ABSTRACT
In 2009, Nestlé and Greenpeace engaged in a social media battle over palm oil sourcing. Palm oil is used in a wide range of products. Greenpeace argued that Nestlé was irresponsibly sourcing palm oil and contributing to the destruction of orangutan habitat by using a supplier that eliminated rain forests to build palm oil plantations. Greenpeace defined Nestlé’s purchasing palm oil from the Sinar Mas Group, a company linked to rain forest destruction, as a problem. What began with an online PDF file and YouTube video quickly escalated into a battle fought largely in social media. Media critics proclaimed Greenpeace the winner and lamented Nestlé’s inept handling of the situation (Warner & Yeomans, 2012).
