An import product with brand which supports no animal testing, fair trade, againsts domestic violence, and runs a HIV/AIDS campaign OR a local product with unknown reputation of fair trade, animal testing, and sort of csr program?
This question came up in my mind and it started from a decision-making process while I was looking for compact powder. Yup, my cosmetic-product- discovery has lead me into a tricky consideration and long disputeable thought. As if I was a president, about to make a decision in cutting gasoline price endowment. But it's really serious question. Please help me to think about this, and it would be great for also recommend me something better.
The first choice will make me looked like a consumer with responsiblity and so called ethical one. But, hey...! It's an International brand! And behind the brand, there is a multinational company which will fly your money away to Paris. To its home where the brand headed. I might declare I'm a consumer with a social concern perspective, but the local industry in my country will fold its carpet (what a paraphrase!), they soon will run out. Because people in this country, like me, just keep their mind with Import commodities which had succesfully build their brand image. In the other hand, the wheel of local industry stop and going to leave thousand people unemployed. Congratulation... you're so virtuous then!
The other choice's position seems so obscure. This local brand has no records of meaningful CSR programs. Rather to stop domestic violence and build women's self esteem, this brand prefer to support a beauty pageant or cover girl competition. Its advertising campaigns eventually, show their concern in utopian beauty. Then, how this image could stimulate audience's (most of them are women) effort to get closer to that kind of beauty. But as a local commodity, we (local people) could feel proud with this brand. I heard this brand and some from its company product, had been distributed internationally, throughout Asia and Europe, especially their Spa product range. Great job indeed, to hear our local product considered so exotic and natural because the international buyer viewed them as 100% Indonesian product. This step had certainly lifted income of our country. Despite of their utopian beauty image, at least they still attached local identity to their meaning of beauty. They always said that the women who wear this product will bring up the Indonesian Beauty. hahaha....
So why did I take my personal purchase confusion seriously? Because I believe in microeconomic domino effect. I assume that destiny of the local cosmetic industry labour had strong correspondence with my purchase decision. I'm afraid I could trapped in international mega brands false perception. I really don't wanna be a Must-Have-Brand Complex or syndrome. Just because our nation's economy didn't grow as well then we think there's nothing to do about it since we're not as smart as Sri Mulyani. To support our economic growth is not that difficult as financial investment, obligation, and other sophisticated financial instrument. The raise of our purchasing power and amount that we spent will only contribute a fictitious growth, if we keep spend it on import brands. Anyway, I'm not a supporter of a vice president candidate who seems like buy-local evangelist in ads but I consider every act in my financial transaction will be counted. So let's end this never-ending confusion. Phiuhh....like our beloved adbuster campaign said " Why buy into megabrands and their fake marketing cool? Get Free, Go Indie, Buy local, and make every second count."
