Archive for Corporate Responsibility
Post Fruity Pebbles Cereal and John Cena Partner to Combat Bullying and Promote CSR
Posted by: | CommentsBullying is a very real issue that is plaguing children today. There was a time when bullying was relegated to the schoolyard, but in the age of social media this torment is hard, if not impossible, to escape. There are various celebrities and corporations that are trying to bring awareness to the issue through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that help spread the anti-bullying message. Post’s Fruity Pebbles cereal has partnered WWE Superstar wrestler John Cena to join the fight against bullying.
Image Credit: wwe.com
The partnership between Post Fruity Pebbles and Cena is the result of a comment made by actor and former wrestler Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. At Wrestle Mania XXVIII The Rock said that Cena’s outfit resembled a bowl of the colorful cereal. The outcome of Cena embracing the nickname is a collectable cereal box featuring the wrestler. Each Cena cereal box contains an instant-win promotion. The grand prize is a VIP meet-and-greet session with the popular wrestler. The boxes will be available from January through March in the United States.
The campaign will hopefully bring awareness to two issues that are close to Cena, the Make-A-Wish Foundation and anti-bullying foundation be a STAR (watch the PSA below). The Make-A-Wish Foundation helps grant the wishes of children who are suffering from life-threatening illness. Cena has worked the Make-A-Wish Foundation for years as he has donated his time and helped make wishes come true for children in need.
The anti-bullying component of their CSR initiative is to help support the ‘be a STAR alliance’. “Be a STAR is an anti-bullying alliance co-founded by The Creative Coalition and WWE.” Organizations that have partnered with be a STAR include: GLAAD and Champions Against Bullying. Be A STAR asks children to take an online pledge to help prevent bullying, stop buying that is going on, and help support those who are bullied. By having children take the pledge they may be more committed to helping others and stopping this epidemic.
About the campaign Cena said, “I am proud that the partnership also spreads awareness about the life-changing wishes granted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation and ‘be a STAR’s’ anti-bullying message of showing tolerance and respect.”
As mentioned above part of the grand prize of the instant-win contest is a meet-and-greet with Cena; however, there is more to the prize. The grand prize winner will also receive transportation to and from a WWE live event, and a “Rise Above Hate” T-shirt signed by Cena in support of the ‘be a STAR’ anti-bullying message. The first prizewinner will be given an autographed “be a STAR” t-shirt. The second prizewinner will be awarded one of the exclusive “be a STAR” t-shirts. “To enter, look inside the specially marked boxes featuring Cena for a special code to submit on PebblesPlay.com/Cena.”
This is an excellent CSR initiative for both Cena and Post Fruity Pebbles. Post Fruity Pebbles’ key demographic is parents, as the cereal appeals mainly to children. The prizes being offered and having Cena on the box will draw in both new and repeat customers. Parents will approve of the cereal because it supports an important cause. Consumers are becoming savvier and using the power of their pocket books to help support causes they believe in and to effect change in the world. As conscious consumerism grows in popularity, CSR initiatives like this one will become more important to help stand apart from the competition. In the end two worthy causes are getting the notoriety they deserve and Post Fruity Pebbles is able to draw in new consumers.
Watch the ‘Be a Star’ PSA:
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GoClean Waterless Carwash Saves Water and Donates to African Well Fund
Posted by: | CommentsThe triple bottom line is something that is bandied about in many companies, but it’s a true mark of corporate social responsibility. That is because the company in question has built their entire business model around the idea of giving back and being environmentally responsible. That’s the case with a new Canadian company Go Clean Inc. Go Clean Inc. makes Canada’s first waterless carwash in a bottle, aptly named goclean waterless.
Image Credit: goclean.ca
In Toronto, Ontario it is now illegal to wash a car with water because the discharge from the surface of the car goes into storage drains. This soapy run off then gets into and pollutes the water system, and is why Toronto is cracking down on how people wash their cars. Not to mention the waste that goes into washing a car because of the water that it takes to not only create a soapy mixture, but clean it off the surface of the vehicle.
The product is very simple to use and is made from natural and organic soaps. It comes in spray bottle; the consumer sprays the biodegradable liquid on their vehicle and then wipes if off using a soft cloth or shammy. In fact, each bottle contains enough liquid for ten carwashes. According to their website, each bottle saves over 500 liters of water. The product is available in Canadian Tire stores across Canada and for sale online, it retails for $14.99. Watch the YouTube demo video below.
