Marin Institute

The recent earthquake in Haiti and its aftermath is by any measure a massive humanitarian disaster. The good news is that people all over the globe are doing whatever they possibly can to help--donating money, clothing, food, water, and their expertise.

But most of these generous people are not putting out press releases about their good deeds. Nor are they branding their donated goods with their personal monikers.

Why then, is Anheuser-Busch InBev sending out a press release about the 350,000 cans of water the company sent from its nearby plant in Santo Domingo? And why does the beer behemoth need to brand the cans of this much-needed water with its corporate logo?

Of course, we applaud any company's efforts to assist people who are suffering by donating money, drinking water, and other supplies. But it seems more than a tad distasteful to turn any donation into a public relations opportunity by bragging about it.

So thank you, Anheuser-Busch InBev and all the other major corporations that are donating money and supplies. Just please stop putting out press releases about it, since that really does diminish your brand.