Brands We Love and Brands We Hate

What’s at the top of your list?

I asked ten people what their favorite brand was, and 8 of those responses were the same: Apple.

Can you guess what their least favorite brand was?

It’s big, crowded, industrial, and cheap. “Save money, live better.”

You got it, Walmart.

But, why?

Why do people insist on iPhones and MacBooks? Why is America’s superstore the one we love to hate?

When I asked people why they liked Apple, their answers were mostly the same: Apple is easier, their products are innovative, and they have good design concepts.

I asked why people hate Walmart:

“It’s crowded.”

“Tacky.”

“Bad for the environment.”

“They have a monopoly and don’t give smaller businesses a chance.”

These responses, unlike Apple’s are widespread and do not concern just one topic. People liked Apple because they created a good product that was easy to use, but they disliked Walmart for a variety of reasons, ranging from the structure of the store itself to its business policies. But never once did they mention the products.

From the answers I received, it seems like what people hate about a store is determined by how they think the business is run. I was surprised by the speed with which these people expressed their disgust for a brand, so I decided to employ the Hellenistic philosophy of skepticism to see if I could find some good in the condemned Walmart.

I’m Skeptical

Skepticism can be defined as the pursuit of freedom by withholding assent, which basically means that you can be happy if you don’t commit to anything as a fact. The Skeptics were known for suspending judgment in the face of equal but opposite arguments. The catchphrase of a skeptic is something like: “it seems to be that…” which really proves their reluctance to say that anything is a fact.

What if Walmart isn’t as terrible as everyone thinks? Did you know that Walmart is actually responsible for a large environmentally friendly movement? According to environmentalleader.com, Walmart has a strong green program that it has forced many of its suppliers to comply with. For example, Walmart controls about 40% of Clorox Bleach sales in the US, so when Walmart requested that Clorox use only recycled packaging, they didn’t really have a choice. This practice is called strong-arming, and it is one that Walmart has used consistently to further it’s green agenda.

On the flip side, Apple may not be as wonderful as it seems. In a recent problem with its supply chain, managers in a Chinese factory that makes pieces of Apple products were forced to install suicide nets because unhappy employees had been throwing themselves off of the balconies. The scandal hasn’t seemed to affect Apple’s bottom line, but I attribute this to the fact that not many consumers are aware of the situation.

Suicides of Chinese employees force Apple to install suicide nets on buildings.

Like a true skeptic, I’m not going to say whether these brands are good or bad, I just wanted to show a different side of each one.

The lesson we can take from this: Don’t be so quick to judge. In the skeptical phrasing: it seems to me that the brands we love may soon become the brands we hate.

Top 5 Business Philosophies

First of all, let’s be clear. Philosophy in business is different from philosophy of business. Philosophy in business is what most of my other blog posts are about: applying a philosophical principle to an aspect of the corporate world. Philosophy of business is something personal, it is how a certain person idealizes success in the business world.

Here are my top 5 people with interesting business philosophies. Some of them might surprise you:

5. “Keep Going.” – Martha Stewart

Cliché, yes, but not without merit, especially for Martha Stewart. Of all the celebrities that have fielded scandals, Martha Stewart has most definitely kept going. Her business philosophy echoes the cries of her devoted housewives across America, the ones who persist even when they are frazzled and exhausted. Stewart insists that she has never hit bottom, just bumps in the road, and she remains the steadfast face of her home and gardening brand.

Stewart’s brand is tied to both her name and her persistence.

 4. “If you don’t tell people about your success, they probably won’t know about it.” – Donald Trump

Although that might be true, it does seem a bit obnoxious. Who am I kidding? This is Donald Trump, of course he’s obnoxious. Obnoxious but successful, and it’s true that he does publicize his success by putting his name on everything. Trump Tower, Trump World Tower, Trump International Hotel, you get the picture. Much of Donald Trump’s fame rides on his presence in tabloids and on reality television, and he stays true to his business model by making sure that everyone knows his name.

Donald Trump has made a name for himself in business.

