Fairtrade sales increased by 28 percent in 2014, reaching $89 million in sales as a result of more availability of chocolate, coffee and bananas, which grew the most with a 78 percent rise. And, as part of a campaign to thank Sunday morning shoppers for taking the ethical option and supporting farmers in developing nations, All Good Bananas has employed the typically over-enthusiastic services of Guy Williams.
As the YouTube clip says: “Thanks to Kiwi consumers who have bought Fairtrade bananas over the past five years, $6.6 million has been sent back to the farmers and their families in El Guabo Cooperative in Ecuador. And that’s not all, 150 farmers have been paid fairly, 6,400 people have received free medical care, 2,000 children have received school packs to get a proper education and 460 children with special needs have been able to go to school. Small choices like this can make a huge difference to the lives of people in communities less fortunate on the other side of the world. Keep buying our Fairtrade Bananas. You’re Amazing! #youreamazing.”
Williams has worked with All Good Bananas in the past as a charity underwear model and the self-proclaimed ‘local craplebrity‘ is becoming an ambassador du jour, having been the frontman for Not Beersies, Spark’s Extreme Unboxing, The One Percent Collective and a few other commercial and charitable endeavours. Maybe the All Blacks’ run as go-to endorsers is coming to an end, exchanged instead for comedians?
All Good also sells ethically produced drinks such as Karma Cola, Gingerella, Lemmy Lemonade and a range of sparkling numbers.
As for the overall Fairtrade sales, Fairtrade Australia New Zealand’s chief executive Molly Harriss Olson told The Register that the huge growth has been driven by good performance in key categories, with coffee and chocolate growing by 16 percent and 22 percent respectively, steady growth in new product innovations such as drinks, syrups and frozen desserts, and a big increase in the availability and consumption of fair trade bananas.
As part of the promotion for Fair Trade Fortnight, its website has also been running a test called “How fair are you?” The test asks people to debate what is fair by posing questions about everyday situations and seeing how they react.
While there is a big difference between saying and doing, a 2014 Colmar Brunton survey found 90 percent of New Zealanders want to buy ethically and socially responsible products. And with research showing companies with a purpose are more profitable in the long-run, businesses and marketers should take note.
John Oliver certainly has.
