re not talking about purchasing one thing over another, it’s usually more a matter of purchasing what someone we trust recommended or not purchasing anything at all, so it’s all found money to a corporation.
February 18th, 2008 at 8:42 pm
[…] has asked that we offer some feedback to Shari Aaron from Vision Conscious Brands, which she will then share with her clients why […]
February 18th, 2008 at 9:07 pm
You’ll be glad to know that I left my background info and rant over on my site so I can stick to answering the questions here…
1. It’s so difficult to do all the research needed to make informed decisions about all of these aspects of modern life. I rely heavily on friends who do the research, or who know more about what is harmful, what is good. And I practice a life of simplicity, in order to better avoid all that noxious corporate stuff. I simply don’t buy things that are made of plastic, require tons of batteries, or whose production methods don’t have a long-standing history of Doing Good. It’s easier to go with broader rules of engagement (wood toys made in the USA good — plastic toys and toys not made in the USA bad) than it is to research each and every item as it catches our attention. I know that Organic means very little in the big stores, though there are a few brands that get good ratings from independent sources, and I’ll stick with those few. I’m going to get my produce from a CSA this year, and have joined a grassfed group for poultry, pork, beef, and dairy. This eliminates the need to research individual mass manufacturers. I’m opting out of the marketing machine, though I’ve been swayed by the positive propaganda spread by environmentalists and healthniks who finally convinced me that what we’re eating, consuming, and watching is bad for our health.
2. Again, I’m a bad example — I don’t activate for change with corporations, I simply try to drop out of that whole chain. I’m a long way from succeeding, but I certainly am not your typical consumer. I don’t buy new, because I know that there are so many used things out there that should not be discarded. I furnished my entire house with handmedowns; I found my bedframe on the street. The only piece of furniture I have bought for my house is an antique set of nesting tables. Again with the reused objects.
3. I haven’t heard anything about toy makers. We don’t patronize toy makers, by and large, though the Kid had a huge hankering for Lego which we indulged. It’s a riskier business to take handmedown toys, but we’ll do the research on those sorts of things rather than subject Mama to the Hell that is Toys R Us. Honestly, this is one human being who is SICK AND TIRED of it all, and really wants to drop out of the Rat race. No more STUFF.
OK, I’ll stop now. Annie Leonard says it so much better than I could, anyway: The Story of Stuff
February 18th, 2008 at 9:39 pm
1. I am environmentally conscious. However, with a young child in the house, my priority is product safety. At my house, we’re dealing with food allergies, so I am hyper-alert to food product issues involving recalls, packaging and production methods. To stay informed, I subscribe to recall alerts via RSS feeds and email from both government and non-profit websites. I participate in a number of parent groups online where word quickly spreads not only of safety concerns, but also of the character of companies as we deal with them. I subscribe to dozens of quality blogs (like this one!) written by parents who share their thoughts and experiences related to marketing and product safety.
2. I provide feedback to companies in several ways. When I have concerns I usually turn to the company’s website to locate contact numbers or emails. If that fails or if they have no web presence, I will call. When I get no response, I will bring up the issue in an online group or blog about a topic if I feel it could make a difference.
Recently, I’ve reached out to Nabisco about inconsistent product ingredient labeling, contacted Target about their advertising, called Justice for Girls about their telemarketing practices. I’ve reached out to to a fast-food chain on both the national and local level with food labeling concerns.
3. I’ve certainly noticed the Mattel toy recall and subsequent moves by both retailers and manufacturers to avoid a repeat. If my child had been under 3 when the recall was announced, I am quite certain that I would have thrown out every toy in the house that said “Made in China.” In my book, toys are not a necessity. If there’s any doubt about safety, ditch them. You can just as easily make a sock puppet.
I do have young nieces, so I’m currently following the debate over Phthalates and would definitely favor products that are free of phthalates for kids under 3.
