Corporations such as Walmart, Lowes, and Apple are supporting local communities that were impacted by Hurricane Ida. Their audiences include people who have been impacted by the crisis as well as consumers who value community outreach programs and support.
As part of Walmart’s PR department, the company’s latest social media activity is beneficial because we are letting customers know that they are giving back to the community by helping out during a natural disaster.
The positive message to the public states that their first step will be donating $5 million for response and recovery efforts. It also conveys that Walmart wants the money to be used toward resources that will assist shelters and organizations on the ground.
The PR department released this message to the public in a progressive manner that represents the corporation in a positive light. First, the message is communicated in a friendly tone; “To those impacted by Hurricane Ida, we are here for you.” Our PR team at Walmart carefully constructed this message in order to connect with our audience that is experiencing distress as a result of this crisis. Our communication with the public shows the organization’s inclination to give back to the community and form a relationship with consumers, which gives Walmart an overall positive reputation among the general public.
Not only does this let customers know that Walmart is always there to help in catastrophic situations, but it also allows consumers to be able to connect with the company, compare ethical standards, and recognize the company’s good will and positive intentions as a big name retailer.
Especially with Gen Z and Millennials, publics consider a company to be more credible and desirable when the organization conveys that they do virtuous deeds and give back to communities. Our PR team implemented this tactic because people are more likely to purchase products from a company that portrays good will through community outreach campaigns and donations during crises.
The next step in Walmart’s PR process can be focusing on rebuilding family’s homes by supplying necessary furniture and appliances that were destroyed by the storm. This will resonate even more with the public because they are reaching out to the community even further to help restore family’s belongings. As a member of Walmart’s PR department, I would personally reach out to families affected by the hurricane and offer the company’s support in order to really strengthen the connection between my organization and the consumers.
Companies like Lowe’s and Apple also formulated PR plans that would support communities impacted by Hurricane Ida. Lowe’s tweeted that they have pledged $2 million of product donations and partnerships with the American Red Cross, St. Bernard Project, and nonprofits.
Lowe’s PR plan also sends out a good message to the public because they have created a strategic plan to help surrounding communities recover and rebuild in the coming months.
This allows them to be on good terms with potential consumers that recognize the company’s moral and supportive intentions.
Apple’s CEO tweeted that Apple supports the communities impacted by the natural disaster and pledges to donate to relief and recovery efforts, however he does not mention how much and what specifically they will be donating to. I think Apple’s PR team can expand on this strategy by releasing this information to the public. The more the public knows about a company’s good will and charitable donations, the more they will consider that company to be good, trustworthy, and worthy of their business.
In general, these corporations will ultimately be the one’s to help clean up communities and rebuild families through their donations. For this reason, these PR tactics are beneficial to the organization itself because it ultimately attracts consumers who resonate with the company’s morality.
From a public relations perspective, I imagine the public gains respect for these corporations due to their willingness to give back to the community. Since PR is a two way street, this tactic is very beneficial for these big name corporations because they give themselves a good reputation and represent themselves in a good light. As a result, my own contributions to the PR department include finding new manners of connecting with people impacted by the crisis, more donations to specific factors that will help communities rebuild, and support of non-profit organizations that assist local communities.