What Big Makeup Companies Bought Berts Bee

Burt's Bees is an incredible American success story. Roxanne Quimby's venture into beeswax candles took her from New England arts and crafts fairs to lip balm and personal intendance products sold in thousands of drugstores across the United States, before she somewhen sold her company to Clorox for $913 million in 2007. That acquisition has been one inside a contempo trend of large nutrient and consumer packaged appurtenances companies buying smaller ones for more than "natural" or healthful products: Colgate-Palmolive owns Tom's of Maine; Coca-Cola snapped up Honest Tea; Kraft has long endemic Boca Burgers. Quimby has left quite a legacy: she helped revolutionize the personal torso care industry and has spent much of her coin on acquiring country in Maine that could be one of America's newest, and largest, national parks in decades.

30 years afterward Quimby met a local beekeeper and launched Burt's Bees, the visitor has over 170 personal care products that information technology proudly describes every bit overwhelmingly "natural." Natural, in fact, is the mantra of the company's latest sustainability report. In fact, a quick count reveals "natural" is brindled throughout this latest report over 120 times. So while Burt's Bees obsession with "natural" is backed up past a long history of eschewing many synthetic ingredients, the constant repetition of the discussion raises eyebrows — especially by consumers skittish over a leading manufacturer of household chemicals and bleach owning this earthy brand.

So should we raise alarm bells over Burt's Bees' infatuation with the natural characterization? Several leading companies have been the target of consumer advancement groups and bloggers who have flogged the quick use of the "natural" label. Role of the trouble is the U.Southward. Food and Drug Assistants (FDA) only offers a nebulous definition of the term and is even less unclear about when and how companies should use it. Dissimilar "organic" or "fair merchandise," no solidly defined regulation or standard exists for the utilize of the word natural, so the gyre call of companies who have become ensnared in controversy is a long one. Shortly before the Unilever-endemic ice cream company announced information technology would transition to fair merchandise ingredients, Ben & Jerry's dropped "all natural" from its cartons due to pressure from the Center for the Science in the Public Interest. PepsiCo recently yanked the term from Naked Juice bottles afterwards litigation. And at present Nature Valley Granola bars, which has boasted the same term on its boxes for years, is under pressure to remove "all natural" from its boxes. Is Burt'due south Bees the next to fall into this trap?

Depending on one'due south view of the definition of "natural," Burt's Bees is on an impressive calendar. The company touts its entire portfolio to be comprised of 99% natural ingredients and of those, 57% of its 170 different items earned the 100% "natural" label. Simply every bit some consumers would counter, it is that i% that worries them. Should they exist concerned?

A close exam of the sustainability report certainly opens the visitor to criticism. Much of the report'southward tone is smarmy and cocky-congratulatory. Clorox certainly had a mitt in writing the report — the company'due south increasing sales is considering of access to its parent visitor's sales and distribution network, and effusive praise for the parent company makes its way into the report. Plus the study points to a list of ingredients Burt's Bees lists as "natural" ... though some ingredients such as baobab and acai drupe brand their way into only a few products. And at a fourth dimension when more consumers question the safety of genetically modified organisms (GMO), Burt'south policy towards such ingredients would give some consumers pause: The company only has a "non-GMO preference." The company asks suppliers to sign a non-GMO declaration, just it is a asking, not a requirement. Whether the company actually audits or tests ingredients for traces of GMO materials is unclear after reviewing the report.

But the ambiguity over GMOs is also a symptom of Burt's Bees success. Equally the visitor continues to grow and score impressive sales figures, maintaining a transparent supply chain becomes even more difficult. A supplier may merits its ingredients are non-GMO, organic or fair-trade, but that supplier may also have vendors who are not telling the unabridged truth about their sourcing. And marketing-speak aside, Burt's Bees does a solid task of outlining the challenges it faces in its quest to ditch synthetic materials birthday. One constructed ingredient, phenoxyethanol, is a preservative that prevents mold and leaner from growing in its products — and equally of now the company claims a "natural" alternative does non exist. Phenoxyethanol, incidentally, is an approved ingredient and sanctioned by none other than the Natural Production Association.

Burt's Bees is a prime example of how no company is perfect, nor always tin can be, but can strive to practise even more. Within the sustainability report is a word about how the company wishes to move forward in the future. As the company continues to review its ingredients, it is embarking on what it describes every bit a "whole systems" arroyo beyond the value concatenation, from the points at which ingredients are sourced to how products are disposed throughout its distribution channels. Cocky-congratulatory and centre-rolling? As is the case with many CSR reports, aye. Is it transparent and engaging? In Burt'due south case — yep, as well. Eye-rolling bated, we need more than firms similar Burt's Bees, not less.

Published Aug fourteen, 2013 2pm EDT / 11am PDT / 7pm BST / 8pm CEST

Source: https://sustainablebrands.com/read/marketing-and-comms/obsession-over-natural-aside-burt-s-bees-a-rightful-leader-in-the-personal-care-industry

Posted by: rhodescapassicer.blogspot.com

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