DIARY Condom maker undressed for getting its maths wrong

EVEN when selling condoms, you better get your maths right: seven can’t equal 21. A Düsseldorf court told Berlin-based start-up Einhorn Products that it could not use ads that claim a package with seven condoms could bring as many as 21 orgasms.

While recognising that the company was joking, the judges banned the slogan because it could mislead consumers into thinking you can use a condom more than once, contrary to medical guidelines.

“The one-time use rule may be known to a substantial part of consumers of all ages,” the court wrote in statement last week. But “especially for juveniles the need for information on the proper use of condoms is persistently high and ambiguous statements carry the risk of misdirection”.

Einhorn claimed in court that one use of a condom can lead to three orgasms – one for the man and as many as two for the woman. The company said it was a joke, just like the data on calorie consumption on the back of the packages. The court said the wrapping also contained serious information so consumers could be misled.

Einhorn had warned consumers four times on each package that you could use condoms only once, Philip Siefer, one of its managing directors, said.

“It’s astonishing for what nonsense you can get sued for by competitors,” Siefer said. “We’re glad that this ruling at least calls attention to the important issue of using condoms.” – Bloomberg There are clear financial benefits to avoiding emission controls, but the costs of the scandal to the VW brand are likely to be far higher. In total, more than 11 million vehicles are affected, including other brands such as Audi, Skoda and Seat – also owned by VW. In the US – where the scandal was uncovered – fines for breaching emission controls may amount to more than $18 billion and European countries are investigating the extent of the scandal in their domestic markets. VW will also need to face a barrage of lawsuits from customers, distributors and environmental bodies.

Why do these malicious business decisions exist? It’s not because business only cares about profit and it’s not an inevitable consequence of the capitalist system. These damaging, profit-hungry decisions prevail because of the nature of the people behind them. With an empathy deficiency characteristic of sociopaths, they are able to make decisions without needing to connect to the consequences of their actions.

More commonly, the disconnect is practical rather than emotional. You may stand against the actions of Turing Pharmaceuticals, VW, or other companies taking advantage of society, but are you sure that the pension fund you subscribe to does not pass your money on to invest in these companies? Do you know what your spending or investment supports?

To create better businesses we need to strengthen the connection between the key decision-makers – including shareholders and consumers – and those who benefit or suffer from the consequences of their decisions. Decision-makers need to face up to what they leave behind.