Abbie Chatfield slams businesses who use floods, Ukraine war as a marketing scheme

Abbie Chatfield has slammed businesses who have used the war in Ukraine and floods in eastern Australia as a “marketing scheme”.

There has been an outpouring of donations to charities to support people displaced by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as well as the flood disaster in northern NSW and southwestern Queensland.

A charity telethon hosted by Channel 7, 9 and 10 last week raised more than $25 million for flood relief in a single evening.

Speaking on her podcast It’s A Lot this week, Chatfield applauded the genuine fundraising that had happened, while called out business who were instead using both disasters as “virtue signalling”.

She used one unnamed jewellery brand as an example, recounting how they had “said in order to make things better in Ukraine, we will give away a free pair of earrings with every order”.

“I just think this is happening so, so much … (companies are saying), we’ll give 10 per cent of sales of every bikini sold and it’s like hey, why don’t you just donate the money?” Chatfield said.

“If you can afford to donate 20 grand, donate the money.”

Chatfield stressed that she had no issue with companies doing flash charity sales on their items.

“If it’s 100 per cent of profits that’s the charity item, I love that, there are a few brands that have done that,” she said.

“When it’s like 10 per cent, they’re like we’re going to do what can do and we’re going to give 10 per cent to the floods for example, it’s just a marketing scheme … and virtual signalling.”

Chatfield argued that it was also beneficial to companies to donate all their profits rather than just a small portion as it would encourage customers to buy.

“From a cynical marketing point of view, if you give that money, you will probably get it back,” she said.

“Instead, if you say you have to buy this new ring collection because 10 per cent goes to Ukraine, just give the money to, quote-unquote, help Ukraine or help the floods, what are you helping?

“What are you giving the money to?”

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It’s not the only social issue Chatfield has addressed recently, with the radio personality also arguing many International Women’s Day events were performative and didn’t address the real issues around gender inequality.

In an Instagram post, Chatfield said she doesn’t want a male CEO to be patted on the back for “gathering everyone into the kitchen for morning tea, set up by his female staff, to say, ‘Thanks for all the hard work ladies!’ to then head back to his office where women are paid less and harassed more”.

Instead she wanted the day to be focused on “education around consent, DV [domestic violence] and SA [sexual assault] rates, how the wage gap actually works, and what men can do to actually help”.

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