———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Dante-Gabryell Monson
Date: Fri, Nov 11, 2005 at 2:59 AM
Subject: alternative “marketing” platform
I was thinking about another idea:
developping a webplatform that catalogues “products” , and eventually “services” , according to certain ethical standards, values, and environmental and social points.
Many of these products would not necessarily have a high degree of marketing, or would rely on this platform to market their products.
Clients would use the platform as a reference to buy locally, and eventually also to re-establish a link with producers.
It might also be possible for the “consumer” to become part of the producing process, and cooperate with the producers, exchanging and building knowledge, and participating in the production process.
Such a platform could combine different concepts related to local exchange systems, local currencies, local production, opening up spaces for reflection and intiatives, develop a consumer-producer culture, encourage consumption and production of quality products while reducing environmental and social destructive impacts and maximising opportunities and the quality of products, reducing the amount of marketing costs in percentage of total costs, etc
it might seem to be related to some of the following :
http://www.rbjones.com/rbjpub/rbj008.htm
I wonder what would be a good test space for such a kind of approach, and realise that in Norway there is a strong conciousness of buying local products over imported products ( to encourage their own economy, even if its more expensive )
Although I imagine that all products would not necessarily need to be locally produced / or one could also imagine including into certain aspects of the platform a points system what related “fair trade” with developping countries, …
and the platform would also take into account products from all over the world, so that competition and comparisons can be maintained, and encourage local producers to improve their quality to competition.
Let me know what you think,
if you are interested, I’d like to see with whom and how to organize such development – eventually start small –
I also imagine such things already exist – but can only notice that if it does, its not widespread –
Dante