Greenback Case Study
In this case, Greenback started a campaign which called on people to oppose Passbooks plan to build a new data center. The data center would use electricity from burning coal which is the most important source of global warming.
Greenback expected Faceable could stop the plan for the data center and hoped that Faceable would serve as as a strong example to influence other technology Industries to follow their lead. In this issue, Faceable should respond to Greenback’s appeal very carefully because its response will affect Passbook’s equines operation and Passbooks image.
To solve this crisis, Faceable can take serious strategies, such as ignoring the campaign of Greenback, criticizing Greenback, or establishing a new brand image of protecting the environment. Faceable might ignore the demands of Greenback because the public opinion is easy to divert. In this information era, there are many boiling points to draw publics attention. It seems that ignoring Greenback and letting new issues attract people’s attention is a good strategy to guide Faceable through this crisis.
However, Greenback is known for perseverance and over more than 200,000 people have lilied the video which Greenback launched online to expose Passbooks data center plan. If Faceable ignores Greenback’s demands, but the publics attention is still focused on this issue months later. Faceable will have to respond to Greenback’s campaign. That would hurt Passbooks brand image and might lead some Faceable users who are environmentalists to reject using Faceable. Consequently, ignoring the campaign of Greenback has many potential risks for Faceable.
If the strategy of ignoring Greengages demands fails, Faceable might directly criticize Greenback.
Faceable could use several arguments to criticize Greenback. First, many corporations’ data centers also utilize coal power, such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo. Greenback cannot expect only Faceable to use green energy.
Second, Greenback could argue that only coal power is available in Oregon. Therefore, Greenback should focus on the States’ effort to develop alternative forms of energies, rather than focusing only on Faceable.
Last and the cost prominent point, Greenback also uses coal power. Faceable can let Greenback explain why an environmental origination is using unclean power, while and same time blaming other companies for utilizing unclean energy. This is might a DOD strategy to respond to Greenback, but this approach maybe result Faceable in future difficulty. Rather than ignoring or criticizing Greenback, Faceable could use this crisis as an opportunity to build its brand image.
An international company is not lust about earning money, but also should be socially responsible.
Protecting the environment can help Faceable fulfill its social responsibilities. Therefore, Faceable can issue an public statement including some new plans: working with Oregon government for using clean energy instead of coal power within two years, donating five percent of revenue for the first two years to tackle global warming, and starting a new campaign which urging all Faceable users to reduce the use of coal power and to be the part of the solution of global warming. In this way, Faceable might attract more users.
If Faceable chooses the third option, Faceable can continue work on heir data center. Faceable has already planned US $188 million to build this data center and has begun work on the project.
If Faceable chooses a new place for the data center, it will affect the Faceable business plan. Working with the local government, Faceable can proceed with the data center plan. Donating money to protect the environment and urging Faceable users to reduce the use of unclean energy is a good way for Faceable to practice its social responsibility and to build its brand image protecting the environment.
Faceable users will know that Faceable is purporting environmentally company which will attract more Faceable users and investors. Therefore, Faceable should seize this chance to show that Faceable is socially responsible.
In conclusion, acting in socially responsible manner and building a favorable image would not only help Faceable solve the present crisis, but Mould also benefit for its business. In keeping with Greengage’s expectations, Faceable will influence many other technology industries to protect the environment. Acting as socially responsible corporation, Faceable will attract more users, employees, and investors.
