Wendy’s social media smackdown, Part Two…

Above is the opening of Alyssa Milano’s Instagram response to Wendy’s statement to CNN on the social media firestorm set off on Sunday by Amy Schumer’s Instagram post calling on people to boycott Wendy’s for its refusal to join the Fair Food Program. Wendy’s statement began, “This is complex issue…”

Sunday Fail: Wendy’s tries to leverage social media for free publicity following Chance the Rapper tweet; Amy Schumer responds with an Instagram post calling for a boycott given Wendy’s refusal to join Fair Food Program; #BoycottWendys goes viral…

Monday Fail: Wendy’s turns to CNN with statement intended to extinguish “mushrooming” social media firestorm sparked by Amy Schumer’s viral Instagram boycott post; Alyssa Milano sets the record straight with a hard-hitting response to Wendy’s disinformation-filled statement; Still more consumers educated on Wendy’s unconscionable position on sexual violence in agriculture…

Fair Food Nation: 2 
Wendy’s PR Department: 0

On Monday, Wendy’s PR department went into full crisis management mode, scrambling to come up with a statement in response to media inquiries following Amy Schumer’s explosive Instagram post on Sunday in support of the CIW’s Wendy’s Boycott.  Unfortunately for the hamburger giant, when you make an indefensible decision, it’s… well… hard to defend.  

Here, below, is apparently the best defense Wendy’s could come up with for its refusal to join the Fair Food Program, published in a CNN article on the social media flap and aimed at the only audience that might believe its spin – the uninformed consumer:

… A spokesperson for Wendy’s told CNN in a statement that “This is a complex issue, but be assured that we do not purchase the field grown product that the Fair Food Program covers.”

“In fact, Wendy’s is proud to only purchase tomatoes from indoor hydroponic North American farms. We are excited about the superior quality of these tomatoes, and this move further strengthens our commitment to responsible sourcing practices by providing safe, indoor working conditions, shelter from the elements and environmental contaminants, reduced water and land use burdens, and a significantly reduced need for chemical pesticides,” the statement went on to say. “Further, all of our suppliers must adhere to our Supplier Code of Conduct which includes requirements related to human rights and labor practices. You can find more information about our position on this matter on our blog.”

Fortunately, actress, activist, and stalwart Fair Food supporter Alyssa Milano is anything but an uninformed consumer, and she was quick to turn to Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook to set the record straight for her millions of followers.  Here is her statement in full, all of which has the virtue of being actually true:

We will happily give Alyssa the last word and leave it at that… for today. 

This media firestorm is clearly long from over for Wendy’s, so make sure to stay tuned for a media round-up later this week.  And if you have not yet had a chance to weigh in on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram to let Wendy’s know that the Fair Food Nation will settle for nothing less than a real commitment from the fast food giant to prevent human rights abuses in their supply chain through the Fair Food Program – make sure to get in on the #BoycottWendys conversation yourself!