New Benetton site highlights social issues

The website, www.benettontalk.com, initially focuses on land rights and indigenous peoples' issues, but it will be gradually expanded to encompass other relevant social topics, such as the genetic richness of life and children affected by war. The launch was timed to coincide with Benetton's donation of 7,500 hectares of land to the Government of Chubut Province, Patagonia in Argentina, to be used by the province's native peoples. "Above all, we wanted to create a two-way communication with consumers, by stimulating comments and contributions from the readers," said Renzo di Renzo, art director of Fabrica and editorial director of Colors magazine. "A real global brand must consider the world not just as a global market or a wider group of consumers, but as a community of people in which it acts," said di Renzo. Benettontalk.com features news articles, photos and videos, and a number of links encouraging users to present their ideas and reflections, thus starting a dialogue with the site. Targeted at young consumers and other users of the internet, it is published in seven different languages to give it broader appeal, including Chinese and Japanese. Di Renzo added Benetton is not currently seeking advertisers for site, as it was being regarded as a communications experiment in which the readers are treated as the owners. sm