On the social responsibility side, I am frequently appalled at new products aimed at girls. The majority of these products seem to be urging our little girls to “sex it up” or to develop a passion for wracking up credit card debt. Those products don’t make it into my house —even as gifts.
On the environmental side, I believe that most toys are overpackaged and would appreciate manufacturers committed to reducing it. I got really sick gathering up the post Christmas waste of plastic, tie downs and cardboard.
I believe that not only should parents vote with their wallet, they should use technology to bring these issues out in the open for discussion. There’s nothing more important than our children.
February 18th, 2008 at 11:42 pm
have you read the article in the new york times about eco-mommies, yet? it’s a good one. you might find it helpful.
now, as to your questions:
1. Do you spend time learning about how products are made and pay attention to the social and environmental impacts of how companies produce, market, and sell their products? If yes, how do you evaluate this? Where do you get your information? How do you make your decisions?
yes, yes, and yes. i evaluate with extensive internet research (from reliable sources), and my gut. i know that i get what i pay for.
2. Do you provide your feedback to companies? For example, on how you’d like them to perform on environmental and social measures?
not really. i do, however, shop according to my research.
3. If you are concerned about the environmental and social impacts of toy manufacturers:
Have you noticed the latest news about Mattel toy recalls and their safety concerns of the toys they produce?
i just eliminated plastic toys from the house as much as possible.
Has this lead you to changing your buying habits over the past few months?
yes. especially when it came to christmas. we bought sports equipment and made gifts, in lieu of action figures and things that might be recalled.
Do you think this news has impacted sales in a positive or negative way?
there was a lull for a bit, but not for long. i have spoken to local retailers such as a neighborhood train store, and a retail store’s customer service department regarding this issue. they both say that there has been very little change as far as they could see.
The latest financial reports on Hasbro and Mattel do not reflect that consumers are concerned with issues of the environment or safety. So where can I see how this news impacts parents?
etsy. the mommy blogging community. it’s not so much that the people buying all the action figures have stopped doing so, it’s that among those that eschew the mold, beliefs have become cemented. my guess is that the handmade revolution will have more impact on the buying habits of future generations.
February 19th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Thank you for tagging me. I’m sloooow, and haven’t much spare time at the mo. So I’ll do some thinking and get back to you.
February 19th, 2008 at 8:40 am
Yep, thanks for the personal invitation. Tomorrow evening, I promise, my full attention, right here, answering those questions.
February 19th, 2008 at 9:08 am
@NQC: On the contrary, I hope we get lots of feedback here from parents. Thanks for your thoughts.
And thanks to everyone else who will try to respond in the next few days.
Related: see today’s Crooks and Liars — Lou Dobbs goes after Nancy Nord. As you know I’m not a fan of name-calling and personalizing the issues, but damn, he says what I’ve been mumbling about for quite some time.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:21 am
What? What’s this? Nancy Nord turns out to be another tool of the liberal-commie-creep-wimpy-Dukakis-jiving-Ted-Kennedy-coddling-Nancy-Pelosi-latte-sipping-Tim-Robbins-Rob-Reiner-Tony-LaRussa-effete-animal-hugging-organic-apple-wielding-Bernie-Sanders-pinko-ANC-PLO-SDS-NAACP-ACLU-James-Brady-nanny state as “very angry” Nord “lashes out” and pushes toy industry out of marital bed?
Spiro Agnew is turning in his grave, I tell you.
February 19th, 2008 at 11:28 am
1) I am very brand conscious and very deliberately avoid products associated with brands whose behaviors I disagree with (e.g., Disney, Scholastic, etc.). When a product is distributed by a smaller company, I may not go and do the research. In general I use an innocent until proven guilty framework — if I read something in the paper or in a book or hear something on the news that I find objectionable, I will avoid those brands (e.g., currently reading Omnivore’s Dilemma, and it is absolutely shaping my food purchases). On the flip side, when I hear something good about a company’s social and environmental actions, I go out of my way to support them, and become willing to spend much more for their merchandise. I guess I should add the caveat that while I don’t go research companies necessarily, I do read a great deal on these issues, so the research often finds me (e.g., from great blogs to activist research)
2) I do this periodically, but should do it more. I tend to think of voting with my wallet and my mouth (I talk about this kinds of information all the time to others) as communicating, but it would have greater impact, if I were to let the companies know why I do or do not buy their products.
