Global cosmetics company Lush may have over 900 stores, but it now has four fewer social media accounts. Its Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and TikTok were deactivated on November 26th.
Lush is the one that decided to part ways with these channels.
Lush co-founder and CEO Mark Constantine said, “I’ve spent all my life avoiding putting harmful ingredients in my products. There is now overwhelming evidence we are being put at risk when using social media. I’m not willing to expose my customers to this harm, so it’s time to take it out of the mix.”
Even though Lush will keep its Twitter, Pinterest, and YouTube accounts, moving away from the other major platforms is a radical move. So should other brands follow suit?
While there isn’t a universal answer, there should be a common question that every organization asks itself about the platform (or platforms) it’s using. Does using this platform feel ethical for our organization?
To help determine this, organizations should study how the different platforms operate. Here are several considerations that can help inform that decision.
What kind of additive tactics does the platform use to keep users on their service?
In what ways does the platform collect user data and then use that information?
Does the social media company value the same principles as your organization?
It appears Lush, at least temporarily, deactivated the platforms that did not meet these standards for them. Ultimately, it’s always worth seeing whether your organization arrives at the same conclusion.