I attended Edelman’s Digital 101 symposium this weekend at JMU. It focused on how social media can be used in Public Relations. We also worked on “mini campaigns” in small groups during the two sessions. My group’s client was Burt’s Bees. While we were researching the company, I could not help but notice the parallels to authenticity. While Burt’s Bees did not have a crisis situation like Ford Motor Company (see my last post), they had a situation where they needed to dispel a myth.
Our group researched in the blogosphere to see what people were saying about the company and we found that bloggers were typically positive about Burt’s Bees products. However there were some negative comments about the company being bought by Clorox. According to The New York Times, Clorox does not have the best reputation with environmentalists, who say that bleach is harmful to the environment.
Customers of Burt’s Bees worried that the company was selling out and would lose their signature earth friendly practices by being bought by a corporation.
Burt’s Bees did a good job of squashing these worries by showing that they would stay true to their values. Burt’s Bees blog addressed this issue in a post entitled, “Is Clorox changing Burt’s Bees Products?” that said just because Clorox bought the company, it did not mean they would change.
Burt’s Bees also focused their website on their values of corporate social responsibility and being environmentally conscious. They have a presence on Facebook where you can watch videos about different environmental issues. Burt’s Bees is actively involved with Habitat for Humanity and many other initiatives. Check out this video they created with the co-founder of the company, Burt Shavitz about Colony Collapse Disorder (which results in the death of bees).
Burt’s Bees does a good job of showing that their motives for environmental sustainability are still pure, even though they were bought out by a corporation. Proving you will stay authentic to your brand is key when a company changes hands, otherwise you could lose the original supporters that made you so successful in the first place.
First, I’m jealous you got to go to Edelman’s Digital 101. I bet you learned a lot about social media. It’s cool that you got to look up the Burt’s Bees thing because it really does relate to authenticity so well. It’s interesting that they were bought by a company that has such a drastically different reputation concerning the environment though. I wonder if maybe Clorox bought them to boost their environmental image? Just a thought. It’s good that Burt’s Bees responded so quickly about their stance on their company’s ideals though – as we know, the quicker the response the better. This was a really interesting kind of case study and I’m glad you were able to connect what you learned at the conference to your blog!