3) Oh my word - I dramatically changed my holiday shopping — bought more kids’ gifts on etsy, opted for arts and crafts and books, etc. I am amazed that the data doesn’t show any change. I feel like most of my peers were impacted by this. In fact, just this weekend a friend picked up 2 gifts for twins we know and she said, “I think these were the only two things in the entire store that weren’t made in China” and I don’t think of this friend as especially aware of such issues.
February 19th, 2008 at 12:44 pm
1. Yes, I do, primarily from the web via blogs or news articles, as well as toy retailer websites.
2. No, I do not currently pester any toy companies– I just stop buying from the ones whose practices I dislike, fearing my comments would just be a drop in the bucket…
3. I have noticed all the Mattel toy recalls and I no longer purchase their products. I have also told friends and family not to buy them for my children. I know of other moms with the same reaction. My Christmas toy purchases this year were from companies like Haba and PlanToys. I haven’t purchased a toy at a retailer in months as I now tend to purchase all toys online where I can research the company first– and brands like Haba and PlanToys are harder to find.
February 19th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for thinking of me when it came to giving opinions!
1) “Do you spend time researching?” Yes I research toys extensively before purchase, because I am of a researching personality type! Mostly I read-up online. I like to visit company websites to see what they have to say about the safety and manufacturing origin of their toys. I also enjoy reading blogs about others’ experiences and toy research. I really don’t buy mass-market toys because I dislike the “branding” aspect of most of them. Therefore most of my research and purchasing is of lesser known, smaller brands.
2) “Do you provide feedback to companies?” I don’t generally contact companies when I am unhappy with their products or practices(although I probably should). I simply tend to take a more passive-aggressive approach and avoid the offending company’s stores or products, and only shop at smaller shops for brands that I trust and like.
3) “If you are concerned about the environmental and social impacts of toy manufacturers” (Yes I am)
“Have you noticed the latest news about the Mattel recalls…” I have no TV and I STILL heard about the recalls and safety concerns, especially for Mattel. How could one not hear about it? I read it in the paper, heard about it on NPR, and saw it in online news and blogs.
“Has this lead you to change your buying habits?” I am more conscious now of toy safety and the potential for lead paint, even on toys that seemed safe to me before. However, this has not really affected my buying habits much since I have always mostly tried to buy high-quality, open-ended toys like those made by many European manufacturers (which are often manufactured in Europe, or which at least must meet the tougher European safety standards). The only source for toys in my small, remote town is Walmart or Kmart. Since these stores mostly carry the commercially tied-in, violent and unpleasant toys, I do almost all my toy shopping online. For birthday parties and such where a quick toy purchase is necessary, I like to buy art supplies or high-end coloring books from the locally-owned art supply store, or books from our tiny local book store.
“Do you think this news has impacted sales in a positive or negative way?” I would expect to see some negative impact, especially from more educated consumers. Honestly though, I don’t think that it has affected the buying habits of the majority of people (most people know that a diet of chips and soda is bad for you, yet that is what you see in many grocery store carts). I am disappointed, yet not surprised, to hear that the financial reports of Mattel and Hasbro do not indicate a change in buying habits. I must also add that price and availability may be factors for many people. Higher-end toys are much harder to find (but hopefully might eventually become more common) and are far more expensive than the cheap-quality junky stuff.
