A growing epidemic

Parents, beware: a dangerous epidemic is sweeping our nation’s youth. Your child may be at risk of life-threatening complications, psychological problems and decreased quality of life. More than 15 percent of American children are estimated to have the disease, and the number is growing at an alarming rate. What is this frightening condition? Childhood obesity.

Sedentary lifestyles and poor nutrition have tripled youth obesity levels.

According to the American Obesity Association, the number of obese children has more than tripled over the last three decades. At least 30 percent of kids are clinically overweight and are also subject to the health problems associated with obesity. Many doctors attribute the rapid increase in overweight and obese children to sedentary lifestyles accompanied by high-calorie, low-nutrient snacks.

With so much passive entertainment- whether it’s television, the computer or video games — at their fingertips, many kids choose to spend time sitting and snacking. This lifestyle is very different than the “good old days” when parents sent their children to play outside regularly. Today’s parents feel their children are safer inside, but the lack of physical activity among American children is putting their health in danger.

Physical problems obese children may develop include:

• joint pain
• diabetes
• heart disease
• arthritis
• asthma
• sleep apnea
• high blood pressure
• high cholesterol

Overweight and obese children are also at increased risk of depression, low self-esteem and other psychological issues.

Banking on our kids’ health

Recent events have put an unflattering spotlight on the American banking industry. However, some banks are maintaining their reputations through community programs and philanthropic contributions. ING Group is a global institution that offers banking, investments, life insurance and retirement services to more than 85 million clients around the world. The institution is teaming up with the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) to get kids moving and improve their health.

Run for Something Better teaches kids the benefits of exercise.

ING Run for Something Better encourages kids to make healthy lifestyle choices through free community and school-based running programs. ING instituted the campaign to give all children access to exercise and health education and to combat childhood obesity due to sedentary lifestyles.

ING has contributed more than$2.5 million in grants to fund running programs, and more than 40,000 students have participated in Run for Something Better since 2003.

School scholarships for exercise

The NASPE recognized ING’s effort to improve children’s lifestyles, and partnered with ING to create an awards program for schools hoping to institute running programs. The  program will award 50 schools $2,000 grants to establish or expand their running  programs. Any public school may apply for a grant to fund a running program that targets fifth- through eighth-graders for a minimum of eight weeks.

“NASPE is thrilled to partner with ING Run for Something Better to help children get more physically active,” NASPE President Fran Cleland said. “Quality physical activity programs introduce children to the joys of movement and are truly the beginning of health care reform.”

Schools will receive $2,000 grants to implement exercise programs.

The ING Run for Something More program is helping children across America adopt healthy habits that may lower their chances of becoming overweight or obese. Teaching children the benefits of exercise and proper nutrition is vital to their well-being, and campaigns like Run for Something Better give all kids a chance to learn to make wise lifestyle choices.

Spring sounds egg-cellent

Cadbury eggs have milk chocolate shells and creme "yolks."

Despite the snowy forecast in Northeast Ohio, I am thrilled to say that spring has sprung! And with thoughts of flowers, little chicks and bunnies comes the ultimate vice in my Easter basket: that’s right, it’s Cadbury season.

Cadbury chocolate has been a staple in England since the 1800s, winning even monarchs over with its creamy recipe. Cadbury created a variety of chocolate flavors, including Fruit & Nut and Caramello, but its most famous product is the Cadbury Crème Egg.

Introduced in 1923, the Cadbury Crème Egg became an instant hit in the UK. A milk chocolate shell filled with white and yellow crème, the Cadbury Egg is a much sweeter version of the original (incredible, edible) egg.

In 1982, the Hershey Corporation initiated a marketing campaign that sent Crème Egg sales through the roof. Hershey’s “clucking bunny” campaign got Americans on the Cadbury Egg train, and the corporation soon obtained the right to manufacture and sell Cadbury brands stateside.

Available only during the Easter season, Cadbury Eggs are irresistible this time of year. And thanks to Cadbury’s movement to conserve energy in all aspects of its business, you don’t even have to feel (as) guilty indulging.

