While
many companies have donated to disaster relief groups in the wake of
the Joplin, Mo. tornado destruction, consumer goods giant Procter &
Gamble is taking a different approach, reports The New York Times.
Two
of the company's brands, Tide and Duracell, arrived in Joplin days
after the disaster with their own specially-branded trailers and crews
outside a Wal-Mart parking lot. The "Tide Loads of Hope," which was
first used in the Katrina aftermath in New Orleans in 2005, provided
free wash-and-fold service, and Duracell's "Power Relief Trailer" had
charging stations for phones and laptops and gave out free batteries and
flashlights.
The
Gigunda Group, an experiential marketing firm in New Hampshire, has
been coordinating both programs, as well as another one of P&G's
brands, Charmin, which provides mobile restrooms in Times Square during
the busy holiday season.
While
marketers are running these special programs, there is no overt
selling. The reaction on Tide's Facebook page has been predictably
positive. These programs come at a time when 87% of Americans value a
company's societal interests as much as their business, according to a
study conducted by PR firm Edelman.
