Thanks to Facebook and other social media channels, the Nestle Company has an enormous public relations mess on their hands. The question is, can they further use social media to fix the problem? Other downtrodden companies such as Toyota and various airlines are embracing social media channels in hopes of repairing their current poor image. Unfortunately, Nestle’s social media embrace is being more than spurned by consumers; it’s also drawing large quantities of vitriolic comments, viral video parodies, animated parodies of the company’s reaction to the reaction, and so on.
The gist of the situation is that environmental protection group Greenpeace, who are known for their unorthodox and sometimes heavy-handed ways of bringing attention, created a parody video (but it’s somewhat gory, not funny) on YouTube of Nestle’s KitKat candy bar product. The video suggests that the production of a key ingredient, palm oil, helps further the destruction of rainforests, which in turn threatens endangered species such as the Orangutan. Greenpeace says that the Paradise Forests in Sumatra in particular are suffering a record-breaking deforestation rate.
Nestle reacted by requesting that youTube take it down. Viewer comments suggest that it was taken down, but that hasn’t stopped the video from reappearing on multiple video sharing sites, in multiple copies. This sharing of the video is making it go viral.
In addition to the Greenpeace video, there’s an animated parody of Nestle’s reaction. In it, two animated characters (using xtranormal.com’s web software) pretend to be Nestle employees and talk about how they’ll get the Greenpeace video removed by citing copyright violation. (In truth, their trademark has been used in the Greenpeace video without permission, so this isn’t really a copyright issue, as far as I know.) Now, there are parody logos popping up that look like Nestle’s KitKat(tm) packaging but replace the brand name with the word “killer”.
Now if that’s not enough for Nestle, consumers are attacking them on their Facebook Page. The 140+-year-old Swiss-based company’s Page may have over 93K fans (at this writing), and some may be legit, but many people are joining just to voice their opposition, reminding people of past Nestle controversies, namely their breast milk substitutes. CNET’s The Social blog has a screen snap of the past comments on the Nestle Facebook Page.
With an increasing number of companies using social media, especially Facebook Fan Pages, to interact with consumers, it’s important to get it right. There’s an obvious lesson here for companies: if you do something wrong and people attack you in social media, being defensive gets you nowhere. There might be a lot of apathy about many important worldwide concerns, including the environment, but the social media makes it easy for those who like to be vocal to actually be vocal and instigate concern. Grassroots movements even inspire efforts such as CO2 Neutral Profile, a Facebook application that lets users neutralize their carbon emissions said to be generated from daily use of Facebook. Once grassroots concern goes viral, social media can turn anti-social as far as your business is concerned.
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why don't they just employ some green peace reps to help them fix up their company?
Comment by adelaide dancing — March 22, 2010 @ 3:09 pm
waht do people want? bullshit.
Comment by eduardo — March 22, 2010 @ 6:41 pm
All we are asking is that Nestle take responsibility for their destructive behaviour. We're sick of their non-ethics and corporate greed. Nestle – it's simple – stop using palm oil!!
Comment by Michelle — March 22, 2010 @ 8:04 pm
What Facebook Users Want:
http://bit.ly/95tZO3
Comment by Facebook User — March 22, 2010 @ 8:29 pm
Consumers have such a HUGE voice that it is EXTREMELY important to use social media as a means of damage control.
If you do something wrong or spark a great deal of negativity, you have to “Talk” to the people about it, not just run from the problem.
The more you run, the more you get chased.
Stand up for yourself, hold still, accept the negative, and do all you can to either apologize or explain your self.
Comment by Kelsi Guidry — March 22, 2010 @ 10:25 pm
this doesn’t make sense to me, Nestle is killing the earth by making kitkat- ha ha ha!!! that’s kinda hilarious, in some comedy way, people need to get a grip and stop buying nestle products and leave the rest of us alone- i only buy 1 nestle product- cocoa, but i really feel like buying a kitkat to show solidarity, this way over the top.nestle creates jobs that creates money that boosts the world economy that makes green peace able to fund their little initiatives- the overall idea of kitkat killing the earth is hilarious!!
Comment by Nicolette — March 23, 2010 @ 1:32 am
Hire your Social media reps with a world of care is the biggest morla of this story. There are lessons here that a lot of brands who have hopped onto the social media bandwagon without understanding the nuances of using the medium need to learn.
http://lexiconsocialmedia.wordpress.com/2010/03/2...
Comment by LSM — March 23, 2010 @ 5:22 am
Amen, NIcolette! I don't even like KitKat bars, but I think I'll buy some now. The bullying tactics of groups like Greenpeace do a disservice to the cause of saving the planet.
Comment by Kim — March 23, 2010 @ 8:57 am
Hmm…
Comment by bee — March 23, 2010 @ 10:42 am
Social Bullying…
Comment by Andres — March 23, 2010 @ 12:03 pm
I just ate a crunch bar right before this. How funny.
Comment by jonathan — March 23, 2010 @ 2:34 pm
What Nestle need is a conversation agent, someone who knows HOW to talk to people..like…people
!
Comment by Praz — March 23, 2010 @ 4:53 pm
Amen. For christ sake, leave the company alone. The economy is really in a mess now, and we need to create as many jobs as possible. Fuck the orangutans and the rainforest and contaminated milk, and child labour. Think of the shareholders you insensitve cnuts
Comment by David — March 24, 2010 @ 3:09 pm
Nestle is cool. Greenpeace are just a bunch of idiot hippies.
Comment by Richard Catto — March 25, 2010 @ 8:11 am
[...] reminds me somewhat of the problems food giant Nestlé faced when protesters swarmed its Facebook page to leave negative messages about the company’s practices with [...]
Pingback by Pranksters ‘Letterbomb’ Beck And Palin Facebook Pages — October 29, 2010 @ 4:23 pm
[...] to vent their rage at wayward companies. Communication goes both ways. We saw the mess that protesters made of Nestlé’s Facebook page after a run-in between the food giant and Greenpeace over the issue of palm oil in chocolate. Now [...]
Pingback by Facebook Backlash Inundates Food Magazine Over Content Theft — November 4, 2010 @ 5:24 pm
How very lame and cowardly. Gang up on a company that can’t do anything back, because you really believe everything a PARODY tells you to.
Comment by mmm — November 5, 2010 @ 4:45 am
Did you know that Nestles has been the source of millions of infant deaths? They go into 3rd world countries and give away free samples of baby formula–just enough for the mom's milk to dry up. Them moms who cannot afford formula must buy it. They end up using 1 Tbsp instead of 4 because they are poor and have to use water that is impure so their babies die of disentary. All over the world Nestles has done this since the 6os. The UN and WHO has asked them to stop but they will not.
Still like Nestles? And if you would get up off your couch and do something I would not be upset that you are dissing Greenpeace who is made up of people who put their lives on the line for the good of the world….and the good of YOU. You should be ashamed of yourself. I am ashamed of you.
Comment by Deborah Lashever — October 25, 2011 @ 3:09 pm
Blood money for the shareholders!
Comment by Deborah — October 25, 2011 @ 3:27 pm
You do not know what you are talking about. Nestles kills bablies by selling their formula to mothers in 3rd world countries that do not have clean water to mix it with so the babies die horrible deaths from disentary. Is that really cool? Try having some knowledge before you speak.
Those idiot hippies you speak of are putting their lives on the line for our world. You, on the other hand, are uninformed and ungrateful as you sit on your couch eating candy bars that you know are destroying the earth…….
Comment by Deborah — October 25, 2011 @ 3:59 pm