Today is the 10th Annual Bell Let’s Talk Day, a CSR campaign by Bell Canada to combat the stigma surrounding mental illness. The initial goal of the campaign was to start a conversation around mental health, with people being encouraged to share their experiences. This year, perhaps in response to criticism over inaction, the advertising has focused more on the organizations the campaign supports and the services actually being delivered. For every interaction*, Bell donates 5¢ to support these different Canadian mental health initiatives.
* Applicable interactions (no limit)
Twitter: Tweet or retweet using #BellLetsTalk, or watch the official video from @Bell_LetsTalk
Facebook: Use the Bell Let’s Talk Facebook frame, or watch the official video on the Bell Let’s Talk page
Instagram: Watch the official video from @bell_letstalk
Snapchat: Send a snap using the Bell Let’s Talk geofilter, or watch the official video
YouTube: Watch the official Bell Let’s Talk video on the Bell Canada account
Text: Send texts (excludes iMessages) over the Bell network
Talk: Mobile and long distance calls made by Bell customers
This type of hashtag activism, though inorganic, clearly gets people involved. As of 12:00 pm PST, there were already over 60,000,000 interactions. Individuals and organizations who have participated thus far include Justin Trudeau, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, the Winnipeg Jets, the BTS “army”, TSN, and countless others. As the pervasiveness of social media grew, so to did engagement with this campaign. In 2018, the #BellLetsTalk hashtag was the most used Canadian hashtag on Twitter. While hashtag activism is perhaps the simplest way for people to get involved in a movement nowadays, one critique often directed towards it is that mere awareness rarely brings real change. The corporate involvement, though it bothers some people (allegations that this is all for the PR), combats this problem for Bell Let’s Talk Day. Not only is there actually a greater conversation around mental health, but by Bell’s own calculations, they have committed $100,695,763.75 to mental health initiatives since 2011.
P.S. The irony is not lost on many that the platforms that have facilitated the success of this campaign are also those that, through a multitude of ways, negatively impact people’s mental health the other 364 days of the year.
https://letstalk.bell.ca/en/results-impact/
https://www.newtimes.co.rw/society/hashtag-activism-powerful-or-pointless
https://montrealgazette.com/technology/bell-lets-talk-day-doesnt-sit-well-with-all-canadians
Great points about the ironies of this campaign.
Echoing that point, an Ottawa lawyer actually pointed out that Bell’s prison telecommunications structure implicitly hurts inmates with mental health issues by denying access to loved ones, support and counsellors, and legal help.
Not only does Bell make profits from its contract with Canadian prisons, the provincial Ontario government also supposedly makes a commission for every call made. I think this really speaks to the underlying links between the law, politics, and communications. While people around the world are quick to jump at the social media campaigns, many overlook the problematic and ironic foundations of how corporations utilize communications and social media to strategically divert attention away from prevalent societal issues.
Read the CBC article here: https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-tuesday-edition-1.5443076/company-behind-bell-let-s-talk-profits-off-vulnerable-inmates-through-phone-deal-with-jails-lawyer-1.5444598?fbclid=IwAR04fJt2DG02Pdty685GtBzxsrL4nrISC8-T6sWlzZx5crHJjVd23NWzgN8
I can see how this could merely be a publicity stunt, to get more people talking (about Bell). I feel like people know Bell for this initiative towards mental health and have ultimately created a free advertisement platform to use. Where people are just sharing the Bell name around to millions of people. Also, who knows how much Bell has actually raised in the past 9 years, we do not know if all $100 million was donated or was that a smaller number than they actually achieved during the campaign. To me its a great way to raise awareness but its obviously a way for Bell to get free advertisement.