Asking for "a bigger discussion on food," Monsanto has put together an ad campaign based on a family theme that would warm anyone's heart when it comes to genetically modified organisms.
The St. Louis-based maker of Roundup has taken the lead in the field of GMOs, which now make up most of the world's seeds, crops and plants.
While it portrays its mission to genetically engineer the world's harvests as a positive, resource-saving endeavor, Monsanto has a long way to go in the court of public opinion.
Monsanto admits it has been good at communicating with farmers but not with consumers, according to a report in DTN The Progressive Farmer. The company has brought farmers on board the GMO train by showing its technologically advanced seeds will withstand Roundup and will produce a uniform and abundant crop year after year.
But since its first genetically modified seeds were developed in 1983, Monsanto has focused on the farmer first and has had limited contact with families that buy the food at the markets. Now that it has the farmers rounded up, Monsanto wants to reach the moms and millennials, it says.
"What we've realized is there's a lot of confusion about who Monsanto is and what we do on behalf of the consumer," company spokeswoman Jessica Simmons told DTN Progressive Farmer Crops.
Simmons also noted that the relationship is complicated because Monsanto isn't marketing directly to consumers. "They aren't buying our brand," she said.
"This is something we needed to do," Simmons said. "We have nothing to hide. We're making sure that people understand that we're open and that we want to connect. We want to be transparent."
Monsanto has recently had to fend off a slew of other accusations related to bioweaponry and alleged malfeasance by Harvard Law Professor Francis Boyle and others.
Many of the company's former employees hold positions with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which has given the company power to move its products through the pipeline with limited regulation. Yesterday, Monsanto announced the USDA approved widespread use of its GMO soybean and cotton.
So the TV advertisements have a lot of ground to cover.
Monsanto's TV ads direct the public to its website, where there are questions allegedly from consumers (complete with misspellings) and reassuring, well-written responses from the company.
Some of the questions posted relate to the company's stance against labeling foods that contain GMO content, why GMO food is banned in Monsanto's cafeteria and health risks related to GMOs.
