By John Hicks
Headline Promotions, Press and Public Relations
Headline Promotions, Press and Public Relations
I admire a brilliantly produced and executed public relations campaign, especially when it has social worth. Let me tell you about one of the best examples I have come across, from across the pond in the US.
We know of the plight of the modest honey bees that are responsible for pollinating more than 100 different crops, $15 billion worth annually over in the U.S., and they play a critical role in the agricultural industry’s ability to provide food products to the rest of the world.
But, honey bees are dying at an alarming rate. Over the last several winters, a substantial percentage of the honey bee population in the United States and Europe has vanished, many under mysterious circumstances.
This is a new phenomenon. I remember back in the early 1960s going with my father to visit his hives in the rural English countryside and the bee population was thriving. Honey was abundant and we spent many happy hours spinning the handle on some sort of antiquated contraption to extract the honey from the comb. And, oh, was that taste wonderful.
For Häagen-Dazs ice cream, the reality of this threat has spurred the superpremium ice cream maker to launch a national campaign in the US to protect these tiny unsung heroes. Everything from poor nutrition to invasive mites to Colony Collapse Disorder (CCD) – a phenomenon where bees from a colony abruptly desert the hive and die – is affecting the bees.
This disappearance has scientists stumped and has the potential to affect many of our favourite nuts, fruits and berries – key ingredients in some of the most popular Häagen-Dazs flavours. In fact, more than 40 percent of Häagen-Dazs all-natural ice cream flavours include ingredients dependent on honey bees for pollination.
To discover and prevent what’s killing our honey bees, the US Häagen-Dazs brand is launching the Häagen-Dazs loves Honey Bees™ campaign to fund sustainable pollination and CCD research at Pennsylvania State University and the University of California, Davis.
“Häagen-Dazs ice cream is made from the finest all-natural ingredients, and the plight of the honey bee could mean many of the ingredients used in our top flavours, like Vanilla Swiss Almond and Strawberry, would be difficult to source,” said Häagen-Dazs brand manager Josh Gellert.
Putting all its marketing might behind the issue, the Häagen-Dazs brand has launched an amazing website, supported by print, television and online advertising, dedicated to educating Americans about the problem and seeking their help to spread the word and join the campaign. The effort includes information in retail stores and Häagen-Dazs® Shops and a full public relations campaign.
To further spotlight the issue, the Häagen-Dazs brand launched a new honey bee-dedicated flavour – Vanilla Honey Bee which I must go and try just to check if I can recapture that flavour I remember from my childhood. The brand is also tagging all of its honey bee-dependent flavors – from Häagen-Dazs Wild Berry frozen yogurt to Caramelized Pear and Toasted Pecan ice cream - with a HD loves HB™ icon. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of the new flavour and all HD loves HB tagged flavours will be used to fund the $250,000 donation to UC Davis and Penn State.
Häagen-Dazs has recruited prominent university researchers and beekeepers to serve on a Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Bee Board to provide insight and consultation on the complex honey bee situation.
“Honey bee health and sustainable pollination is a major issue facing American agriculture that is threatening our food supply and endangering our natural environment,” said Diana Cox-Foster, Ph.D., leading CCD researcher at Penn State and Häagen-Dazs Bee Board member. “Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream’s generous donation to Penn State’s research programmewill provide immediate funds for research, outreach and student training to help find a CCD solution and preserve our natural food supply.”
“The Häagen-Dazs brand and UC Davis have a shared goal of preserving our local natural ingredients in a sustainable future and their donation to the UC Davis Laidlaw facility will help us reach our goals through advances in research and community awareness programs,” said Michael Parrella, Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Bee Board member and associate dean, Division of Agricultural Sciences, College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, UC Davis.
There are several ways consumers can help save our pollinator allies upon whom we depend:
- Create a bee-friendly garden with plants that attract honey bees.
- Support the Häagen-Dazs loves Honey Bees program – a portion of the proceeds of the sale of all bee-dependent flavours will go toward helping the honey bees.
- Educate neighbours, schools and community groups about the severe situation the honey bees and our food supply are facing which is why I am penning this article.
- Buy local honey, never a hardship!
You can see how the Häagen-Dazs brand is helping honey bees by visiting http://www.helpthehoneybees.com/. and be impressed how marketing and public relations, community relations, business interest and consumer awareness can be sometimes neatly combined for the common good.
In my view, this is one of the best PR campaigns I have ever seen. Gosh, I wish I had thought of it!
Author details – John Hicks is Managing Director of Headline Promotions, Press & PR established in 1996 in Basingstoke, Hampshire, to provide PR, promotions, event management, marketing and web design support for small business in the UK.
John Hicks, a member of the Institute of Direct Marketing, brings together many years of experience across a wide range of business sectors in the UK and Far East. John and his small team's particular speciality is in the manufacturing, retail, internet radio, security, professional services, hospitality, leisure & entertainment sectors but are well-versed across many sectors.
John writes for a number of journals worldwide including the Californian Chronicle, Los Angeles Chronicle, the EzineArticles article resource website and the UK’s Daily Telegraph Newspaper blogsite. He is also an occasional consultant to City financial institutions, advising on the leisure and entertainment sector in the UK.
John is a complementary partner of Ambiance Consulting - one of the UK's leading change management consultancy practices.
During his career, John has operated a busy 750 capacity 24/7 snooker and pool hall, Chinese restaurant, sports bars and live music venue in the south of England - in addition to previously having been a national promotions manager for a division of Europe's leading late night venue operator and promotions manager for a global drinks manufacturer. He has also worked in newspapers, local radio, the education sector and a substantial manufacturing sector advisory body in the UK.
