When Coke and Pepsi start being judged by their social responsibility as much as their taste (and their ads), you’ll know Responsible Marketing has arrived, right? Well, that time has come.
The associated article does a great job laying out the differences between the campaigns, then left it up to readers to choose which campaign they preferred.
For marketers wanting to reach the younger generation, this makes sense:
This “conscious capitalism” has been a growing trend, and for good reason. A 2006 Millennial Cause Study by Cone Inc. and AMP Insights found that 69% of Millennials will consider a company’s social and environmental commitment when deciding where to shop, and a whopping 89% are likely to switch from one brand to another if the second brand is associated with a good cause. That’s powerful motivation for companies fighting for market share.
Join us as we unveil our new look and see what it means for us, our clients and ultimately, our world.
Pam Mauk, Executive Director of Family Resource Center will share some of the important work they’re doing to support 18 charities that provide essential human services on the Eastside.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Doors open at 4pm; presentation begins at 5:30pm
With a goal of helping raise over one million hours of community service, the Starbucks Pledge5 campaign is in full-swing running in-stores and online. With the leading question “Are you in?” the ask is for a pledge of five hours of community service in 2009.
Commit five hours between today and January 25th and you’ll get a free cuppa joe.
Kudos to Starbucks for using their reach to do some good—now if they could only get my drink right.
What other ways can corporate America encourage community service?
On Christmas Day, John Lennon returned from the dead.
Well, his image and voice were resurrected to help the One Laptop Per Child Foundation “OLPCF” and it’s raised a few eyebrows (and hackles).
If you haven’t heard about the OLPCF, here’s a summary:
It’s an education project, not a laptop project. Inexpensive, durable, networked laptops are important to better education everywhere in the world, empowering children and communities, and sharing access to modern skills with every child on the planet.
“John Lennon’s vision of a better world aligns perfectly with the mission of One Laptop per Child,” says Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the OLPC.
But his opinion isn’t shared by all. An article in Ad Age sums it up well:
Still, the ads have mostly been polarizing. Comments at the YouTube page where the ad has been posted by the foundation range from “It’s a good message, but this is too far” to “This is an abomination.” Writers on the popular website Boing Boing said, “Resurrecting the dead to shill modern products is not going to catch on,” adding, “Digitally, it’s creepy.”
I always view the use of images of dead celebrities—digitally enhanced or created from scratch—as irresponsible. They’re simply not here to let us know whether they’d approve.
To me, it’s partly about casting responsibility. I couldn’t see Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne or W.C. Fields saying this. But John Lennon feels like a nice fit.
But what do you think?
Do you view this as an innovative and eye-catching way to get attention?
Or is using the dead immoral and just plain wrong?
Instead of giving another towel warmer, foot massager, electric razor, cat calendar, crumb duster or electronic jewelry cleaner—give Toms Shoes.
For every pair you purchase, Toms will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for one.
1,000,000 men, women, boys and girls are suffering from Podoconiosis in Ethiopia. What is Podoconiosis? A soil-transmitted disease caused by walking, farming, working, playing or running barefoot in silica-rich soil.
What is silica? Silica is ancient volcanic glass that penetrates the skin and makes its way into the lymphatic system. The feet and lower legs swell. Open sores and ulcers develop. Infection sets in.
But here is the good news: Podoconiosis is 100% preventable. Without the use of a vaccine or an expensive antibiotic. This disease is prevented by simply wearing shoes.
And that’s where you come in.
This holiday season Toms wants to give 30,000 pairs of shoes to children in Ethiopia. And we need your help.
So, share this video, forward this link, make flyers, call your congressman.
Tell Bush, tell Obama. tell your mama.
And join us. Help us reach 30,000.
Give TOMS Shoes.
Sure, to give 30,000 pairs of shoes, they have to sell 30,000 pairs of shoes.
Thanks to Martin Pierce for sharing this campaign with me. He also thought his nuts (actually, the can they came in) would be a great topic for the blog on Wednesday. They were.
Some of the best marketing today is being done by groups typically considered boring and safe.
You know—state agencies.
Battling preconceptions to market employment office services to employers
A few years back, Outsource Marketing helped a consortium of seven U.S. states whose charter was to find effective new ways to market state one-stop services to employers. “One-stops” is the name used to describe state employment offices.
I know. Sounds like a yawner, but it wasn’t. At all.
Here’s a collage of selected images from the campaign:
The superhero theme was unique at the time, and it helped us battle the incorrect preconception that all state employees are disinterested paper pushers.
To the contrary, focus groups and surveys of business owners and managers in all seven states told us business reps at these state agencies were entrepreneurial, engaged, and super to have around.
The campaign results were quite good, and we documented our findings to help create a marketing template for state employment offices nationwide.
The Cigarette is Dead offers an interactive timeline where site visitors can mark the moment when tobacco became either physically, personally, politically, socially dead to them. The personal stories made up of text or video range from the moving to the mundane, and are worth a look.
This is an integrated effort and ads are seemingly everywhere and their messaging is on murals, billboards, bus shelters, huge outdoor banners, projected on highly visible buildings and spray painted on side walks:
Some might argue marketing the environment, AIDS prevention, child abuse, etc. is easy. It’s not like marketing a professional service, a product for businesses or a consumer product.
I’d argue that, while true, that’s a bit of a cop out.
