top of page
Writer's pictureMichael B. Benedict

A 79-year-old sausage company encourages society to "fix the internet." Wait, what?

Updated: Nov 18

Over the weekend, a friend from Texas was excited to share a new marketing campaign from Johnsonville. The company sells plump, juicy sausages that make you want to bite your laptop (this is not advised).



Image Credit: Recipes.Net


Their approach seems unconventional but is a creative way to address a societal issue while promoting their product. The line of thinking goes like this: Sausages are enjoyed at barbecues. Barbecues require people. People are hanging out less. Less hanging out means fewer barbecues and lower sausage sales. How do you get people together?


First, why are people hanging out less?


+60% of Americans said having fun with people has gotten harder lately.

+80% of Americans are exhausted by the anger and negativity in America.

+Only 1 in 3 people are hanging out more now with others than 5 years ago.


What do people agree on?


+85% agree that social connections are important for overall well-being.

+91% agree you don't need to agree with someone to enjoy a meal together.

+88% feel better about the world when they see positive news/events online.


Their marketing campaign encourages people to post "unexpected acts done in the spirit of togetherness." Their webpage motivates visitors to upload and share videos of people doing uplifting, selfless acts for others while encouraging everyone to share the videos and flood the internet with positive posts. Get people together and focus on the good in everyone. America needs more of this.


I applaud Johnsonville, Stephanie Schafer, APR, and the entire company for pushing against the tide of negativity and incivility in society. They do it in a fun and cheeky manner while imparting a much-needed message. May we all embrace it while enjoying amazing sausages this summer and beyond.


Here is a beautiful example of a baseball team that invites a young man with autism to play on its team (note - scroll and click on the baseball image).


_______________________________________________________________


Michael Benedict published his first book, The Civil Society Playbook: A Commonsense Plan for a Return to Civility, in 2024. His career spans 25+ years in senior-level marketing positions at Fortune 1000 companies, tech startups, and marketing consultancies. His book covers areas of incivility that are not frequently discussed in the media. It offers solutions - actions - that anyone, regardless of age, can implement to improve civility in all aspects of society. He can be reached at michaelbbenedict@gmail.com. The book is available on Amazon, Apple Books, and Audible.




Recent Posts

See All

Comments


bottom of page