Sara Lee Deli Seeks Followers with Twitter Donation Campaign

Visitors who sign on to follow @SaraLeeDeli will unlock up to $25,000 for Share Our Strength and get brand message tweets, too.

Sara Lee Deli wants Twitter followers and is willing to pay to get them.

More philanthropically, the brand behind Sara lee Fresh Ideas pre-sliced deli meats is celebrating National Sandwich Day today, Nov. 3, with a campaign that will donate $1 to anti-childhood hunger organization Share Our Strength for each Twitter follower who signs on to follow the brand’s Twitter page within the 24-hour window beginning at midnight Pacific Standard Time.

Currently the account has about 1,100 followers. Sara Lee has promised to contribute up to $25,000 in the “Deli Difference” registration drive.  By the company’s calculations, that translates to the equivalent of 16,500 sandwiches for the charity, which has as its goal ending childhood hunger in the country by 2015.

To help raise awareness of the campaign, the brand has been tweeting about it since mid-October and encouraging current followers to re-tweet those messages.  Sara Lee will be using the #sldeli and #delidifference hash tags to get the word out in the Twitter community during the day.

“National Sandwich Day is a terrific opportunity for us to make a difference and help a hungry child in need,” Sara lee deli vice president Jonathan Drake said in a release. “We are giving our consumers a simple way to participate in the program and join Sara Lee deli in the fight against hunger.”

In addition to triggering the contribution to fight hunger, fans who sign up to follow Sara Lee Deli on Twitter will also get a steady diet of sandwich recipes, kitchen tips and coupon offers from the channel.

Sara Lee will also celebrate National Sandwich Day on its Facebook page with forum discussions, visitor polls and other interactive tools that relate to the “Deli Difference” campaign for Share Our Strength. Visitors will also get instruction from Sara lee chefs in the seven steps to creating an award-winning sandwich, along with tips and trivia about National Sandwich Day.

According to the brand, sandwiches are the leading lunch and dinner entrée in the U.S. today.