A bitter taste for Valentine’s

Hershey’s has announced that that the Rainforest Alliance is to certify its famous Bliss chocolates – what lovely news, just in time for Valentine’s Day! But it comes days after a rather more bitter sounding commercial titled Hershey’s Chocolate: Killed by Child Labor was scheduled to screen to the crowds at the Super Bowl. This so-called “brand-jamming ad” was withdrawn at the last minute when Hershey’s announced a $10 million project to tackle child labour in West Africa.

This is crisis management, not leadership. Hershey’s has been subject to an embarrassing multi-year campaign accusing the company of turning a blind eye to child labour on its cocoa farms. The onslaught included blanketing the company’s Facebook wall in messages, posting ‘brand-jamming’ videos and photos of Hershey products online and releasing a report of accusations and demands, titled ‘The Real Corporate Social Responsibility Report for the Hershey Company’. Hershey’s is reported to have received over 100,000 letters asking the company to improve its cocoa sourcing practices, as well as a barrage of Facebook posts, tweets and emails.

The attacks on Hershey’s are just the latest example of the spotlight being shined on the apparently murkier side of big brand supply chains. Certifying Bliss chocolate is a move in the right direction – but by letting the storm clouds gather before making this big change, the company has left itself looking reactionary and defensive rather than visionary.

The ‘Real Corporate Social Responsibility Report’ accuses the company of “greenwashing” because it “points to various charitable donations” rather than stamping out “forced, trafficked or child labour” in its supply chain. Hershey’s insists that it's taking a responsible stance towards its supply chain. But to quell the storm and protect its brand, the company now needs to demonstrate that it has a more comprehensive CR strategy. The alternative is to continue the embarrassing public battle with the activists and risk leaving a bitter taste with its consumers.