Sustainability Struggles: Discursive Tensions in Latin American Cosmetic Industry

Abstract

In attempting to understand how leading cosmetics brands in Latin America communicate their sustainability initiatives and corporate social responsibility, we ask the following questions: (a) how do social media stakeholders engage with the sustainability content communicated by leading cosmetic brands in Latin America?, (b) what discourses employ these brands to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability?, and (c) what tensions and contradictions are embedded within the sustainability and corporate social responsibility discourses of these brands? In order to address these questions, we focus on the analysis of four well-established brands within the Latin American cosmetic industry: Avon, Natura, O Boticário, and Yanbal. By embracing both qualitative and quantitative analyses, our findings help us to identify the tensions that arise when cosmetic companies strive to conciliate the pursuit of profit while advocating for sustainable development. Specifically, we argue that the discourse on sustainability of leading cosmetic brands in Latin America is especially appealing to audiences when it particularly points out environmental concerns and less so when it refers to social sustainability. Moreover, we show a nuanced interplay of tensions that encompass the juxtaposition of three dialectic relationships in this sustainability discourse: the tension between sustainability and capitalism, between corporate impact and consumer agency, and between empowerment and gender roles.

Keywords

• sustainability communication
• discursive tensions
• cosmetic industry
• social responsibility
• sustainable brands