Burt's Bees Research

This week I was looking forward to our guest speaker from Burt's Bees, but due to hurricane Sandy the visit from Global Marketing Manager Julie Talbot was cancelled. I did, however, conduct some research about the company's public perception, an issue they face right now, as well as a question I had for Ms. Talbot. Hopefully her presentation is rescheduled for later in the semester!

1. Burt’s Bees has worked hard to adapt and keep up with the growing use of social media on Facebook and Twitter, but many users have reported technical issues with signing up for online contests and other sorts of interactive features. It seems that Burt’s Bees may have overly ambitious goals on social media and has disgruntled some of their fans with its technical issues.   

2. Consumer perception of Burt’s Bees is incredibly favorable. The public sees the company as responsible, forward thinking and lovable, and almost all the groundswell is positive and supportive.

3. How does Burt’s Bees strike a balance between working toward the “Greater Good” of society and being socially responsible vs. making a profit and increasing shareholder value?