#loadsofhope

Who are we talking about? Tide

How are they giving back? Loads of Hope Campaign

What’s it all about? Tide’s Loads of Hope campaign was established in 2005 in response to Hurricane Katrina. Through donations via the company website and proceeds from the purchase of specially marked bottles of tide and Tide tee shirts, the program provides relief for victims of natural disasters by giving them a small piece of normalcy—the ability to wash their clothes. The Loads of Hope crew rolls out in a branded 18-wheeler truck and a fleet of smaller vans equipped with over 32 energy-efficient washers and dryers. Their equipment is capable of cleaning more than 300 loads of laundry in a single day. The team washes, dries, and folds clothes for affected families for free. The program also partners with local laundromats in the area in order to help as many families as possible, even where their crew can’t reach. The Loads of Hope campaign has visited cities like Fargo, North Dakota after serious flooding, Galveston, Texas after Hurricane Ike, and many more. They are currently volunteering in Loveland, Colorado in response to the recent floods.

When did this happen? It’s happening now! This program is ongoing, but began in 2005 in response to Hurricane Katrina. Tide is currently set up in Loveland, Colorado at Loveland’s Laundromat on East 29th Street. They will be accepting clothing for the next several days between the hours of 8 AM and 6 PM. The limit is set at two loads of laundry per family, per day.

Do we understand one another? In a survey conducted in 2009, Tide was ranked among the three brands people would be least likely to give up during a recession and in 2012 Forbes magazine ranked Tide’s parent company, Procter & Gamble, fifteenth on the “World’s Most Admired Companies” list. It is clear that both Tide and their powerful father have gained brand loyalty and industry success. The Loads of Hope campaign was born out a different effort taken by Procter & Gamble to work with the non-profit Feeding America to help New Orleans families after Hurricane Katrina. The campaign seems like a natural second step, a cause the parent company can pass down to its proverbial child. When you realize Tide is owned by a multi billion-dollar powerhouse of a company, sending a crew to do loads of laundry when people are struggling through losing their homes and possibly the lives of loved ones through natural disasters can potentially appear frivolous and vapid. However, Procter & Gamble’s reputation has been consistently positive in terms of their social responsibility efforts and this campaign has been publically embraced and celebrated by those in the industry as creative and effective—one of the best.