Greenpeace takes advantage of Nestlé PR blunder

    According to the environmental blog Treehugger, Nestlé was forced to drop its Indonesian palm oil producer Sinar Mas Group after a successful viral video campaign by Greenpeace, which highlighted the destruction palm oil production causes to rainforests and orangutan habitats. But the success can’t be completely credited to Greenpeace. Apparently Nestlé blundered when it got the video taken off YouTube after only fewer than 1,000 people had seen it. This allowed Greenpeace to repost the video on Vimeo.com and send out word about Nestlé’s attempts to suppress their message, ultimately causing enough hubbub to force Nestlé’s hand. This is a great example of what’s known as political jiu-jitsu or as Treehugger put it, “how activists can succeed and how corporations can screw up bigtime.”



    Recent Stories

    • Feature

    A history of success drives the ongoing struggle to clean up Cancer Alley

    December 16, 2024

    Despite years of polluter pushback and environmental racism, Cancer Alley communities in Louisiana are still fighting for a healthier environment for everyone.

    • Feature

    Reproductive justice organizers in the South are finding new ways to help incarcerated mothers

    December 12, 2024

    In states where legislative solutions have hit roadblocks, reproductive justice advocates have found success with more direct methods of protecting the most vulnerable populations.

    • Analysis

    How a local housing campaign won pro-tenant reforms by recruiting homeowners

    December 6, 2024

    In North Carolina, Greensboro’s Keep Gate City Housed built a diverse coalition in support of pro-tenant policies by proving it was the best way to prevent homelessness.