Spluch: Pepsi Launch New Drink Made From ‘All Natural’Ingredients

Spluch: Pepsi Launch New Drink Made From ‘All Natural’Ingredients

No this is all wrong- launching a 'natural' Pepsi is just obscene- I mean not the drink- I am sure it is actually quite nice- and I have been known to reach for a soda at times of absolute need- like the morning after the night before when all types of demons have been let loose in my brain each weilding a sledge hammer.

No what is wrong about it is that Pepsi, and Coke, have made a fortune out of rotting teeth and pushing sugar heavy sludge- and will continue to do so. Raw may use cane sugar and vegetable flavourings, but it isn't a radical break with anything. Even if it is successful it will still make what a 0.0001% contribution to Pepsi's turn over?

Now if Pepsi had really seen some sort of light, as opposed to a marketing niche, then it could start looking as the sustainability for its entire business, and the long term sustainability of the effects of its products on its customers and suppliers.

This is greenwash, sophisticated greenwash, but greenwash never the less.

But then Pepsi is not alone, did buying The BodyShop make L'Oreal look at the sustainability of the rest of its business, like it claimed it would- not a bit. Did Cadbury's convert to Organic and Fairtrade with the aquisition of Green and Blacks- nope. The just filled a market niche that their exisiting product range couldn't and where their exisiting corporate brand image woudl have meet a hostile response.

ecolabelling.org - ecolabels and green certification schemes

ecolabelling.org - ecolabels and green certification schemes
At last a guide to the myriad of labelling that is spewing forth. In theory labelling is suppose to inform the consumer- simple and clear labels like Fairtrade, Soil Association, and No Fly are clear but frankly all the rest just confuses. The most rediculous is the NFU's Red Tractor- what the hell does that mean? Then you have half way houses like LEAF, agriculture raisonable as they call it in french- sort of using as little chemicals as possible but as much as necessary- oh yeah? Who decides what is necessary?

ASA bans British Gas ad for green claims | Media | guardian.co.uk

ASA bans British Gas ad for green claims | Media | guardian.co.uk

Yet another Greenwash Alert- when will they ever learn that green marketing- in the words of The Green Marketing Manifesto's author John Grant is "making green things seem normal not normal things seem green". Slapping carbon offsetting on a product does not make that product green, nor does for that matter- take note HSBC- giving £50 to the WWF for every new account enable you to call it a green account. This stype of flimsy thinking is just bandwagon marketing- and in the age of high powered environmental pressure groups- and of course the blogisphere you will get caught, and made to look foolish

Branded for life? | Consumer and ethical living | Life and Health

Branded for life? | Consumer and ethical living | Life and Health

Superb piece of research by the Guardian with the able assistance of Ethical Consumer on the real after effects of ethical companies selling part or all their ownership to the big players. With the news that Abela nd Cole have sold part of their equity to a VC this article is a timely warning about the long term implications of M&A as large company tactic to buy into the ethical sector.