Better late than never

Wal-Mart says they are ready to step up and help fight hunger through a partnership with America's Second Harvest.  The big retailer is certainly working hard to try to help their reputation.  They know they are far behind some of their competitors when it comes to the cause arena.  It will be interesting to see if this is the precursor to Wal-Mart giving back to its communities at a rate equal to what they have received in business from those same communities.

Comments

[Ike]

Hey Mike, thanks for adding me to the roll!

If you're interested in the evolution of Wal-Mart's PR strategy, I blogged regularly about them back before they actually had one - http://www.positiveposition.com/blog/index.php?s=walmart ! (I have no connection to the company, BTW.)

One thing I do find interesting is the amount of autonomy given to local stores and sales regions to participate in fundraisers and help non-profits. I can say boldly that Wal-Mart has done a lot more for my non-profit than Target -- but the aforementioned lack of PR savvy has meant they've done no self-tooting.

YMMV.

[Mike Swenson]

That's a great point Ike. For example, I know that some of the Wal-Mart stores in my area are the best recycling centers around. And it was always Sam Walton's intent for the stores to be part of the community. I'm very glad to see them involved in hunger on a national scale. Their scale should allow them to make a real impact. Thanks for the comment.