Product (RED)

Can a partnership with Product (RED) improve Gap's image? My first thought was of course it would, but after considering the labor laws that Gap has a record of violating I can see it having a negative effect.  Most people are happy buying products from companies that will send portions of their profits to charity. However, those same people may feel different when they hear that the product they are buying is made in a sweatshop. I know that I would not be okay with buying from a company that uses factories which violate labor laws. Gap would have to fix their image before they can think about improving it. They would have to let potential customers know that they a through ignoring labor laws in order to regain support. Gap has been fighting this criticism by releasing Social Responsibility Reports on factories in over fifty countries, but nearly half of them failed inspection as recently as 2005. This is not something that will encourage me to purchase their products, or should it encourage anyone else too. They may just be trying to make people forget about their labor issues by partnering with Product (RED) in an attempt to better their name. I could see that as a good possibility. They may not be able to meet their quota without violating labor laws, therefore they are using the charity to take attention away from their issues. Also, if people see that they are trying to make a committment to social responsibility then they may be more inclined to reconsider their decision not to buy Gap products.

Would a company really risk using a charity like Product (RED) to cover up for it's poor image? Couldn't it be catastrophic for the business, like ruining it's reputation for good?