“Where can I see that this news impacts parents?” Good question. I think that most people have heard about the recalls, even if they have not changed their buying habits. I certainly think that there is a whole subculture of more proactive, less mainstream parents (such as those who read this blog and are taking the time to comment on your questions) who are discussing toys a lot more than before, and who ARE avoiding the mainstream toys and toy stores. I also think that this subculture is actually the front end of a growing wave of a backlash against mainstream manufacturers. For example, while many people must buy things like Bratz dolls for their girls, I do think that if you listen to conversations at schools, or on the internet, there is a growing sense that mainstream toys are getting more violent and unsuitable, as well as unsafe. I think this is the beginning of a trend that will become more vocal in years to come.
Thanks for listening to my opinion. Feel free to email me with any further questions!
February 19th, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Jeff, Nord has always been about “self-regulation,” as in “the toy industry can take care of itself,” as in “we don’t need to regulate them,” as in “please don’t fine my buddies so much!” I think what she was trying to say in her speech to the toy industry was, “Look, I’ve done all I can, they are onto us now, so this is your last warning.”
She’s no tool for us liberal-commie-etcs.
February 19th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Lisa, I’ll get back to you on this tag in a jiff as I’m on the road right now, but it’s interesting that Youth Markets Alert has asked me a similar question since they’re working on an article highlighting the different options marketers have when it comes to advertising to schoolchildren (i.e. BusRadio, Tooned-In lunch menus).
She wants to know, “What are your thoughts on in-school marketing? Is there a “right” way to do it?” I’ve got soooooooooooooooooooo much to say on soooooooooo many levels there…particularly just after the McDonalds sponsored report card bit, and all of the pieces we’ve written about poor schools being ‘targeted’ due to lack of finances and need for ‘corporate contracts & cushions’…
THAT to me brings up the whole caste system and socioeconomic targeting of the most vulnerable audiences already ‘at risk’ in a gazillion health-specific ways both physically and mentally on the obesity/affluenza/sexual/ violence front in unsafe gang-ridden pockets where kids would ’snuff out their neighbor for a pair of sneaks’…
Talk about undermining parents and doing a disservice to kids…sheesh…An article in itself…Yowza. I could talk a blue streak on what we’re seeing in ‘high risk’ schools…More on all this soon…
Want to do a ‘best practices’ compilation for Shaping Youth?
February 20th, 2008 at 7:23 am
[…] further with her anger, or passion if you will. She has created a non-profit organization called Parents for Ethical Marketing (PEM). PEM was launched in November 2007 with the goal of encouraging companies to advertise to children […]
February 20th, 2008 at 7:28 am
Lisa,
I am so glad you asked! I couldn’t fit my answer here in the comments - so I wrote a post about it instead. Here is the url: http://tinyurl.com/ynmcej.
Good luck to you and your “passion”. I am here to help in any way I can.
February 20th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Lisa, I’ll be curious to hear what Ms. Aaron thinks of all our not-so-center thoughts on toys, purchasing, and the like. Let us know!
And I’m going to wave to Robiewan, cause she’s my favorite knitting, rollering, coffee slingin’ mama on the planet!
February 20th, 2008 at 3:36 pm
Solo, don’t worry, I’ll report back. I’m going to give it a few more days for anyone else who’d like to add their 2 cents.
February 20th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
As a first time mom to a 4 month old girl, I haven’t had to make very many purchasing decisions on her behalf yet. However, I know those days are coming sooner than I would like them to and I need to do more research. I typically rely on word of mouth and probably don’t do as much research as I should. I do generally avoid anything with Disney, Barbie, Bratz, etc, things that are obnoxiously pink, and anything that refers to girls as princesses or spoiled. I am also fearful of how sexualized the marketing towards children has become. I know that the days of “I want that” are coming soon and I will need to do plenty of research before buying.
I do think that the recent recalls have caused some parents to step back and think about the safety of the products that they are purchasing, but not necessarily of the product itself. Unfortunately, I think we are still a long ways from many parents demanding that toys not be affiliated with cartoon characters or just being inappropriate.
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Thanks for linking to my site, PEM! I am honored, and very much appreciate the work you do.
