Crisis response

Trolling through the latest on the wheat gluten story, I came across a smart ad buy on the CBS website. Next to the headline "Pet Food Toxin Said To Be Common In China" - an issue that has shaken corporate, national, and international trust - is an ad for Tylenol's "Promise" campaign:

The online iteration of the campaign features employees sharing their promise to you, the consumer. The promises - and more importantly, the people behind them - are "another reason why you can trust the pure pain relief of Tylenol." It's an especially interesting placement given Tylenol's history with trust. [For those who don't remember, Tylenol's public image and safety reputation suffered in the 1980s due to product tampering. While the perpetrator was never caught, the scare prompted increased product saftey - including gelcaps and triple-sealed bottles.]

Other lines from the campaign:
I make Tylenol and I promise:
- If I wouldn't give it to my kids, it won't get to yours.
- I'll never forget that what we make goes into someone's body.
- That I'll never let down my family here at work or at home.

Interesting messaging given current food safety fears and increased questions for the FDA.

Dog Owners Looking For An Authority

Dog owners are looking for some answers. They're looking for an authority. And popular pooch site, Dogster has stepped up to the plate...by in paul's words "becoming a resource."

Dogster Launches RSS Feed for Pet Food Recall
To keep you updated on the latest developments in the ever-changing Menu Foods saga, Dogster has launched two RSS feeds designed to keep you and your pup in the know. The Pet Food Recall Alerts RSS feed focuses on breaking news on the pet food recalls and The Pet Food Recall News RSS feed will provide information and commentary on the pet food recall that is less time-sensitive in nature. Users can subscribe to one or both RSS feeds from Dogster's Pet Food Recall Resource Page. Here, they will also be able to view Dogster's DogBlog written by intrepid blogger Joy Ward, and find links to other organizations, including government-related agencies, that have pertinent information or are taking action related to the pet food recall.

As the story continues to unfold and multiply (China, human food, etc.) with more product recalls and a menu foods petition, it'd be nice to have a trusted source of unbiased info. (See aki's Meshly on RevolutionHealth.) Also of interest is how online has been critical to the story's development, the spread and organization of info, galvanizing of passionate communities.

"Don't Panic": Global Warming is "Unequivocal"

According to the NY Times...Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the leading international network of climate scientists, has concluded for the first time that global warming is “unequivocal” and that human activity is the main driver, “very likely” causing most of the rise in temperatures since 1950.

They said the world was in for centuries of climbing temperatures, rising seas and shifting weather patterns — unavoidable results of the buildup of heat-trapping gases in the atmosphere.

On the bright side, their report says warming and its harmful consequences could be substantially blunted by prompt action. But I guess that is all up to us, huh?



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via NYTimes