Purple Goes Green

In July 2007, Cadbury initiated the Purple Goes Green program, setting targets to reduce its impact on the global environment. The company aims to:

• reduce carbon emissions 50 percent by 2020
• reduce standard packaging 10 percent and seasonal packaging by 25 percent
• implement water reduction programs in all “water-scarce” sites
• advocate green business practices with colleagues, suppliers, customers, peers and consumers

The Cadbury Purple Goes Green Web site says:

The Cadbury Purple Goes Green initiative sets a vision for our company to tackle climate change. We intend to shrink our global environmental footprint by cutting our energy use, reducing excess packaging and managing our water use.

Cadbury's Purple Goes Green logo.

Progress

By the end of 2007, Cadbury had already reduced its carbon emissions by 3 percent, and the company expects to reduce emissions 10 percent by 2010. Cadbury has implemented several “green” initiatives in its sites around the world to help achieve its Purple Goes Green targets.

• Wind turbines now provide all electricity in Ireland, reducing carbon emissions almost 40 percent.
• A 640-panel solar installation in a New South Wales, Australia factory roof produces enough energy to power 21 homes while saving 140 tons of greenhouse gas emissions — the equivalent of taking 35 cars off the road.
• New  combined heat and power plants in Rockford (US) and Nagoya (Japan) save energy.
• Packaging is being reduced and will be completely recoverable or biodegradable by 2020.

Consumer involvement

Cadbury has taken its green initiative straight to the consumer via its Web site, Dearcadbury.com. The site encourages all to view Cadbury’s social responsibility goals and offers tips to help consumers become more environmentally friendly. The site invites visitors to leave feedback concerning the company and its environmental efforts.

Cadbury Global Affairs Director Alex Cole said, “We have created an interactive asset that reaches beyond responsible investors and analysts. Dearcadbury.com is about sharing our views and contributing to the public debate on ethical sourcing, responsible consumption and the environment.”

Sweet Success

With these and continuing environmental efforts, Cadbury’s Purple Goes Green initiative is reducing its environmental impact while producing some of the most popular candies in the world. In the spirit of new beginnings, Cadbury shows the positive impact a global corporation can have on the world’s well-being.

A gamble on social responsibility

Established community relations can mean the survival of a family-oriented business through a crisis, as Mattel saw in 2007 . But building strong relationships with consumers can require large amounts of time, effort and money, and some companies are finding it difficult to allot such resources to social causes in today’s economy.

One of the largest conglomerates in today’s market, Procter & Gamble, has remained steadfast in its philanthropic efforts despite the recession. The global company is parent to many popular consumer brands, including Duracell®, Pringles®, Olay®, Pampers®, Tide® and Gillette®.

Procter & Gamble is known to make strong social efforts, ranking 14^th in the Corporate Responsibility Officer Magazine’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens List in 2009. The company also recently received the Social Innovation Award from the Financial Times and Just Means. Still, the corporation is pushing for improvement, recently announcing its revised sustainability goals for the next three years.

Helping kids Live, Learn and Thrive

The Live, Learn and Thrive cause helps needy children worldwide.

Procter & Gamble created the Live, Learn and Thrive^TM initiative to give needy children around the world better lives through corporate contributions. The company Web site reports the Live, Learn and Thrive ^TM cause has already helped more than 40 million children worldwide. The site says the initiative helps disadvantaged children:

• Live by ensuring they are off to a healthy start
• Learn from tools and programs that enhance education
• Thrive through programs that help develop self-esteem and life skills

The company focuses its corporate contributions on needy children because it says they are “most vulnerable and least able to help themselves.” The Live, Learn and Thrive^TM initiative serves children through programs in communities around the world, but one cause stands out above the others.

Water, water everywhere

Since 2004, the Children’s Safe Drinking Water program has provided children in developing countries access to water that is safe for them to drink. More than one billion people in these regions do not have access to safe drinking water, and millions of children die each year from diseases caused by contaminated water.

The CSDW program allows people to purify unsafe water by providing them with PUR® water packets, which decontaminate dirty water in minutes. Each packet can purify ten liters of water in less than 30 minutes, and this initiative has already supplied needy children with over one billion liters of safe drinking water.