Sure, this campaign is works because of its message, but it is good for a number of other reasons:
It’s clear they worked from a plan and thought through the details
They invested in stunning creative
They didn’t ‘play it safe’
They used many of the new media tools available
Creating word of mouth and engagement were obviously a top priority
Remember, this isn’t a funded Silicon Valley startup. This mini-movement was supported by the Colorado state health department.
So, can you market as well as a state agency? Why or why not?
And have you seen other state agencies do marketing well?
Regardless of how you plan to vote, chances are you are talking about the election. With estimates of turnout exceeding 130 million people, Election Day promotions make sense.
The voters win, because they are exercising their rights and getting free stuff.
The marketers win because they are gaining the benefit of unprecedented election buzz while aligning themselves with an activity that’s both responsible and patriotic.
So, what other Election Day promotions have you seen?
I offered a bounty for ideas and examples: for everyone that contributed at least one idea or example that made the Top 10, Outsource Marketing would donate $20 to a food bank of each respondent’s choosing.
I received so many good ideas, I expanded the list from 10 to 25.
Without further ado and in no particular order, here are—
25 ways your business can help fight poverty
Cook and distribute meals
St. Clouds restaurant in Leschi (Seattle, WA) holds a monthly cooking project for the homeless. Each month, the restaurant invites the community to come to its kitchen bringing whatever food they can spare…St. Clouds provides the proteins. Together they cook custom gourmet meals for the homeless, who could never afford such a meal. These are delivered to 200 people at five shelters and a tent city around town each month.
Promotion of the event has been strictly via word-of-mouth.
This is a unique, very cool local outreach that is, in my opinion, truly an act of kindness.
Eric Weaver
Partner with a charity, publish a picture book documenting their lives
This year GE in Italy supported “Pane Quotidiano” (means “daily bread”), a charitable association founded in 1898 in Milano to help feed the poor. In 1908 the association was “formally” established and, on June 4th, celebrated a 100 years of feeding the less fortunate.
The contributions donated on this occasion were used to publish a picture book documenting the lives of the association’s guests. The book was sold in libraries for donations. Additionally the association was also able to buy a new truck need to collect the food that everyday businesses and/or distributors give away because in excess or approaching the expiration date. It was touching and great to be part of this initiative!
Beatrice Sarni
Promote trade and partnership in underdeveloped countries
Check out Connect Ethiopia. An organization started by business in Ireland. It’s goal is to create business links between companies in Ireland and Ethiopia and use business and trade to develop poor countries.
Michael O’Sullivan
Get your hands dirty
Hands on — I’d offer.
I’ve found that the best reality of working authentically, to contribute in a reflectively meaningful way — meaning fully — is to do it your self; hands on, live, being in the space, contributing eye to eye. Rather than dropping some capital — what can you do, in the telling of your story that is live to them, live for you. It’s a life, it’s a live, it’s alive.
You’re in that circle, you’re doing the work, making the contribution — and it’s real. No financial smoke that distances you from the reality.
You’re there.
Do something and you’ve got the passion to spread the word. Write a check and the instant of giving dissipates in an instance, as well. Do both and deliver it by hand and do some work at the same time! The ring is reflective, the song is sung true and the circle of giving and heart fullness is unbroken.
Beauty full.
Tim Girvin
Encourage employee involvement with a charity
You can help the poor by telling everyone in your company to donate some time and volunteer at the local food bank.
Margaret
Provide opportunity and access
In most low income areas, there is little opportunity or access to jobs that pay a decent wage, provide health care, or allow for flexible schedules.
Poor people don’t need a one time handout – they need access to jobs, personal and professional education, and proper diet, to ensure they can sustain the responsibility of providing for themselves.
If businesses truly want to help they should start:
Paying decent wages, offset by the cost of company provided health insurance
Provide training – through partnerships with their state employment agencies and local colleges to keep the cost low
Move away from the 9-5 in the cubicle mentality and provide flex scheduling especially for people with children and those not in customer service positions.
Create a local coalition. ex. Local businesses could partner with a local grocers to provide discounts to employees and nutritional training. Grocers partner with local farmers who partner with local transport companies, and so forth.
Rochelle Robinson
Create a contest and use video and social media to create an actively engaged audience
Any firm could have a blog on their webpage. This activity will also be of commercial interest of the firm as people will talk about what is happening on the webpage and return to look what happens next. The firm choose a project. The project of the month: Like in the television programme, “The secret millionaire” they go to a poor area and find a project, where some good people dedicate their lives to help other people.
On the blog they present those people and open an account to wich people can make donations and write comments, ideas or even offer to join to give a helping hand. It is after this possible to follow this place and the people, who work there by clicking on the link. But each month a new project is presented with a picture on the webpage. But still it is possible to follow links to former projects of the month.
Pia Hede
Create a matching program for employees
Boeing is holding a special employee drive for the month of September. They are matching triple for each e-giving dollar. Funds go to local organizations who provide supplies to local food banks and meal programs in the Puget Sound. This is a great incentive for employees to give to the program.
Arden B.
Give discounts to clients for donating needed goods
Numbers 9, 10 and 11 were contributed by Jovan Pollard
Allow staff to donate money or goods to wear jeans or “dress down” on a specified day
Volunteer your own professional services
Vancity’s Change Everything initiative
Caleb Chang contributed an impressive list on his own, and contributed numbers 12-24