1. Absolutely, out of sheer necessity and fighting the inertia to just buy what is on sale or readily available. And believe me, as the mother of two young children, this is hard, but I feel necessary in our current world where corporations rule what is in most of our products. I research product ingredients for my children at the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Database, looking for ingredients that are deemed the least potentially harmful and the best rated. I also research and consider the environmental impacts of purchases, such as packaging, potential recycling or reusing, and I read environmental literature and websites to gain more of an understanding around those issues.
2. I don’t, because most of the companies I support are ones that are making good environmental and social decisions. But not all are. So, I should be contacting companies about this, but truthfully, it takes a good deal of time to do the product research for a household, and there is only so much time. I try to think of it as voting with my money. I can’t always do this, however, because of finances. If I could, I would be wearing only organic cotton, clothes from Patagonia, living in a house with only solar, eating solely organic seasonal food… you get the idea!
3. Yes! Yes! Yes! Did I mention yes? I have been very concerned about the recalls and it has mostly definitely changed my buying habits and the habits of my friends and family. For example, this Christmas I bought only toys made in the US, constructed from wood, with a non-toxic finish (also from a small family owned business). My blog called Non-Toxic Kids is all about product safety, environmental and social concerns for families. It is getting more and more traffic everyday. Parents care about what they are exposing their kids to, where their money is going, and what companies are doing to help our world. My friends discuss these issues frequently, and are less and less likely to trust and buy mainstream toys because of the quality issues we have seen in this past year. I know that as more and more people learn about the labor, social and environmental issues surrounding Wal-Mart, many people refuse to shop there as much as possible.
To see what parents are talking and caring about with product safety (such as exposure to lead and chemicals and children’s products) look to the increasing news reports from mainstream media about these issues. Look at recent books such as Exposed, the Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What is At Stake for America’s Power by Mark Schapiro. And also look at what I would think would be increased interest in toy safety reports (such as the one released by healthytoys.org in December- I could barely access the site because of all the traffic), and the online discussions and activism through blogs and groups like momsrising.org. There are also bills in state legislators pending about reducing exposure to lead, phthalates, and there is a new congressional inquiry about the chemical Bisphenol A in baby products. All of these points to parents and lawmakers thinking, talking, and worrying about (and hopefully acting on) these issues. A recent article in Newsweek said that chemicals showing up in our bodies from products, starting in utero, will be the next major environmental issue after global warming. This is huge, and more and more people are paying attention to it. It would be wise of companies to make their products EU compliant as soon as possible, because people are looking at their standards as way more progressive towards protecting our kid’s health.
Thanks for asking these questions. I would be glad to expand on any of these thoughts via phone or email. Please visit my blog (Non-Toxic Kids at http://nontoxickids.blogspot.com) for contact information and more information on environmental health and safety issues that parents are talking about.
February 24th, 2008 at 5:50 am
1. Do you spend time learning about how products are made and pay attention to the social and environmental impacts of how companies produce, market, and sell their products? If yes, how do you evaluate this? Where do you get your information? How do you make your decisions?
Not as much time as I should spend learning how products are made.. but I can tell you that if I hear anything or see anything written about unethical corporate behaviour in relation to products that it definitely sticks in my mind, and I won’t buy products from those companies. I get my information from friends, from the news, from alternate media sources, from websites, from union and political sources etc. I trust the information outright if it is from a reputable source, if I’m not so familiar with the source or I think they could have their own agenda then I research them and the product on the internet.
2. Do you provide your feedback to companies? For example, on how you’d like them to perform on environmental and social measures?
Very occassionally, if there is a good opportunity or if it is a big purchase - like investing my money in shares.
3. If you are concerned about the environmental and social impacts of toy manufacturers:
Have you noticed the latest news about Mattel toy recalls and their safety concerns of the toys they produce?
Yes.
Has this lead you to changing your buying habits over the past few months?
I’m not a big purchaser of Mattel products currently.
Do you think this news has impacted sales in a positive or negative way?