3. “Agree amongst the firm for the future.” – Ginni Rometty

Some mighty words from the woman at the top of Fortune’s ‘50 Most Powerful Women in Business.’ As CEO of IBM, Virginia Rometty recognizes the immense talent and dedication she has at her disposal, but she says that those things are not enough to support the success of such a large company. Instead, Rometty emphasizes a decision making process that involves many people from all levels of the company. She also ensures that every one of those decisions is part of a plan for the future of IBM.

Rometty leads her team at IBM.

2. “Move fast and break things.” – Mark Zuckerberg

What? Break things? That sounds dangerous. Moving fast, I understand. In an arena as fast-paced and manic as social media, keeping up isn’t good enough. You always have to be ahead of the times, ahead of the trends, and ahead of the technology. As Facebook grows, a sense of urgency within employees is imperative to ensure that substantial progress occurs quickly. As for breaking things, Mark probably means breaking barriers to make room for innovation. He needs to make sure Facebook surpasses the status quo.

Zuckerberg emphasizes speed and innovation in his business.

 1. “Sell dreams, not products.” – Steve Jobs

This is interesting coming from Jobs, who spent a lifetime designing and tweaking his innovative products. But his business philosophy reveals itself in more subtle ways, like in the culture that surrounds an Apple product. When you walk into the Apple store, it is not only about getting an iPhone or the newest MacBook. If you want the latest technology and the fastest processor, you go to Microsoft. You go to Apple for the lifestyle, because they sell you something that will help you achieve your dreams.

Jobs’ business philosophy inspires technology leaders.

What are some business philosophies that inspire you? Comment below!

Epicureanism v. Utilitarianism: Finding a Balance

We’ve all heard the golden rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

But what about the people who don’t think that way? The ones who are only out to make money for themselves, or the ones who take what they think they deserve without considering the repercussions? Those people aren’t generally the ones I’d want to associate with, but they don’t seem to pose a huge threat to the wellbeing of society. They might burn a few bridges trying to get ahead, but not too many people really get hurt.

But what if those people are the CEOs and CFOs of Fortune’s Top 500? What if that person is the next Bernard Ebbers of WorldCom or Kenneth Lay of Enron?

Bernard Ebbers’ Mugshot

We all saw the extent of corporate greed in the financial scandals of the early 2000s. Global Crossing, Arthur Andersen, Tyco International, you name it, it was corrupt. Interestingly enough, none of these corporations had a chief communications officer at the time of their scandal.

The job of a corporate communication team is to figure out a working balance between epicureanism and utilitarianism. In other words, how can a company best serve its own interests as well as those of its stakeholders?

Opposite Philosophies

Epicurus was a Greek philosopher who founded the Epicurean school of thought. He believed that the purpose of philosophy was to reach a state of pure happiness, free from fear and outside pressures. In his fragmented works, Epicurus stressed the importance of satisfying an individual, namely yourself, before worrying about the needs of others.

Unlike epicureanism, utilitarianism emphasizes a course of action that will bring the greatest good to the largest number of people. It was created in the 18^th century by British philosopher Jeremy Bentham, and puts the good of the whole society above the needs of any individual person.

Epicurean v. Utilitarian Tendencies

Which of these two philosophies a CEO or CFO leans toward can drastically affect an organization’s reputation.

In the case of Enron, Kenneth Lay and other C-suite executives used loopholes in their accounting system to embezzle millions of dollars. Those employees demonstrated a distinctly epicurean mindset because they put their own greed above the interests of other employees and all the company’s stakeholders.

The Target Corporation is a good example of a company with a utilitarian mindset. Target has multiple corporate social responsibility programs that are committed to raising money for education and providing food for underprivileged children. Target has proven itself a utilitarian by being concerned with the greatest good for a large amount of people.

Moving Forward

Both of these philosophies have their pros and cons. It is important not to get too lost in the needs of the stakeholders, as an organization might while serving the utilitarian cause. But on the other hand, too much focus on a company’s own needs may harm that organization’s reputation for social responsibility. The key is finding a balance, and that balance is the job of a corporate communication team.

So to all you businesses out there without a Vice President of Communications, be warned! You wouldn’t want to be the next Enron, would you?

Kenneth Lay’s Mugshot