O-M-G Chipotle goes GMO-free!

On Monday, April 27, Chipotle announced that they are “G-M-Over it” and cut out ingredients that were made with Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). Chipotle’s website explains how GMO crops corn and soy are no longer used in their tortilla recipe. The two ingredients have been replaced with non-GMO alternatives such as rice bran oil and sunflower, which align with Chipotle’s “food with integrity” motto. Convinced? 

Source: Chipotle

Some critics are not. Though Chipotle has been a strong advocate for selling food using only the freshest ingredients, many believe that the “G-M-Over it” is just a greenwashing PR tactic. Greenwashing, or green marketing, is used to promote the perception that an organization’s products, aims, or policies are environmentally friendly. Announcing GMO-free ingredients turned many people off. Here is why:

Attempt to attract millennials

The millennial generation as a whole is beginning to see the importance of sustainable businesses practices that go into making products. They are becoming increasingly aware of what is being put into their food and where their food is coming from. Many millennials steer away from GMO-made products, partially because GMOs are misunderstood. Experts say the GMO-containing foods being grown in the States are no riskier than conventional foods. Currently, all GMO applications are safe according to Gregory Jaffe, director of biotechnology at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Not 100% G-M-Over it

Towards the end of the announcement, Chipotle states that while their tortillas and cooking oil are 100% GMO-free, their sodas and meat still contain traces of GMOs. Sodas contain corn syrup, which always has  some type of genetic modification. The feed that animals eat usually includes corn and genetically modified grain. Clearly Chipotle is not G-M-Over it if they continue to sell sodas and meat from animals that consume feed. Perhaps Chipotle should have titled the announcement “G-M-Ostly Over It” for accuracy.

Uh, hello? Chipotle is still unhealthy fast food

Using GMO-free cooking oil and tortillas does not make Chipotle any healthier for consumers. At the end of the day, a burrito is a burrito. A survey conducted by the New York Times revealed the typical meal consumed at Chipotle contains close to a full day’s sodium intake and 1,070 calories.

Jaffe exclaims, “If (Chipotle) really wanted to improve people’s health, they should worry a lot more about the salt and fat in their burritos than a little bit of soybean oil and a little cornmeal.” 

 

Personally, this controversy will not steer me away from Chipotle anytime soon (Pile on the guac! Yes, I know it is extra). However, it does make you think about what the food industry determines as a priority for its consumers. What do you think? Was this just another greenwashing technique or do you feel that the GMO-free announcement increases credibility among environmentally conscious Chipotle fans?

Chipotle's Offensive Twitter Hack

Chipotle Mexican Grill had a lot of cleaning up to do after the brand's Twitter account was hacked for two hours on Sunday morning. Hackers changed the account's avatar to a picture of a swastika, edited the bio information, and sent out multiple tweets using offensive language to attack President Obama and the government systems.

Source: Coloradan Magazine

According to Mashable, Chipotle Communications Director, Chris Arnold, immediately responded to the hacking by making a public statement:

"Our Twitter account was hijacked overnight for about two hours during which a series of offensive tweets was posted to the account. We apologize for the nature of the posts that were made during that time, and we are now conducting an investigation to try to determine what happened and who might have been involved." 

During PR issues such as these where customers and audience members are offended, it is important for the brand to come forward with a spokesperson and a statement. Sitting back in silence can often lead to assumptions that your brand or organization is backing up whatever drama has occured. Not only did Chris Arnold speak on behalf of Chipotle, but the brand also tweeted a public apology and deleted all remains of the inappropriate hack.

Chipotle is commonly associated with positive marketing. Its current "Cultivating Thought" campaign involves printed literature on the restaurant's cups and paper bags as an activity for customers while dining. The works of well-known authors, such as Malcolm Gladwell, Toni Morrison, and Michael Lewis, and even a few faces from the entertainment realm, like Bill Hader, Sarah Silverman, and Judd Apatow, are used within the series. Additionally, the brand had a successful Twitter contest the week prior to the hack; followers posted haikus about Chipotle on Twitter and shared via Facebook to be entered to win a free entree for two.

Source: Vanity Fair

In July of 2013, Chipotle actually "faked" its own Twitter hacking as a publicity stunt for their 20th anniversary, and wound up with over 4,000 new followers the next day. Let's see how much @ChipotleTweets' followership increases after a real hack.

Hopefully the Communications staff was able to treat themselves to a hearty burrito after what must have been one stressful social media Sunday.