Not All Companies Are Viewed as Equal

Assignment 1: Not All Companies Are Viewed as Equal

Business Ethics

Supporting the Candy Companies

There are many different industries and they are not all viewed equally. Many industries come up with products that are not healthy in any way yet they continue to thrive. Two of the largest industries that continue to thrive in business even though they are bad for your health are both the tobacco and candy industry. Tobacco companies know that smoking is not beneficial for the body in any way yet they continue to grow. They are still coming up with new products knowing that consumers will continue to buy because they are addicted to the chemicals and nicotine.

Candy companies thrive consistently as well, but luckily the consumers are not “addicted” to the products. Unlike with tobacco companies, I support candy companies. They have come up with products that are fun and delicious. They may be unhealthy but people are fully aware of this and understand that candy should be eaten in moderation. If they choose to eat more than what they should they are causing the harm to their health on their own. Some candy companies such as Hershey have taken steps to stay in business while focusing on people’s healthier lifestyle. According to Jade Scipioni (Business Insider 2017), Hershey’s has slowly acquired three health-focused snack companies in addition to launching its own brand of non-GMO fruit and protein pouches. That being said, they are not doing anything special to change their chocolate or candy they already offer, they are simply adding healthier options to still bring in just as much profit while letting you make the decision to eat healthy or not.

Capitalism and Decision Making

Capitalism is the drive in pretty much every industry. People start businesses to make money whether the product is harmful or not to a consumer is not something they usually worry about. Yes, there are regulations to keep products safe but there are not regulations that help you choose to buy something that is healthier than something else. As far as advertising goes, Candy companies take advantage of impulse purchasing. You may go to a candy isle and not want to buy anything but you get to the cash register where the lanes are filled with candy and you automatically think “one candy bar won’t hurt” or “I am really hungry and this candy can hold me over”. A split-second choice is all it takes and candy is readily available in most check out lines. This in a way, targets small children, because they will see the candy in bright colored wrappers and ask their parents for candy. According to Jessica Almy, J.D., M.S., and Margo G. Wootan, D.Sc. (Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI)), Just simply seeing a product in a checkout lane can activate an urge to consume it.

Companies Best Interest VS Consumers Best Interest

Regardless of what a consumer’s best interest is, a company is always going to put themselves first, because if they don’t they will not make any profit. A motto to live by is you cannot please everyone in business. You will never be able to please every single consumer or every single buyer so you need to look out for the company and also try to incorporate what customers are wanting and needing. For example, candy companies are coming out with 100 Calorie candy bars to allow people following healthy diets to still be able to splurge sometimes without going all out on a regular sized candy bar. They did not take away their original products but instead added another product to target those trying to be healthier. Companies will monitor customers wants and interests but at the end of the day the profit is what matters.

Sources:

1-Scipioni, Jade. Hershey’s is not just candy, here’s a new ‘healthy’ look at the company. Published December 18, 2017. (Cited October 28, 2018). Available From: https://www.foxbusiness.com/features/hersheys-is-not-just-candy-heres-a-new-healthy-look-at-the-company

2-Jessica Almy, J.D., M.S., and Margo G. Wootan, D.Sc., Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The Food Industry’s Sneaky Strategy for Selling More. Published August 2015. (Cited October 28, 2018). Available From: https://cspinet.org/temptation-checkout