Bell scraps plan to donate 5 cents per text on Let’s Talk Day, will give lump sum of $10M instead | 24CA News
Bell Canada is overhauling its charitable initiative that helps psychological well being, changing a program that noticed the corporate donate 5 cents each time Canadians used the phrase “Bell Lets Talk” with a lump-sum donation of $10 million.
Since its founding in 2010, the Bell Let’s Talk initiative has seen the telecom big donate 5 cents each time Canadians used the BellLetsTalk hashtag on social media or in a textual content.
Over the previous 13 years, it has raised greater than $129 million for greater than 1,400 psychological health-related organizations throughout Canada, serving to greater than 5 million Canadians within the course of, Bell says.
Last yr, the phrase was used greater than 165 million occasions on-line on Let’s Talk Day, elevating greater than $8.2 million.
But this yr, the corporate is altering the marketing campaign, changing the pledge to donate primarily based on using the phrase with a promise to donate $10 million as an alternative, no matter whether or not anyone texts, tweets or in any other case makes use of the phrase on Jan. 25.
Bell famous in a press launch that $10 million is greater than the corporate has donated in any single yr for the reason that initiative started, and it added that altering this system “will shift more emphasis on the day toward practical actions that we can all take throughout the year to create change.”
“We will put the focus on community organizations that are helping to drive this change and moving mental health support forward,” CEO Mirko Bibic mentioned.
While the marketing campaign was a advertising win for Bell initially, in recent times the recognition of the hashtag has drawn some undesirable scrutiny to the corporate.
In 2021, the corporate laid off workers at radio stations throughout Canada inside weeks of Let’s Talk Day.
Then final yr, it confronted public picture points as quite a lot of staff with the corporate’s media division got here ahead with complaints concerning the work tradition.
Former CP24 climate specialist Patricia Jaggernauth launched a criticism with Ontario’s Human Rights Commission alleging systemic discrimination.
Danielle Graham, a former host of leisure news program eTalk, is suing the corporate for wrongful dismissal after being let go with out warning after a 15-year profession.
And final fall, the ouster of CTV National News chief anchor Lisa LaFlamme was met with a firestorm of controversy, prompting an investigation into office tradition on the Bell-owned broadcaster and resulting in the top of CTV News, Michael Melling, being reassigned.
Daniel Tsai, a lecturer on legislation, know-how and tradition on the University of Toronto and Toronto Metropolitan University, mentioned the transfer is clearly aimed toward reclaiming the initiative away from a number of the criticisms which have overtaken the marketing campaign in recent times.
“It has been highly criticized, but at the same time it does bring attention to a really important medical issue,” he mentioned in an interview. “That is definitely a reason to switch … to a one-time donation to avoid negative press about how the program is a PR stunt as opposed to a solution.”
