In-depth Notes on Apple's Case with Greenpeace and Facebook's Environmental Challenges

Course Logistics and Reminders

• Confirm discrepancies via email; no more than two makeup tests allowed.
• Important deadlines: Last case analysis memo due Monday; last online test also on Monday.

Apple and Greenpeace Case Study

Background on the Campaign

• The iLife campaign by Apple increased their visibility.
• Greenpeace targeted Apple to critique their environmental impact, particularly with electronic waste.

Tactics Used by Greenpeace

1. Initial Engagement:
   • Launch parody commercials critiquing Apple.
   • Raise awareness of Apple’s electronic waste issues.
2. Path to Redemption:
   • Provide guidelines for Apple to improve their practices.
   • Promote a plan to make Apple socially responsible, such as:
     • Implementing a take-back program for old electronics.
     • Redesigning products to be free of hazardous chemicals.

Impact on Apple

• Greenpeace framed Apple's practices as harmful, influencing public perception.
• Apple eventually responded positively by adopting greener practices to improve their brand image:
  • New MacBooks marketed as the “world's greenest family of notebooks.”

Key Marketing and Social Activism Lessons

Two-Step Activist Strategy

1. Attract Attention:
   • Use marketing strategies to criticize a company’s practices.
2. Negotiate Terms for Compliance:
   • Provide a roadmap with clear expectations for how the target can improve their behavior.

Benefits of Compliance for Companies

• Complying with social regulations can convert negative press into positive attention, improving brand value.

Activist Dynamics

• Activist organizations, like Greenpeace, typically target industry leaders to drive change across the sector.
• A single company’s response can influence the entire industry.

Facebook and Environmental Regulation

Introduction to Facebook's Case

• Discussion on Facebook’s commitment to using renewable energy in their data facilities.
• Greenpeace targeted Facebook during their announcement of a major data center in Oregon.

Facebook's Dilemma

• Facebook touted its environmentally sustainable practices while being critiqued for using coal energy.
• Greenpeace launched the “Unfriend Coal” campaign to educate users about Facebook's environmental practices:
  • Created a community with 500,000 followers to raise awareness on Facebook about coal emissions from their data centers.

Facebook's Response Strategy

1. Pushback against Greenpeace’s claims:
   • Facebook claimed they had no control over their power supplier.
2. Public Perception:
   • Fear of losing political neutrality by aligning with a specific activist cause.
   • Concerns about setting a precedent that could lead to more demands from other activist groups.

Conclusion

Summary of Social Activism and Business Responses

• The effectiveness of organizations like Greenpeace in mobilizing public opinion.
• The necessity for businesses to carefully evaluate the political implications of engaging with activist movements.

Final Thoughts

• The growing intersection of social accountability and corporate responsibility.
• Businesses must weigh the benefit vs. cost of compliance to social demands.