When „green” is „ blood red”

At the university we discussed things about „word of mouth” marketing power and also about the topic „green attitude”. Now it’s stylish to talk about it and companies try to persuade their customers that they are really „green”, „downy”, they care about people health, they are harmless and protect nature. A lot of companies home pages are full of that kind of information. But Is it really true?

I would like to give an example : Greenpeace against Nestle
Environmental organisation „Greenpeace” made a huge protest action in Internet against Nestle because of it’s palm oil sourcing policies. Companies like Nestlé, Procter & Gamble and others are sourcing palm oil from suppliers who destroy pristine forests and carbon-rich peatlands.

So, what did „Greenpeace” do? They took Nestle product „Kit Kat” and it’s slogan „Have a break” and made an Internet campaign against the product „Kit Kat”. My opinion is that they have hit the jackpout!
Here you can watch the protest video against Nestle: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaJjPRwExO8
And also check this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjYOCqUn-fI
There you can see a Greenpeace activity related to this topic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ExNmhDLsIk&feature=related

What is more great, they use social media to distribute the information about Nestle palm oil sourcing policies. They use Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and other social media channels. And it works, because people care. Maybe some of them care only at the moment they are watching the video, but anyway, they send it to their friends and colleagues and the communication model „word of mouth”is working for 100%!
So, don’t trust all the information you see in companies home pages. Now its stylish to write about companies care, that they make our lives more pleasurable and nobody has to „pay” about it. Unfortunately, somebody has. In Nestle case it’s orangutans.

Here you can get an extra information about protest against Nestle. http://news.mongabay.com/2010/0320-hance_socialmedia.html
About development, goals and action Nestle „take”. http://www2.nestle.com/CSV/RuralDevelopment/Pages/RuralDevelopment.aspx