Today I was watching an episode of Mad Men (a TV show about advertising agencies in the 1960s), where one of the company partners, Don Draper, pens a letter and publishes it as a full page spread in the New York Times. In response to a recently severed relationship with a tobacco company, the letter says “…there was money in it. A lot of money. In fact, our entire business depended on it. We knew it wasn’t good for us, but we couldn’t stop. And then, when Lucky Strike moved their business elsewhere, I realized, here was my chance to be someone who could sleep at night, because I know what I’m selling doesn’t kill my customers.”
Don Draper opens up an ethical can of worms with this pronouncement! In other episodes of Mad Men, the creative department often deal with the underlying dilemma that as an advertising agency, their job is to get their client’s product sold, regardless of what they personally think or feel about it.
But is there a limit to how far this ‘blind eye’ is turned? While also motivated by a perceived opportunity to get other clients on board in a time of crisis for the company, Don Draper did seem to have a true epiphany that in this case, he wasn’t prepared to continue a relationship with a product and company that was misaligned with his values.
A couple of years ago, I had the opportunity to work with a company on a job that would have led to ongoing, more lucrative work. But I listened to the nagging voice in my head that reminded me of the conflicting values this company had with my own. It was a difficult conversation that ensued, because I knew I would be offending the company by stating my reasons for pulling out of the process. But I had decided that even if it caused offence, it was more important to be authentic and stick to my values.
The definition of ‘social conscience’ will be different for every business and person. As a business owner, you have the power to choose, even if sometimes those choices might be difficult, cause offence or lose you some business.
Michelle Grice writes a weekly column for business women in The Western Weekender
