Bitter Milk Timberland and Nike
Timberland
As a manufacturing company, Timberland acknowledges that it does have an impact upon the environment. However, given the nature of its product and the likely values of its customers, it strives to foster community service, environmentally sustainable practices, and a carbon-neutral orientation. Of course, this is partially savvy marketing -- without such a stance, Timberland would alienate many of its customers. But in terms of Timberland's long-term survival, environmental conservation is important for a company with a mission of manufacturing clothing and equipment for serious adventurers in the outdoors. Without conservation efforts, Timberland customers will have fewer opportunities to use its product, and less motivation to purchase its goods and services.
Timberland has set a goal of becoming carbon neutral, and undertaken a full energy "audit" of its operations to achieve that objective. My own employer encourages community service on behalf its employees through office-wide walk-a-thons for charity, soliciting donations for local organizations around the holidays, blood drives, and wellness campaigns to encourage employees to eat healthier foods and exercise. However, its specific mission and value statement is not committed to a singular, moral goal and sustainability philosophy as in the case of Timberland.
Nike
John Woodman, Nike's general manager in Indonesia, defended the company's practices, saying that the company had brought jobs that would not have otherwise existed to the region and thus raised many people's standard of living, despite the sweatshop-style conditions and wages. He said it was not Nike's business to know about the conditions on the ground -- despite the fact that Nike promoted itself as a socially responsible company. Michael Jordan's $2 million dollar paycheck was greater than the entire payroll of all Nike workers in Indonesia. Even through Nike may have been buying the shoes from independent contractors Nike still had a moral responsibility to take an interest in the conditions of the manufacturers of its shoes. Presumably, Nike exercises quality control to make sure the shoes are constructed appropriately. A similar level of concern must be paid to the human rights of workers. Mattel later used a similar excuse when it did not properly check its toys manufactured in China for safety hazards and like Nike, it was also subject to media criticism and consumer attrition.
Jordan has said that "When the right situation comes up, it will happen. I'm very patient. I enjoy being home. I enjoy being with my kids and doing a lot of the things that I haven't had a chance to do" (What pp). Michael Bauman said that "Jordan was probably the one who got me watching basketball. I always tried to double-pump a jump shot like he did. I would
Thus, to use an American basketball star as your key marketing tool points to the success of globalizing tactics employed by American transnationals in spreading the "American way of life." The fact that Nike accomplished this by using exploitive labor practices in their Asian factories is the seamier side of the story, one that elicits no sympathy for practitioners of global capitalism. By continuing these practices - and by
Economic Impact of Michael Jordan ) and made himself the greatest celebrity/player to have the greatest economic impact in the United States history. His fame, enigma and charisma did things for his team and his sponsors that no other sportsman could do before and that was the hype that he created in the commercial scenario (Smith, 4). His choice of Nike, the famous shoe company brought millions in the United States
Membership in an exclusive, elite privileged club of those who own "the best" -- something that not just anyone can have. To wear Nike Air Jordans was to reify a sacred experience. It was a vehicle to feeling as if one were the hero figure, Michael Jordan" (Aaker & Biel, 1993, p.105). This excerpt demonstrates the extreme length of effectiveness of the complex and truly multi-faceted marketing campaign launched
This disparity also relates to the opposing ways that the Irish people saw Collins. "The question is how do the Irish view Collins: as the fellow who bombed the British out of Ireland, or as the one who insisted that the bombing he started must stop? Some Irish view both Collins and De Valera as sellouts. Jordan says he means to celebrate Collins "the statesman and, ultimately, man of
According to Reidenberg (2000: 1318), policy in the United States protects personal information according to a market-dominated paradigm, where limited statutory and common law rights are granted for information privacy. In Europe, on the other hand, the privacy protection norm is dominated by privacy rights. The European Union, for example, requires Member States to include comprehensive statutory protections for its citizens when it comes to privacy rights. The fact that
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