Black Brands

Book excerpt: Who manufactures cereal for Kellogg’s? Why are the Mercedes Smart and the Renault Twingo almost identical? Do Danone and Nestlé really manufacture everything they make us believe they manufacture? Is Zara an opaque or a transparent brand? Why do some companies claim “we do not manufacture for other brands” when yet they hide from us the fact that sometimes “other brands manufacture for them”? The number of companies outsourcing the whole of their production for their brands in an opaque manner is constantly increasing while they disregard the legitimate need for information and communication of the general public and consumers. Paradoxically, in this age of transparency opacity is ever growing among well-known brands in every industrial sector. Black Brands (in the Age of Transparency) is an extraordinary piece of work on truths and lies, on transparency and opacity of leading companies and brands in our age. The book is full of relevant cases never discussed before in sectors such as consumer products, baby foods, fashion, vehicles and mobile phones. Insightful and incisive, Fernando Olivares has directed his team to produce this book that will educate us as citizens and consumers. Their goal is to promote honest transparency –the only way to attain corporate legitimacy and sustainability in our time.