Smoka Cola

Smoka Cola combines the best of tobacco and sugary beverages. Kids will love it!

Well, something will have to be done about that! It’s the government’s responsibility. To get them started, let’s put together a petition that describes 1) the problem; 2) the law that must govern it (and if there’s no law, let’s go to Congress because we all know how efficient they are); and 3) what the regulation should say. Let’s give the regulatory agency a year or two to hold some hearings and then, once they have decided what to do, about 4 ½ years to put out a regulation. 

We have to make sure that crazy activists or greedy companies don’t sway the agency from doing something wrong. We also want to make sure whatever they do is based on science and that they don’t target innocent companies. We can start a letter writing campaign to the agency and meet with them in Washington a few times. Or….

We can do this ourselves, you know, the modern way.

Let’s apply this example to foods.

It’s not uncommon to link food companies with unhealthy diets leading to obesity and heart disease because they are assumed to be greedy. We blame it on them because “They’re just in it to make money.” No, the Mint makes money, food companies receive money. And they only receive money if you give them your money, voluntarily. There are different ways consumers have control over what food companies (actually, any companies) do: invest in good companies or buy their products or, if we hate the companies products, we can choose not to invest, not to buy their products, or take them to court. All of those send a signal that they need to change their behavior. 

For example, Nestle USA found itself in a class action lawsuit in 2019 over its “sustainably sourced” cocoa beans. The problem appeared to be that the beans were picked by child and slave labor. In another market, Huggies tried to claim their Pure and Natural diapers were sustainable by adding a piece of organic cotton on the outside of the diapers. Consumers saw right through it and stopped buying them and they were discontinued in 2015. 

In markets, we don’t need to give anyone “power to the people;” they have it already. Today, in addition to safety and nutritional concerns, Americans are expressing their concerns about food including animal cruelty, environmental sustainability, worker welfare, and even food waste. That’s why instead of relying on government regulatory agencies to solve problems, people are using their own market power to force companies, particularly food companies, to change production practices and products to become more socially conscious.

Regulating the behavior of food firms to address these problems used to be the exclusive province of governments. But one reason people aren’t looking to the government so much anymore is because they perceive that the government is failing, or, if not failing, moving far too slowly. 

It’s not that consumers will always get it right, but they can effect change more quickly and address precisely what they are concerned about. They can now also combine their efforts given the widespread availability of the internet and social media.

We don’t need to apply pressure to all companies. Some just get it and some corporate managers who, incidentally, are also consumers, have the same preferences as the rest of us. Either way, they have to continue to sell us what we want, or they will go out of business. 

Today’s consumers have more market power than ever before - and they are using it. Because of consumer pressure, food firms are responding to consumer pressures that go beyond price, safety and convenience.

Of course, people can still petition the government for regulations but, given the problems, that’s beginning to seem a little old-fogeyish. Meanwhile, what exactly would Smoka Cola be?