The triple bottom line and corporate social responsibility comes into play not just from water conservation, but also because with each bottle of goclean waterless purchased, Go Clean Inc. will donate to the African Well Fund (AWF). AWF is a “non-profit organization dedicated to raising funds for building and maintaining wells in Africa.” Each individual purchase of goclean waterless “provides water for 21 days” to people in Africa, and according to their website that is just the beginning of the goclean movement.
This small company was featured on the hit CBC show Dragon’s Den. The dragon’s were suspicious about the product at first. In fact Robert Herjavec said, “you’ll scratch the paint [ if you wash the car] without water. One thing I was taught was never wash your car without water.” He then tested the product and was amazed when it defied what he knew to be true about carwash solutions. Kevin O’Leary believed in the product, but was opposed to the idea of donating to the AWF for each bottle sold. In the end, Arlene Dickinson, a marketing expert, extolled the virtues of being a triple bottom line company. When O’Leary suggested donating to charity after the product was successful, Dickinson stated, “you either are triple bottom line or you’re not.” In the end it was Robert Herjavec who inked a deal with Go Clean investing thirty-five thousand dollars for ten percent of the company. It shows a commitment to being socially responsible when a new company is willing to turn down much needed investment dollars to stand by their principles.
By being a triple bottom line company, Go Clean understands their market. The product they are producing helps conserve water and they are paying it forward through corporate social responsibility by supporting a similar charity. In the end, this is what will distinguish them even further from the traditional carwashes on the shelf.
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Planet Forward is an online retailer of ethically-made, earth-friendly products designed for everyday use with a distinctly urban feel. Products include reusable stainless steel bottles, stainless steel thermal travel mugs, waste-free lunch bags, reusable shopping bags, Make-it-Yourself toxin-free Green Cleaning kits, organic fashions and other accessories. SALE 50% OFF ALL PRODUCTS – SHOP NOW !
Santa’s Post Office at Macy’s Sends a Million to the Make-A-Wish Foundation
Posted by: | CommentsEvery child deserves to experience the magic of the holiday season and American retailer Macy’s is helping make that possible with their corporate social responsibility initiatives. Macy’s department store has become synonymous with Santa Claus thanks to both their Thanksgiving Day Parade and the classic Christmas movie Miracle on 34th Street. The theme Macy is using this year for their holiday campaign is Yes, Virginia, there really is a Santa Claus, based off the television special and real life letter that an 8-year-old named Virginia once wrote to the New York Sun newspaper asking if there really was a Santa in 1897. This year they are using their affiliation with Santa to help a worthy cause, the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
Image Credit: Macy's
At every Macy’s department store across the United States there is a letterbox, where children can place their post-marked letters to Santa Claus. By placing their letter addressed to the North Pole in the Macy’s letterbox, children will be helping other children. For every letter placed in a letterbox, Macy’s will donate one dollar to the Make-A-Wish Foundation up to a total of one million dollars. The count is currently up to 662,559 letters received. Undoubtedly, there will be a constant stream of letters that will likely push the total to its maximum one million dollar contribution.
Macy’s holiday corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative is well thought out as it builds on the popculture ties the brand has to Christmas. Beyond that this program will help bring customers into the store. This holiday shopping season, like the few that have come before it, will be lean for retailers. The economy, especially in the United States, has required retailers to do something to stand apart from the competition. When they come in to drop off their letter, they will probably stay to see the in-store Santa Claus, and do a little holiday shopping. It is these elements that help build brand loyalty.
On the Macy’s website, where you can view the numbers of letters counted, there is downloadable Santa stationery, a create your own letter online that you can print, and an activity guide and school kit available for download (in English and Spanish). This is an great CSR initiative for Macy’s, combining the innocence of children with the magic of the holiday season to help make the dreams of sick children come true through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
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Planet Forward is an online retailer of ethically-made, earth-friendly products designed for everyday use with a distinctly urban feel. Products include reusable stainless steel bottles, stainless steel thermal travel mugs, waste-free lunch bags, reusable shopping bags, Make-it-Yourself toxin-free Green Cleaning kits, organic fashions and other accessories. SALE 50% OFF ALL PRODUCTS – SHOP NOW !
