How FCB's Hellocomputer is Feeding Hungry Children with Social Media

The Peninsula School Feeding Association (PSFA) and FCB South Africa’s award-winning digital  agency, Hellocomputer, have teamed up to introduce a new media platform to South Africa that will encourage social media users to help feed hungry school children.

The platform, called Social Feed, literally turns media budgets into healthy plates of food. The more people share content on Facebook and Twitter, the more meals will be shared with those who need them.

The PSFA has spent the last 55 years feeding as many school children as possible. With a dream to expand into more schools, the organisation was only too happy when Hellocomputer approached it with a smart idea, based on a very simple insight.

Hellocomputer Creative Director, Camilla Clerke, explained: “We all spend so much time sharing content on our social media channels, like foodie pictures, ads, competitions and grumpy cats. And brands spend a lot of money with big media houses hoping we’ll share their content.

“Hellocomputer asked what if we shared something that could actually make change happen. And what if brands bought media that could make a real difference – like feeding thousands of hungry school kids warm, nutritious meals every single day. And so Social Feed was born.”

The process is simple. Brands buy media on Social Feed and place an ad, or a piece of content they want shared. Each time someone shares it to their newsfeed, a meal is shared with a child in need. And since social media platforms sell social media users’ networks to brands anyway, Social Feed will now allow people to sell their own social network in order to support a good cause.

“All this means that Social Feed is a new way to fill up your newsfeeds, while filling up some very hungry tummies,” said Hellocomputer Executive Creative Director, Simon Spreckley.

“Some of the country’s biggest brands, like Lucky Star and Investec Asset Management, are now buying media with Social Feed. These brands will get exposure, consumers get a say in who buys their social network, and we get to feed children in need.”