Procter & Gamble collaborated with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop the PUR packet, a small packet of powder that removes dangerous microorganisms and suspended matter from contaminated water. PUR packets are smaller and easier to ship than plastic water bottles, and as Dr. Greg Allgood demonstrates, the purification process is quick and easy but still effective.

PUR packets are proven to remove 99.9 percent of the bacteria, parasites and viruses that cause life-threatening illnesses such as cholera, typhoid and dysentery. The packets make water safe even for infants, who are at high risk of dying from illnesses contracted through contaminated water.

A clear success

P&G works with several organizations through the CSDW program, including World Vision, Save the Children and Americares. The network hopes to deliver 3.5 billion liters of safe drinking water by 2012, and P&G has invested more than $25 million in providing clean drinking water so far.

Procter & Gamble has invested much time, money and manpower into the Live, Learn and Thrive^TM programs, but initiatives such as CSDW are saving invaluable lives. P&G shows it values corporate responsibility and the company is building trusting relationships with key audiences while improving lives around the world.

You may have
tangible wealth untold:

Caskets of jewels
and coffers of gold.

Richer than I you can never be-
I had a mother who read to me.

- Strickland Gillilan

Read to me

I was a lucky one. As far back as I can remember, bedtime at the Hayes house was a strict ritual of teeth-brushing, pajama-donning and bedtime book-choosing. My parents read to me every night until I could read to them, and they continued to encourage me to expand my reading skills. Unfortunately, some kids aren’t so lucky.

Children whose parents read to them daily grow into better students and readers.

According to a UCLA study, less than half of America’s children age five and under have parents who read to them daily. Several studies have shown that children whose parents read out loud to them are much more likely to be better students in the future.

“Of all child-parent activities, reading aloud provides the richest exposure to language and represents an important activity for building the knowledge required for eventual success in reading,” says Dr. Victor Perez, assistant professor of pediatrics at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA.

25 years of BOOK IT!

Addressing this national issue is one of the most kid-friendly chains I know – Pizza Hut. Almost 25 years ago, Pizza Hut established a national campaign to encourage students to read.

BOOK IT! got every kid school reading by offering free pizza as incentive. Believe me, the anticipation of finishing a book so I could add a sticker to my BOOK IT! button – getting me one step closer to that Personal Pan Pizza — was intense.

Each teacher sets a monthly goal for the class, and students receive stickers, buttons and other materials based on the number of books, pages or time they  read. Once a student reaches the reading goal, the teacher awards the student with a certificate for a Personal Pan Pizza.

Pizza Hut continues the program throughout the school year, and students who meet reading goals in each of the six months of the program are named BOOK IT! All-Star Readers.

Hot n’ ready… to read!

Pizza Hut has beefed up BOOK IT! to help children who aren’t able to read yet. The BOOK IT! Beginners Program encourages parents, day care providers and preschool teachers to read aloud to kids for at least 60 minutes per week.

The BOOK IT! Beginners program runs for eight weeks in March and April, with the objective “to develop a lifelong love of reading in children.”

Pizza Hut's Book It! has kids read their ways to free pizza.

The BOOK IT! Web site offers parents tips to build “reading-readiness skills” and establish an at-home reading routine. The site also offers the National Education Association’s “Top 100″ list of books, and divides the books into appropriate age levels.

Pizza Hut has influenced millions of kids to read over the past quarter of a century, and expanding the BOOK IT! initiative to an even younger audience is sure to foster some future readers. Pizza Hut hit the corporate responsibility  nail on the head with this program, and BOOK IT! Beginners is a tasty way to get kids excited about reading.

“Prevention is better than cure.”

When Dutch humanist Desiderius Erasmus spoke these words at the turn of the 14^th century, he probably wasn’t thinking about corporate public relations. However, these words ring true to the tune of social responsibility in today’s corporate world.

While some companies are built on the notion of good corporate citizenship, others need incentive to recognize social responsibility as a worthwhile cause. A public crisis forces a company to look at its public image and consider its relationship with the community. Generally, organizations with strong community relationships are more likely to survive crises than those companies who have not already invested in social responsibility.

