Erin’s Blog

The color of the year is green.  Everyone is going green.  Celebrities are constantly promoting the idea of going green.  Even Al Gore, the former Vice President of the United States has joined in on the newest trend.  But, sadly, it takes more than just a few people to change the ideas and lifestyles of the rest of the world.  Many companies are starting to step in and help out with the environmental crisis that the United States has been facing.

Clorox Companies, Brita has been a long time partner of the green movement.  Brita’s first campaign was “FilterForGood” was launched a year ago. This campaign was begun to stress sustainability and publicize the need to reduce bottled water waste.  This campaign was a campaign for the general audience.

While some companies would think one campaign would be sufficient, Brita disagrees.  They have recently launched a new campaign on college campuses.  They have begun to focus on one group of people who really may be able to make a difference, the students.  The “College FilterForGood Eco-Challenge” was started as a more meticulous version of the “FilterForGood” campaign.  Under this campaign, Brita will present five college students with $10,000 grants for projects that could make the winning students campus more eco-friendly.

Students are finally getting the respect we deserve.  We are the generation that has the potential to really change the state of the environment.  We are the people who might be able to truly make a difference.

It was an ingenious idea for Clorox and Brita to finally realize who they needed to target.  The general audience may change one or two things about their life, but a student can reform an entire campus.  Any changes that students make on their campuses will stick for years to come.

Brita is also using a clever method to attract these eager college students, Facebook.  Facebook is almost every college student’s connection to the world.  Brita recognized the popularity and have made a Facebook profile for their company.  They have begun to integrate their “Eco-Challenge” and will send alerts for proposal requests.

It’s almost shocking to me that businesses realize the importance of Facebook to students around the country.  These companies are catching onto a trend, and using it to their advantage.  It is inspired public relations, most likely recognized by the younger working generation.

While the success of this campaign can not be measured by real results they plan to measure success by the number of applications received.  Their campaign will not be entirely finished until they have seen the outcomes of the winning students’ projects.  Their money is going to a great cause, and these innovative ideas will help the five winner’s campuses.  Hopefully, the effects won’t stop there.  Most likely, campuses around the country will begin to adopt these eco-friendly ideas as their own and the trend will spread rapidly.

One student could potentially change the outlook of campuses around the world.  If Brita thinks that one student can make an entire campus change, just think about what a student body has the potential to do.  Students are a great supply to tap into and it’s nice to finally get some appreciation from big, successful companies.

I have finally found a reason to shop at Wal-Mart other than they are easy, cheap, and the first place that comes to mind.  Although many people blame Wal-Mart for killing small businesses and almost monopolizing on the market, Wal-Mart has taken the high road and began giving back to the community.

In the wake of this year’s hurricanes (Ike and Gustav), The Wal-Mart Foundation has become one of several companies to come to the aid of those in need.  Wal-Mart has pledged to give money to the relief efforts. They have given $2.5 million to the cause through both monetary donations and merchandise.  The donations will be divided amongst several organizations including The American Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Feeding America.  It will also provide money to funds such as The Texas Disaster Relief Fund and Baton Rouge Area Foundation.

While this is not the first relief effort that Wal-Mart has been a part of, it is an important one to note. Wal-Mart is trying to give back to a community that gives so much to them.  By aiding in relief efforts, they are showing their customers and the public that they care.  In turn, the customer will feel as if they are giving their money to a worthy cause and will continue to shop at Wal-Mart stores.

As one of the top companies in the United States, many people would see this donation as an obligation of the company because of it’s success.  However, in reality Wal-Mart does not have to provide any help, they are choosing to help.  Wal-Mart has seen that through their giving back they have continued on a path of high profit.  They have found that by letting the people know that they care, the people in turn reciprocate.

But the question has to be asked; will people get the wrong idea? What is Wal-Mart doing to ensure that people see them a helpful company and not as a company who is merely trying to increase their profits? What can Wal-mart do to show the public that they are helping because they have the means in which to help?  It is important for them to keep their publics positive because should people begin to take Wal-Mart’s donation as a ploy to increase profit, their sales may fall instead.

It’s a sad fact of life that people always will think more negatively than positively.  People want to see the bad in people and rarely find the good.  Wal-Mart must ensure the public in some way that they are not in this for the money, that they truly do care about the victims.  If they can’t prove that they are donating money with no intention of being reciprocated their overall reputation may be at risk.

So, was Wal-Mart’s donation a good donation?  I believe it was.  They now that they can help and they will. Had they not helped, those victims may not have had adequate food or water.  If nothing else, the victims will forever be grateful for the donations, the companies they donated too will be grateful, and the public will be grateful.  These disasters could happen anywhere, but Wal-Mart is doing its part to lighten the effects.