What it is: Over the last few months, Tyson Foods has been using a blogging campaign to attract attention to the issue of hunger, gain brand credibility and send users to their hunger website. While philanthropic efforts on the part of a multinational corporation may smack of a thinly veiled PR campaign to some, in this instance the motive is less important then the outcome.
In August of 2008 Tyson posted a blog entry on its website discussing hunger in Austin and the work of the Capital Area Food Bank of Austin. The company offered to donate 100 pounds of food to the food bank for every comment to the entry, with a limit of 35,000 pounds (a tractor-trailer load). As word spread through Twitter, the entry received 350 comments in less than 5 hours, eventually attracting over 600 comments. Tyson also conducted a similar effort to benefit five food banks in the Bay Area, the effort received well over 2000 comments. Last week, it posted a blog entry to benefit The Greater Boston Food Bank. Overall, the company has donated more than 300,000 pounds of food overall through its blog/comment effort.
What you can do: Keep an eye out for more blog posts on Tyson's hunger relief site and leave a comment to help fight hunger.
Read the other entries in our innovative giving series here.
Related Stories: | Topics:Innovation, Leadership, Ethonomics, blog, comment, innovativegiving, tyson, hunger, food bank, Social Issues, Food Security and Hunger, Tyson Foods Inc., Austin, Charitable Giving |
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Recent Comments | 6 Total
December 22, 2008 at 3:51pm by Kellee K. Sikes
Every step counts and I will applaud each one. But what really gets my goat is PR-cover. Lets hope the real turkey stands up and makes some changes to their own internal stuffing... worker exploitation http://snurl.com/90a0e.
Kellee K. Sikes transitions organizations from single to triple bottom line success for people, profit, and the planet (P3). Reach her at ksikes at pioneer-technologies dot com or www.progressionary.com.
December 23, 2008 at 1:39pm by Ed Nicholson
Kellee
We appreciate your offer for sustainability consulting work. But a couple of points you made should be addressed:
It's hardly fair comparing the workplace record of Tyson to that of House of Raeford, or even Smithfield for that matter, as the article to which you point does. They're different companies with different MOs. One might look instead to BLS figures for workplace safety as an authoritative source. Compare the poultry industry to others.
Tyson does have strong EHS programs, the work of which is reported in the company's Sustainability Report, which can be found online at http://tinyurl.com/7fwkvn
Finally, we would invite those might believe the company's hunger relief efforts are simply publicity stunts to visit http://hungerrelief.tyson.com to see the activity we're involved in year 'round. Or better yet, ask our partners at Feeding America or Share Our Strength.
Respectfully,
Ed Nicholson
Tyson Foods
FWIW, Tyson doesn't process turkeys.
August 5, 2009 at 1:36am by tahjui hahjui
This is a cool idea (particularly because it supports a good cause). However, if we can get people to change their behaviors in the real world as well as the virtual world we are even better off. That's why I've come up with a new policy diet plans.
Regards,
August 11, 2009 at 2:32am by fdhk jdskljl
Inspite of being the new member I wish to advice you that this post would be much better if a lot is involved in it like that of the best eye cream.
Regards,
Mike- CEO