Do people really care where the products they buy are manufactured?
Yes. Well sort of. When asking the question, “Does where something is made influence your purchase or not? Is it important?” I got a lot of great responses. At first the answer would seem to be an obvious “yes”, but when you get down to it, there are a lot of considerations. My simple question became fairly complicated when really examined. Thanks to all those in the TED group and others for your responses.
Overall, people said it is important where something is made and that it does matter, but questions surfaced, like:
What does “Made in…” really mean?
In our global world, who really knows where something is actually made? Parts may be designed or manufactured in one country and then assembled in another. Is a Japanese-designed car with parts made in China and assembled in America still a Japanese car?
Buying Local:
It seems some people are willing to pay a premium for locally grown food. So where something is grown is important.
I like to support independent shops in my community as well, even if I have to pay a bit more. I think we are starting to think more about the environmental impact of say, trucking a tomato 1000 miles instead of paying a bit more for one grown in our own region. Yes, this seems to make a little difference.
Branding and tradition messes with your mind:
Does the best wine come from France? Or is that just tradition? And how does brand come into play? Are we swayed by the personality and romance of a product created by an agency? Is Rice-a-Roni really a San Francisco treat? Is it made better by the visual of an authentic street car going up the hill? Are deli sandwiches better in New York? Forgedabowdit! But these are all questions to ponder that came to the surface when asking if it matters where something is made. Maybe brand personality trumps place of origin.
Safety Concerns:
No country is immune. If you create a product, you’re gonna have problems. China’s infant formula uproar from last year, and issues over lead in toys
presented safety concerns and worldwide press. Not to mention flack over US peanut butter.
Cultural and Political:
Depending on an individual’s beliefs and views, cultural and political implications could sway decisions on whether to buy or not. Sweat shops are a concern to some when buying clothes for instance.
Too much crap:
Many people get into the “who cares where it’s made if it’s cheap” cycle. Lower quality items that self-destruct or new products that flaunt new features may be good for the economy but really, how many cell phones do we need?
The overall outcome:
To sum it up, I found that the answer is overwhelmingly yes, it matters where something is made for quality, high-value products. Wine, cheese, cars and products that people expect to be of a certain quality standard are important. On the other hand, people don’t generally care where something is made if it’s clothes, a paper bag, a razor or other commodities.
Check out this movie:
Our relationship with manufactured objects is examined.
www.objectifiedfilm.com
–Susan Andrade
