In just four years time, bright colored, bright minded accreditation company Conscious Consumers boosts 30.000 likes on Facebook. As opposed to for example Bio Gro, the leading organic produce accreditation company in New Zealand with just over 200 Facebook likes. What is their secret? They link local ‘fair’ businesses with consumers in a social media-savvy way.
The basic idea is simple. As consumers, we are able to choose how and where we spend our money. And this choice is a powerful one! It’s simple – the way we spend our money will determine which businesses thrive, and ultimately shape the world we live in.
Conscious Consumers is a business accreditation programme and consumer movement, currently focused on the hospitality industry. Conscious Consumers helps you make great choices by connecting you with local businesses that support your values. Whether you are after free-range eggs or Fairtrade coffee, the online directory of accredited hospitality businesses makes it easy. Even better, you can download the Conscious Consumers app to your smartphone so when you are out and about you can easily search the database for cafes, restaurants, bars, takeaways and caterers. You even get rewarded for supporting these businesses – just scan the QR code on the counter of any accredited business to ‘check in’ and earn treats!
With accredited businesses across New Zealand, Conscious Consumers is a non-profit social enterprise run by a group of like minded and passionate individuals who want to see industries respond positively to the increasing consumer demand for environmentally and socially responsible products and services.
To get accredited, businesses must meet strict criteria which we audit each year. Find out more about the standards on their website. Through the accreditation process they collect information from their hospitality businesses on the quantities used and dollars spent on ethical products and services. This information is used to measure the social and environmental impacts our businesses are having collectively and individually.
Visit the website to learn more about Conscious Consumers and the work they do, or connect with them on Facebook to keep up to date. Check out the short video for a quick overview!
This article was originally published on Conscious Consumers.
