The Hunger No More Initiative

A Corporate Social Responsibility PR Campaign for GrubHub

GrubHub has mastered making their customers feel valued through cohesive and streamlined PR, interactive social media outreach, and great customer service. However, the company is lacking in general community outreach and corporate social responsibility (CSR) outreach.

The Hunger No More initiative will give GrubHub the opportunity to be active in their local Chicago area, as well as communities affected by natural disasters and hunger on a nation-wide level through:

Sponsoring local food banks.

Including customers in their efforts through social media.

Sending the GrubMobile to areas recently affected by natural disasters.

Grub Giveaways to families and individuals in need.

Strengths: Excellent PR platforms and infrastructure in place (interactive website and social media, unique print media, customer service).

Weaknesses: Sole focus on internet and mobile communications = less brand awareness and narrow target market; sole focus on rewarding customers, almost no outreach to community.

Opportunities: Get off the internet and in to the real world! Be active and present in local and national communities.

Threats: Physical restaurants, Grocery stores / cooking at home (more cost effective), Food companies + grocers that do CSR. (CocaCola, Tyson, Target, Walmart).

The Hunger No More GrubMobile

GrubHub, in partnership with local relief efforts, will bring food donated or given at a discount by local businesses and restaurants to volunteers in devastated communities in the GrubMobile. This gives GrubHub a unique opportunity to enter into business with local restaurants in the future.

Example: Partnering with Habitat for Humanity’s efforts in The Rockaways after Hurricane Sandy to feed their volunteers; provides face to face PR opportunities for both GrubHub and the local businesses.

Hunger No More Grub Giveaways

GrubHub can affect people directly by holding drawings at these volunteer events. Families and individuals directly affected by the natural disaster can enter the Hunger No More Grub Giveaway at their own discretion, one name or family drawn at random will receive free grub for one month. Short Term: monetary investment. Long Term: Brand awareness and loyalty

Example: Habitat for Humanity volunteers who live in the Rockaways can enter to win free grub; provides incentive to come out and volunteer. Pros: Relieves the burden of finding food, boosts local economy. Cons: Homeless people often do not have contact information or internet access.

Sponsorship of local Chicago food banks - GrubHub is a Chicago-based company, and Chicago has one of the highest poverty rates (10.4%) and food insecurity rates (17%) in the country. Monetarily sponsoring food banks in Chicago would give non-profit charitable organizations more stability, and would also provide a platform for GrubHub to brand themselves as a company that cares. A positive reputation surrounding a company that performs well usually translates to more users and customers.

Asking users to join in by (1) donating a specific amount when they order food online or (2) by donating canned and boxed goods to their local food banks in return for a chance to win free grub expands the initiative nationally.

Press Releases and Pitching - local media for food bank sponsorships, national media for disaster relief, the GrubMobile, and Grub Giveaways.

Local LI Examples: Newsday, Long Island Press, The Wave, News 12,

National Examples - The New York Times, The Huffington Post, CNN, NPR

Press Conferences - CEO and COO/Founders Matt Maloney and Mike Evans available for comment and interviews.

Print Media - incorporated with current GrubHub print media and its unique caricature style; partner with specific food banks, charities, and volunteer organizations to ask for donations and provide information about relief efforts.

Food Bank Fridays via Facebook and Instagram - Users submit pictures via Facebook or Instagram of themselves donating to their local food bank for a chance to win free grub.

Hashtags and re-tweets via Twitter - #hungernomore; re-tweets about the Hunger No More Campaign could win participants free grub.

Young people - GrubHub’s current customer base is mostly young people due to its online presence. The Hunger No More initiative will focus on getting the current customer base involved in their local communities.

Families and individuals in need – Employees and users of food banks are more likely to patronize businesses who have helped them. Aiding in relief efforts and giving free grub away to families and individuals affected by poverty, hunger, or natural disasters; promotes brand awareness and loyalty.

Businesses affected by poverty and disaster – Asking for food donations or buying food from local restaurants to help in a relief effort helps boost the local economy, and would also provide new business for GrubHub.

Socially Conscious People – People like to feel that they have bettered the world.

Local communities matter to GrubHub - GrubHub is powered by local communities all over the country. When a community is affected by a disaster, GrubHub should take the view that the entire GrubHub community is affected too.

GrubHub is committed to giving back to Chicago and eradicating hunger nation-wide - Sponsoring non-profits betters the community and is tax-deductible; providing incentive for users to give back to their communities boosts GrubHub’s reputation.

Increased Presence in the Real World vs. Online - larger reach

Increased Customer/User Base - CSR promotes brand loyalty

Increased Business Participation - business owners who are invested in their local community will join GrubHub’s efforts.

Better Reputation - will lead to increased user/customer base and greater customer and business participation.

Number of businesses participating in GrubHub’s services increases in the areas where GrubHub sponsors food banks and does disaster outreach.

Total number of monthly food orders using grubhub.com increases by at least 5%.

Total number of Facebook “likes” increases by at least 5% (about 12,000 new likes) over the first six months of the campaign.

Total number of Twitter follows increases by at least at least 5% (about 3,050 new follows) over the first six months of the campaign.

Food bank sponsorship - generate PR buzz within first two weeks of campaign; the donation itself should be an event; periodic donations and publicity every month.

Social Media PR - Two weeks to one month to design promotional materials; Introduced online in the 2nd or 3rd week of the campaign in conjunction with GrubHub’s first donation to a local food bank; Immediate response once posted on social media.

GrubMobile and Grub Giveaways - dependent on current events.

Internal Costs: GrubMobile, Hiring for Community Outreach Division, Sponsorship Budget, Giving away free grub (first 6 months: $75,000)

External Costs: ongoing campaign, dependent upon current events - hourly rate of $25; monthly retainer of $22/hr, working 15 hours a week; option for GrubHub to handle PR internally.