Journalists love to create heroes and unmask hypocrites. With Anita Roddick, they hit the Daily Double. Over simplifying complex moral issues and exaggerating positive corporate behavior breeds cynicism. The social responsibility community is justifiably concerned that the Body Shop firestorm will consume the entire movement. Already, less socially conscious marketers, sensing the honesty gap, co-opt green symbols to sell everything from detergent to gasoline to cigarettes.
Consumers hate to be taken for granted.
Once their trust is abused, it's gone forever. This is a plea for less hubris and more transparency. If progressive business leaders rediscover their moral center, in a few years, the shattering of the Body Shop myth will seem like a distant memory. It's time to use the truth bubble.