Mattel, Inc.

Some recalled toys had up to 180 times the legal lead limit.

Mattel, Inc., the world’s largest toy company, has been recognized as a responsible corporate citizen for decades.

The company has been a leader in employee health and safety regulations, releasing its Global Manufacturing Principles in 1997 to ensure fair treatment of employees around the world.

The company has remained transparent in these efforts, releasing its public Global Reporting Initiative reports annually to rate the success of these principles.

Also in 1997, the Mattel Children’s Foundation was established and one year later, the company donated $25 million to the children’s hospital at UCLA. The hospital is now called the Mattel Children’s Hospital at UCLA and was rated among the nation’s top children’s hospitals by U.S. News in 2008.

2007 Recalls

Since its foundation in 1945, Mattel has seen its share of product recalls. But in 2007, the company issued its largest safety recall ever. Mattel’s Fisher-Price subsidiary recalled more than 19 million toys in August 2007, after finding parts had been distributed containing dangerous lead-based paint and unsafe magnets.

The U.S. allows lead-based paints to contain only .06 percent lead. However, paint on some of the toys Mattel recalled was found to be up to 11 percent lead – 180 times the legal limit. The high-energy magnets on the recalled products were easily ingested and could cause very serious damage to children’s digestive tracts.

Response

Parents were outraged by the toxic levels and dangerous magnets found in Mattel’s products, and the company knew it had to respond accordingly to maintain its public image. When federal officials announced the recalls, Mattel public relations personnel immediately contacted reporters at the top 40 media outlets.

CEO Robert Eckert gave public interviews and the company took out several full-page ads in publications such as the Wall Street Journal announcing the recalls. The company also launched a campaign on the Internet warning parents of the dangerous defects and updated its recall Web site regularly.

The company took full responsibility for the recalls and was upfront and thorough in its apology. Mattel continued to communicate its dedication to child safety and stricter inspections long after the recalls were initiated. Mattel also created a Corporate Responsibility division, appointing Vice President of Corporate Responsibility Geoff Massingberd to develop and implement more responsible practices.

Social Responsibility Pays Off

The company’s continued social efforts have positioned Mattel as a strong and trustworthy company dedicated to the betterment of society. Despite the 2007 recalls and the lawsuits that ensued, Mattel has maintained the respect of the corporate world. The Corporate Responsibility Officer recently released its “100 Best Corporate Citizens 2009” list, rating Mattel, Inc. as seventh.

At 50, Barbie is still a good corporate citizen.

Because Mattel was such an established corporate citizen before the recalls, I think the company was better prepared to weather the crisis and its effects. The company had been making social contributions for decades and built a strong bond of trust with its shareholders and consumers, as well as its external audiences.

As Barbie turns 50, she can remain a proud corporate citizen. And a nurse, doctor, gymnast, princess and whatever else she wants to be.

A deadly diet

Parents everywhere are concerned about their children's diets.

The kids I babysit think Doritos and Mountain Dew sounds like a perfectly reasonable lunch; their mom has a different opinion.

Countless parents (including mine) try to regulate their children’s “junk food” intake, and a trip to the supermarket can result in a full-fledged tantrum over a can of soda pop or bag of potato chips.

Unfortunately, some moms and dads are concerned about their children’s diets for a different reason. Impoverished families around the world are unable to adequately feed their babies and young children, and millions of children die each year due to malnutrition. In 2007, CBS reported that almost half of all children in India were malnourished and the infant mortality rate was 57 per 100,000.

To the rescue

One of the largest food and drink companies in the world, PepsiCo, has announced its intention to fight hunger in developing countries, with a special focus on children under the age of five. The corporation, which houses snack food and beverage brands including Frito-Lay, Gatorade, Tropicana, Quaker and Pepsi-Cola,  has decided to put some of its profits toward social responsibility.

On Feb. 19, PepsiCo announced a three-year grant that will contribute $5 million to Save the Children, the leading organization dedicated to improving the lives of children around the world. The grant aims to improve the health of young children in rural Bangladesh and India, where 40 percent of the world’s malnourished children live.

