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If World Vision can do it, you can too

By on August 6, 2008 in execution responsible, social media, social networking, videos, viral marketing, word of mouth

In Big ideas, tiny budgets, I shared some of the good work World Vision is doing using viral video to draw attention to their initiatives in the US and Australia.

Now, World Vision is back with a new video that builds upon their teenage affluenza theme:

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Watch this video on YouTube.

Here’s the description:

Many thousands of unfortunate teenagers struggle everyday with Teenage Affluenza. But Erin and Red have decided to make a difference and find out what real sacrifice is all about.

Erin is doing the ‘can’t touch anything with her hands’ 40 Hour Famine. Red is doing the ‘can’t watch TV or use technology’ 40 Hour Famine.

It could be worse. 218 million children around the world are forced to work and are denied their basic freedoms.

At least you’re not one of them.

I’m impressed with World Vision, not just with what they are doing, but how they are doing it.

Let me explain.

Before this video was released, I was contacted by World Vision Australia and asked for my opinion regarding their new video.

I’m assuming I was asked because of my blog post, but maybe it was due to my writing and speaking on Using social media to create social good or they found my collection of links on the topic.

Whatever the reason, they reached out via Twitter. That’s right, they Twitter (@stirmyworld).

And they do viral videos.

And they are on Facebook.

And they personally reach out to and engage bloggers.

Quite simply, World Vision gets social media, and if a non-profit can, you can too.

Who else in the non-profit space ‘gets it’ when it comes to social media?

Comment below to share.

. . .

Update: Less than eight hours ago, I published this post. World Vision UK saw it and shared the following video supporting their clean water campaign:


View this video on YouTube.

Clearly, World Vision is paying attention to the conversation that’s happening online. Impressive.

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  • http://www.stir.org.au Steve

    Hi Patrick,

    Thanks for your post. It fantastic to have other citizens of the web contributing to the idea of responsible marketing, and by extension, responsible living. The conversations here are fantastic.

    Keep up the great work, we’re fans here at World Vision Australia.

    Cheers.

    Steve

  • WorldVision USA ex

    I love the concept of socially responsible marketing. You are really moving in the right direction by recognizing, utilizing and positively impacting the world of NGOs (Non Governmental Organizations) and society by using your blog as a forum to spotlight and spread the good word. Kudos to you Patrick. And Kudos to….World Vision?

    What confuses me though, is the huge glaring emptiness in your blog created by the sheer lack of presence by your fellow Seattleite (sp?) WORLD VISION USA. They are your physical, yet worldly neighbor. As a former WorldVisioner I would have to say that as far as Marketing is concerned, WorldVision USA LACKS vision. They are headquartered near you, they are physically located in the virtual hub of the technological master city and yet, they seem to have no idea that you, or your blog exists. They dont know that youtube, facebook, myspace and the entire world of blogging exists. They are, and I speak from experience, ostrich-like dinosaurs in the land of plenty, with their heads literally buried in the sand of technology rich fertile ground. Maybe you should give them a call or mail them a printed copy of your blog. They could prove to be a good customer for your company, since you clearly possess the intelligence, wit and forethought that they could never muster.. (Wait, I know that the notion of picking up a phone or printing out blog pages on paper is an ancient practice, but truthfully, it is probably the only modes of communication that WorldVision USA will recognize.) I will say that WorldVision USA does a herculean job of actually going to the places in the world that need them. That WorldVision USA is a serious and hands on group that gets in the mud with the poor, lives in the shanties with the AIDS stricken, slums in the ghettos of SouthEast Asia with the child prostitutes forced into unspeakable positions. WorldVision USA is “working” and they probably really could use your help. Keep fighting the good fight. Ex

  • http://www.FaithComesByHearing.com Jon

    What a video!! Powerful and engaging. Thanks for the inspiration.

  • http://www.twitter.com/sharigoetsch Shari

    Thanks, Patrick. We really appreciate your shout outs to World Vision’s social media work in our offices throughout the world.

    Dear Ex, being a member of our US Seattle office, I’d have to agree, we’d like to be moving faster than we have. I think you’ll see us picking up even more momentum in the year ahead. Of course, we’re already on facebook, but we’d like to add yet another new app soon. To join our acting on aids group, visit http://apps.new.facebook.com/actingonaids/ Or to represent our 30 Hour Famine team, http://apps.new.facebook.com/causes/5804?m=fae90&recruiter_id=1523120.

    You can also subscribe to our YouTube channel here: http://www.youtube.com/worldvisionusa .

    We’ve just rolled out a new version of our website that we’re really excited about. It introduces a more powerful experience than the site we’re retiring. Check it out: http://site.worldvision.org. While it’s not as socially engaging (post photos, comments, ratings) as we’d like the next iteration to be, we do think it presents a more powerful and transformative experience to users. Future iterations will introduce more community engagement.

    We’d love to keep hearing your comments, and it sounds like you have some great ideas you’d like to contribute. Follow me on twitter, http://www.twitter.com/sharigoetsch, (follow World Vision too! http://twitter.com/WorldVisionUSA ), and dm me your contact info if you’re comfortable sharing. We have a virtual forum of users we’re gathering feedback from as the opportunity arises, and would welcome yours.

    Shari

    p.s. One of the challenges we’ve faced as an international partnership of offices is that we’re not, and shouldn’t be, moving unilaterally in social media. Engagement is about spreading the urgent message about children in poverty and inspiring people to act. This is a message that has no national boundary. I haven’t seen too many organizations deal with multiple youtube, facebook apps, etc. in ways that have created a standard for what World Vision as an international partnership should do going forward. If anyone has any models to point us too, we would appreciate the input.

  • http://www.aidtochildren.com Gordon Hunt

    A great supporter of World Vision is AIDtoCHILDREN.com.

    AIDtoCHILDREN.com is a dual-purpose site for building an English
    vocabulary and raising money for under privileged children in the most
    impoverished places around the world.

    Check it out at http://www.aidtochildren.com

  • http://www.gabjournal.wordpress.com Gabriel Wong

    World Vision paying attention to the blogosphere? Amazing!! I did the 40 Hour famine this year for the first time and raised $1000. If World Vision noticed your blog, hopefully they will notice mine: http://www.gabjournal.wordpress.com