On Conscious Capitalism, Google, and the Nature of Evil

Google’s now-infamous tagline “Don’t Be Evil” has, in many ways, been a PR nightmare for the company.

The slogan was suggested by Google employees Paul Buchheit and Amit Patel, and the idea subsequently made it into the company’s 10-point corporate philosophy, which claimed, “You can make money without doing evil.”

The problem with this motto is that it forever puts Google on the defensive, such that every business decision is viewed through the subjective lens of what constitutes “evil.” And “evil” can, of course, be interpreted many ways. After all, the company is no stranger to criticism, be it claims of misuse of search results, page rank manipulation, copyright issues, and the now-notorious lawsuit in which Apple claimed Google essentially stole the iPhone’s operating system.

The net result? The consistent questioning of Google’s ethics. Take this article, for example, which asks, “Is Google’s New Privacy Policy ‘Evil?’” Notice they don’t say “ethical” or “customer-friendly.” Rather, they intentionally choose the word “evil,” which not only drives Google’s PR department crazy, but also can significantly erode Google’s brand and standing with customers.

This is an important lesson as startups embrace conscious capitalism. While it’s important to promote the firm’s positive work for the community, startups make a measured approach, lest they back themselves into a tricky rhetorical corner.

Tags | conscious capitalism, Google, PR