Case Study Analysis 1: Feeding America & Social Media

Feeding America, at the national and local levels, has started to come in to it's own within the social media sphere. National offices in Chicago are in charge of the it's blog site: http://blog.feedingamerica.org/ that update the public about what is going on at a national level and some local level achievements such as celebrities visiting local food banks. Their blog also has links to Feeding America's Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, Flickr and YouTube accounts so readers can follow and support the organization right at home. Feeding America's national site [ http://feedingamerica.org/ ] links followers to local food bank websites and has the option to "Click to Give" where supporters can donate a dollar or more online. Anything related to Feeding America's brand is recognizable with it's signature orange and green colors and the fluidity of it's interactive websites. I'm still trying to determine how I feel about Flickr but Feeding America has definitely found the power in photos. This visual side of social media allows organization to tell their story solely through phots, which at times can be more powerful than text.

[ http://www.flickr.com/photos/feedingamerica ] 

 PSA's such as this one have generated conversation on the Internet and allow people to share their thoughts and opinions while getting the message out to viewers about the 7 million Americans that go hungry every day:

Sure, I might be a little biased since I am an intern at Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin, but I did not realize the extent to which they utilize multiple social networking sites to get the message of their mission across to the public. People are constantly updating the blog, Facebook and Twitter pages so it is actually a useful tool for the company versus a blank page that sites in the endless world of the Internet. Gee has mentioned in class that if an organization does not have the staff or the drive to keep up with a blog or other social networking tools, then it really becomes useless to the company rather than beneficial. The supporters of Feeding America truly help run the show for many of it's social media outlets. Without fans and followers, there would not be anyone to donate online or spread the message at a local level to other people in the same demographic. $1 = 5 meals, that's some pretty powerful stuff. I definitely think that Feeding America is headed in the right direction with social media. Having interactive sites for one's followers truly allows a non-profit organization to benefit and be successful while benefiting the community.

References:
http://feedingamerica.org/
http://blog.feedingamerica.org/
http://www.facebook.com/FeedingAmerica