2013-02-05
Explanation
This comic satirizes corporate cynicism by showing a business meeting where executives learn that young consumers value honesty and that companies which make errors and publicly apologize tend to see their sales soar. One executive asks, "So, the lesson is that we should make our business more transparent?" But instead, a consultant reveals a more sinister interpretation: according to their analysis, you can make 3.4 errors per year and reap the "apology bump" without alienating customers.
The absurdity escalates as the consultant explains that if the errors don'''t appear to be due to ethical lapses, you can push it up to 7.2 errors, representing a potential 48% increase in quarterly revenue. Making no errors actually means taking "a massive hit to potential profit." She then announces her plan to sell "mislabeled" expired food inventory to a local soup kitchen. When someone objects with "Isn'''t this monstrous?" the executive in charge immediately says "Write that down. We'''ll use it for the apology."
The comic brilliantly captures how corporate culture can take a genuine insight about the value of authenticity and transparency and twist it into a calculated strategy for exploitation. The final line is the darkest joke -- the sincere moral objection itself becomes raw material for the manufactured apology, completing the cycle of cynicism. The votey panel shows the follow-through: "As a proof of our sincere remorse, 5% off in stores! It'''s a REMORSELESS bargain!(TM)" -- turning even the apology into a branded marketing opportunity.