Probably no real impact at this point.
The latest financial reports on Hasbro and Mattel do not reflect that consumers are concerned with issues of the environment or safety. So where can I see how this news impacts parents?
Australia recently experienced a scandal where one of the leading imported toys was found to dissolve into chemicals resembling ecstacy if swallowed. Children almost died, this kind of scare captures media attention and parents are motivated to increase their awareness of the toys they purchase.
February 24th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
[…] read the call to action on PEM’s website, click here. You’ll see questions from Shari Aaron of Vision Conscious Brands, and at the bottom you can […]
February 25th, 2008 at 9:11 am
Thanks to everyone for your thoughtful answers! Two more quick questions have been posted here. If you have time, take a look at them.
February 25th, 2008 at 9:35 am
. Do you spend time learning about how products are made and pay attention to the social and environmental impacts of how companies produce, market, and sell their products? If yes, how do you evaluate this? Where do you get your information? How do you make your decisions?
Not really. I don’t need to research to know that a toy made of plastic, in China, is probably not good for society or the environment in general. I’m pretty sure that the $5 toy I pick up at Walmart was not made with good ethics, and that the people making these toys are not paid a fair wage.
2. Do you provide your feedback to companies? For example, on how you’d like them to perform on environmental and social measures?
No, I have never thought about doing that before.
3. If you are concerned about the environmental and social impacts of toy manufacturers:
Have you noticed the latest news about Mattel toy recalls and their safety concerns of the toys they produce?
Absolutely. These recalls were the first to alert me to the fact that perhaps all was not well in Toyland.
Has this lead you to changing your buying habits over the past few months?
Definitely. I used to buy any toy I saw, willy nilly. However, I’ve recently stopped purchasing all plastic toys, and any toys made in China. It’s not just toys, either. I am trying to pay more attention to where my stuff is made.
Do you think this news has impacted sales in a positive or negative way?
I think it affected sales negatively at first, but that it’s already faded away. People have short memories, or they think that things have actually changed. As though these companies had a few recalls, so they totally changed their ways. I don’t believe it.
The latest financial reports on Hasbro and Mattel do not reflect that consumers are concerned with issues of the environment or safety. So where can I see how this news impacts parents?
I don’t think most people are concerned any more. The next wave of recalls will get them concerned again, and then they’ll forget all over again. I know for myself, I will not be buying any mainstream toys anymore, nor will I allow others to buy them for my children. It’s not just the lead threats, either but the sheer amount of plastic already covering our poor planet, the sheer amount of toys littering my house, and the poor living and working conditions for factory workers.
You get what you pay for. You pay $10 for a plastic battery-operated toy, likely your child will play with it for a few days, and when it breaks, or the battery dies, or the novelty wears off, you are left with nothing but trash. Even though I am broke broke broke, I am willing to pay more for a quality toy that I can be sure isn’t going to poison my children’s bodies.
April 26th, 2008 at 7:43 pm
Honestly, I didn’t pay too much attention to these types of issues until recently. In college, I thought I was some kind of an activist (protesting Desert Storm-if you could actually call what I did “protesting”). HA!
I’m no activist. Now I’m just a pissed off parent, who is sick of not being able to buy a toy that isn’t “Made in China”, grapes that aren’t grown in Chile or Argentina (where if I recall correctly–DDT is still in use), or clothes that aren’t “Made in Honduras” by small children in sweat shops who get paid ten cents a day to work 12 hours and miss out on an education.
I know I’m exaggerating to an extent, but once I tried to go a whole month without buying something made in China due to their human rights violations. I only lasted 3 weeks and it was a rough 3 weeks. If it’s not something I can do without, I try to find an alternative made in the USA and then buy that, even if it’s more expensive. If everyone did that, the tide might shift.
I challenge readers to take a week, or even one trip to the store, and look at where everything you pick up is manufactured. It’s truly frightening. How does anyone in this country even make a living you have to wonder?