PepsiCo will donate $5 million to help malnourished children in Bangladesh and India.

The grant will go toward providing the areas with nutrient-rich food, as well as funding for social programs to address nutrition and poverty in these developing areas.

A news release on CSRwire announced the combined efforts of PepsiCo and Save the Children will improve the lives of more than 650,000 children and expecting mothers over the next three years.

Mission: Social Responsibility

This partnership with Save the Children backs PepsiCo’s mission and vision statements, which present the company as a corporate citizen dedicated to the betterment of the world. The company Web site says PepsiCo’s vision is “to continually improve all aspects of the world in which we operate – environment, social, economic – creating a better tomorrow than today.”

PepsiCo is one of the world's largest food and beverage producers.

The site also expresses the company’s impression that corporate responsibility is good for business: ”At PepsiCo, we believe being a responsible corporate citizen is not only the right thing to do, but the right thing to do for our business.”

PepsiCo may be on to something, as the company donated a total $74.8 million in contributions but brought in more than $43 billion in revenue in 2008. Remaining dedicated to its social mission has served PepsiCo well for more than a century, and the company provides a model for organizations looking to give back to the community.

As one of the world’s largest snack food and soda producers, PepsiCo may not immediately come to mind as a leader in health promotion. However, the effects of the Save the Children grant will mean life and improved health for thousands of kids in India and Bangladesh.

Maybe Fritos and Pepsi should be considered health foods after all.

NEWSFLASH: The economic crisis has got even the nation’s most recognized and profitable companies shaking in their boots.

Okay, not such a shock.

But to avoid being a total Debbie Downer in my first-ever blog post(!), I’d like to announce I’ve found THERE IS HOPE!

Even in the face of huge nation-wide layoffs, pay cuts and bankruptcy claims, some corporations have managed to hold on to the notion of social responsibility. While successful companies are ultimately concerned with the bottom line (read: money makes the world go ’round), some still consider social responsibility a legit investment.

"Love.It's what makes a Subaru, a Subaru."

Car trouble

One market that’s been hit particularly hard by the economy’s downward spiral is the auto industry. From gas prices to production rates to tire sales (hey, I’m a Goodyear Gal), the entire auto market has taken some serious hits.

But, hark! Through the darkness… the shining, fuel-efficient lights of da-da-da-daa…

a  Subaru.

Yes, I know. I’ve seen the commercials. Subaru prides itself more than any Californian on being eco-friendly and announces on its Web site, “Love. It’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru.” A little more touchy-feely than I’d expect from my local mechanic, but maybe I’m just a conservative grump.

What I can’t argue with is the recent success of Subaru’s “Share the Love” event. The company handed over a whopping $4.6 million to five charities at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show last week, ending the Love campaign with a bang.

The campaign ran from Nov. 28 through Jan. 2 and invited customers to “Share the Love” by -duh- buying or leasing a new Subaru. The company donated $250 from each sale to the customer’s choice of five charities:

• Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• Habitat for Humanity International
• Meals On Wheels Association of America
• National Wildlife Federation (NWF)
• The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

I’m sure Carmichael Lynch, Subaru’s branding agency, got a big pat on the back (and maybe a fat bonus) for this national feel-good campaign. But those are some smart PR-doers over there; the Love campaign caught the attention and charity of major media outlets and consumers alike, selling almost 20,000 vehicles over the holiday season.

Subaru Share the Love Event

Good deeds pay off

It’s pretty hard to dispute the effects of Subaru’s branding campaign. One of the few auto-makers to report good news in the past months, Subaru was named 2008 Automotive Marketer of the Year and reported an 8 percent increase in January sales over last year.

Whether you choose to think of this campaign as a pure philanthropic effort or just another strategic marketing move, the fact is Subaru showed some real investment in the community. Charities are struggling through this financial crunch, and Subaru’s initiative will benefit many who need it.

So maybe my born-and-bred Subaru-loving boyfriend is right. Maybe all car companies aren’t created equal, and the Outback with 43 bumper stickers in front of me really is a contribution to the world’s well-being. Okay, Subaru, you’ve won me over.

What can I say? The kid’s got heart.