Everybody knows Americans aren’t the best when it comes to geography.
And yet, so many of our products come from different countries around the world.
Well, what if instead of tags that simply say, “Made in China” there were tags and stickers that said “Made in Guangzhou, China” with a little picture of the city of Guangzhou, or maybe a group picture of the people who work at the factory, or a picture of the person or group of people who were instrumental in making the product that you recently purchased?
Instead of “Made in Mexico” the product could say “Made in Oaxaca, Mexico” with a picture and a little summary of what Oaxaca is like, along with some of the traditions and customs of the people of that region.
It seems to me that companies are always talking about how a company is like a family--a tight knit group where everyone must work together in harmony in order to succeed.
But it seems to me, when I look at a lot of products and company backgrounds, there are a lot of people missing from the family photo album, namely the people who actually make the products, in unknown factories far, far away.
I think if a company really wanted to differentiate itself in the marketplace, to gain a competitive edge and really show its customers that it functioned like a family (and I don’t mean the dysfunctional kind either), then I think it would be an extremely beneficial practice to adopt.
After all, if a company operated with outstanding (socially responsible and environmentally sustainable) managerial practices, with all of its employees treated with dignity and respect, working in safe, well-lit conditions, getting paid good wages (and I don’t mean just barely above poverty level), then that company would only serve to benefit from letting its customers know a little bit more about where their products come from, because it would show that they really were like a family, with all members of the family being well taken care of.
In doing this, companies could achieve two remarkable things at the same time.
They could help Americans learn just a little bit more about geography and world cultures while at the same time adding a sense of humanity and connection to the things that we buy and the people who make them, introducing us to our fellow global citizens, whom we depend on more and more every single day.