In a world in where the gadgets became part of our life, Why not use them to improve our consumer´s experience and show that we support the good causes and the good companiesIvan Pardo is a young TI specialist whom decided to put his skills in service to help people to get engaged in causes that really matters. However how to know exactly which company is doing right and what is doing wrong or even better what are using the derogatory green washing method to show up as a good company?
One of the keys, he says, is information. A plenty of them directly on your hand directly on the screen of your smartphones in the very moment that you are deciding what buy to you and your family.
In this interview, he told to 1 Papo Reto what was the concern that influenced him to create the App Buycott which was tested during Pardo´s stay in Rio de Janeiro. Now Buycott became a powerful instrument to find out what really matters in the consumers life.
Follow the interview:
What do you know about the sustainable affairs in Brazil? Have you ever tried to bring this App to the country as a franchising, for instance?
[caption id="attachment_4541" align="alignleft" width="150"]
Image: Personal archive[/caption]
I don't know much about the sustainable affairs in Brazil. I actually did spend a month in Brazil while developing the app, and I tested the app a lot during my time there. It seemed to me that in terms of sustainable or at least reasonably sustainable product offerings, Brazil was at least a couple years behind the US market. The market for higher-end sustainable goods in Brazil hasn't grown to that of the US yet, so retail outlets don't have as many product offerings in this range.
How you came with the idea of Buycott Project, it was based on your own experience or any kind of special concern?
There was no special 1 cause behind my desire to build the app. The platform I wanted to build was something that would be able to adapt to all causes that come up. Of course, I had a few examples in mind for campaigns that users would likely create early on, but my special concern was more with building a flexible platform for international consumer activism.
The civil right campaign in the early 1960´s was based mainly in the boycott of places that do not hire black employees and in the bus line, in the South of EUA. Do you thing that this instrument is still a powerful tool to make the companies adjust to the right side of the economy?
Yes, and it has shown itself to be a valuable tactic in the years following the early civil rights era. Two other examples are the US Grape Boycott and the German Brent Spar Shell boycott
What are the numbers evolved in the Buycott Project, there are any results?
We have just under 1 million downloads and over 500 campaigns.
The App is the new tool to guide consumers, make business and easier people´s lifes. In the Buycott case there is a team in charge of the task of the feed the program with the News and company´s polices?
No, this is generally accomplished by volunteer campaign organizers.
Do you think that your greatest contribution is to help to show which is the green companies and the one that practice the green washing?
We see the app as an educational tool. We aim to look behind the marketing veil to expose to true nature of a product.
Do you have any information about Brazilian consumer NGO that fight against the bad consumer habits and the misinformation related to the companies activity?
I haven't been in contact with any Brazilian consumer NGOs in particular.
How to evolve people in a sustainable way of living during the economy recession and in unemployment knocking on everybody doors?
[caption id="attachment_4542" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Image: Buycott Library[/caption]
Sometimes as a consumer you're paying just as much for an unsustainable product as you are for a sustainable product. That's not to say that your point isn't valid -- yes, eating organic, buying fair trade, etc, usually does cost more. It's a dilemma that's difficult to overcome. We have a few ideas on how to make the problem less pronounced. For example, we might offer in-app coupons for sustainable products to entice consumers to buy the better product.
Do the APP have already generate and revenue for you?
We don't make any revenue yet.
Do any company have ever tried to sue you because of the damages caused by your campaign?
Not yet.
What you are doing now. Are you developing any new App or working in any new Project?
We continue to develop Buycott every day. We have a lot of interesting features coming up in the next several months.
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Image: Personal archive[/caption]
I don't know much about the sustainable affairs in Brazil. I actually did spend a month in Brazil while developing the app, and I tested the app a lot during my time there. It seemed to me that in terms of sustainable or at least reasonably sustainable product offerings, Brazil was at least a couple years behind the US market. The market for higher-end sustainable goods in Brazil hasn't grown to that of the US yet, so retail outlets don't have as many product offerings in this range.
How you came with the idea of Buycott Project, it was based on your own experience or any kind of special concern?
There was no special 1 cause behind my desire to build the app. The platform I wanted to build was something that would be able to adapt to all causes that come up. Of course, I had a few examples in mind for campaigns that users would likely create early on, but my special concern was more with building a flexible platform for international consumer activism.
The civil right campaign in the early 1960´s was based mainly in the boycott of places that do not hire black employees and in the bus line, in the South of EUA. Do you thing that this instrument is still a powerful tool to make the companies adjust to the right side of the economy?
Yes, and it has shown itself to be a valuable tactic in the years following the early civil rights era. Two other examples are the US Grape Boycott and the German Brent Spar Shell boycott
What are the numbers evolved in the Buycott Project, there are any results?
We have just under 1 million downloads and over 500 campaigns.
The App is the new tool to guide consumers, make business and easier people´s lifes. In the Buycott case there is a team in charge of the task of the feed the program with the News and company´s polices?
No, this is generally accomplished by volunteer campaign organizers.
Do you think that your greatest contribution is to help to show which is the green companies and the one that practice the green washing?
We see the app as an educational tool. We aim to look behind the marketing veil to expose to true nature of a product.
Do you have any information about Brazilian consumer NGO that fight against the bad consumer habits and the misinformation related to the companies activity?
I haven't been in contact with any Brazilian consumer NGOs in particular.
How to evolve people in a sustainable way of living during the economy recession and in unemployment knocking on everybody doors?
[caption id="attachment_4542" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Image: Buycott Library[/caption]
Sometimes as a consumer you're paying just as much for an unsustainable product as you are for a sustainable product. That's not to say that your point isn't valid -- yes, eating organic, buying fair trade, etc, usually does cost more. It's a dilemma that's difficult to overcome. We have a few ideas on how to make the problem less pronounced. For example, we might offer in-app coupons for sustainable products to entice consumers to buy the better product.
Do the APP have already generate and revenue for you?
We don't make any revenue yet.
Do any company have ever tried to sue you because of the damages caused by your campaign?
Not yet.
What you are doing now. Are you developing any new App or working in any new Project?
We continue to develop Buycott every day. We have a lot of interesting features coming up in the next several months.
