[Photo: from a painting by Julian Bedel ]

That the Deepwater Horizon oil spill is a catastrophe is unquestionable, but the reaction of the American people — particularly those not directly affected — is unprecedented in its vehemence. BP’s maladroit handling of its public relations following the spill certainly exacerbated the public’s anger, but to understand where the sheer vitriol of the public’s reaction came from, other factors must be considered. Some have speculated that the reaction to BP following the oil spill was perhaps in part due to public feelings of betrayal. Before the spill, surveys had found that consumers regarded BP as relatively environmentally friendly, a belief the oil spill has violently shattered. Read the rest of this entry »

[Photo: from a painting by Julian Bedel]

We’ve just posted a new article “Going Green: Sustainable and Environmentally-Friendly Branding” on the Papers&Articles section of our website.  The article discusses how three companies — Patagonia, Marks & Spencer, and Muji — have managed to grow and maintain “green” brands.

[Photo: courtesy of Felice Physioc]

With the green revolution, it has actually become trendy to be environmentally conscious. In just about every Whole Foods Market in the U.S. you see fashion-conscious strolling around with their reusable, recycled bags and choosing fair trade instead of fair fur products. In Buenos Aires we see the same trend: try Palermo Hollywood’s Bonpland Market on Saturday afternoon to find a mercado full of organic breads, pasta, produce and clothes. Read the rest of this entry »