The Rise of the Slacktivist

If too small, see the original here.

Buckets for a Cure

Here is a pretty funny YouTube video making fun of Komen's 2010 "Buckets for a Cure" Campaign with KFC.  I had to share...

Komen Aftermath

By now you probably know that Komen has decided to reverse their statement from last week and will now allow Planned Parenthood to be eligible for future funding and grant opportunities.

But can they recover from this PR nightmare?

Joe Waters is a cause marketing and social media blogger who isn't afraid to tell it like it is.  Here are his candid thoughts on his thoughts on Komen.

Komen Sucks…But So Do You

By: Joe Waters, Selfish Giving


Nothing Komen for the Cure does surprises me anymore.

They sell deep-fried chicken to raise money to cure breast cancer. They sue other nonprofits that use “for the cure” in any variation in their name. Now, they’re flexing their muscle and shutting off the funding to Planned Parenthood.

For Komen, it’s just another day being a big, arrogant SOB that has swallowed too much of its own public relations and is drunk with power and eager to show its fight.

Part of me grudgingly admires Komen. Heck, I tell nonprofits all the time they should operate more like businesses. And that’s what Komen is doing. If they were a for-profit company instead of a nonprofit we’d be applauding their actions, or at least ignoring them. After all, we live in a country where success and money wash every sin clean. And Komen has plenty of soap to spare.

The challenge is that Komen is a nonprofit but their walking and talking like the Standard Oil of our time. I hope they’re headed for a crash, or at least a painful breakup.

But that’s not up to me. It’s up to you. (I say you because I’ve never supported Komen and I never will. I don’t even talk about their cause marketing much except to be critical of it. Yeah, I’m grinding my ax when I can.)

You gave them their swagger with your sweat, support and money. You created a monster. Not that you care. You’ll turn a blind eye and find comfort in the stories of sadness, hope, womanhood, courage and success that define the Komen experience.

That’s just what Komen wants. Come walk season, you’ll still be wearing pink.

You need a new narrative that puts cause above Komen. A true supporter is someone who is willing to defend her cause from the people who would hurt it, even if they are within the cause. This new story needs to be about accountability and direction that speaks to the breast cancer organization you want.

If you’re happy with deep fried cause marketing, brand witch hunts and punishing poor women, congratulations, you have the organization you want.

But if you want something else: wipe away your tears, dump the pink and find your angry voice and tell Komen to change their ways, or you’ll change yours.

Where and Why People Donate

Such great data to share with your fellow fundraisers!  I can't get enough of these infographics.  Thanks to YourCause for putting this one together on the Top 5 of Where and Why People Donate their Time and Money.

"Promise Me" I will get cancer?

"Promise Me" is a name of a perfume released by Susan G Komen for the Cure Foundation.  A rival cancer charity is claiming that the perfume contains ingredients (which are not listed on the label) that actually cause cancer.  Komen has decided not to manufacture any more bottles, but to leave all remaining product on the shelves.  What is wrong with this picture?  I can't believe ANY nonprofit organization, being put in this situation not immediately pulling the product.  


In my opinion, this makes it appear as though Komen cares more about making money and less about actually preventing and curing the disease they are supposedly fighting.  What if down the road, women who use this perfume (and thought they were doing a good job fighting breast cancer by buying it) actually got cancer from this product?  Wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry, Komen?

Does perfume sold to raise funds for cancer research actually CAUSE cancer?

By JOHN STEVENS

The Susan G Komen for the Cure foundation is facing calls to pull its 'Promise Me' from the shelves after it was revealed that it may actually contain ingredients that cause cancer.

A rival cancer charity claims that the scent contains toxic chemicals that are not listed on the label and are linked to breast cancer.

Karuna Jagger, executive director of Breast Cancer Action, said that they had the contents tested after concerns about the perfume, which is sold at stores including JC Penney, Target and Amazon.

Fragrance: The Susan G Komen for the Cure foundation has denied that the perfume contains too high levels of the controversial ingredients

'It contains a number of chemicals of concern that are not listed on the ingredients,' she said.

'I let them know what chemicals were found and they responded in a confusing way,' she told CBS San Francisco.

'On one hand they said they test their ingredients, and on the other they said they are working with the manufacturer to reformulate the perfume to eliminate any doubts.'

She added: 'In a situation where not enough is known about what is putting women at risk, and why so many women are getting breast cancer and dying of breast cancer, we feel that every precaution should be taken.'

The foundation claims that the levels of the questioned ingredients are 'well within the guidelines of the International Fragrance Association', but that the perfume is being reformulated.

'The last batch of the perfume was manufactured in May of this year; we expect manufacturing and sale of the reformulated product to begin in early 2012,' a spokesman told website Mimi Frou Frou.

'Given our assurances from four independent reviews of the fragrance, we have not asked the manufacturer to recall or remove unsold products.'

The perfume, which is sold at $60 a bottle, was first released in 2001.

Payoff for CSR Initiatives

This is a great infographic making the case for Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.  I couldn't agree more.  Do you want to work for a company who participates in charitable activities?  Does your company offer volunteer opportunities?  Workplace giving?  If more companies made more of an effort to get behind a cause they believe in, the nonprofit would obviously benefit, but would the company too?  What about it's employees?  Reputation?  Sales?  Seems like a win-win for me... yet it's still hard to get the corporate world involved sometimes.  How do we get them more involved?

Pinktober MVPs

8 “Pinktober” Promotions that Deserve a Ribbon

Selfish Giving and Cone Communications, a leading public relations and marketing agency that specializes in cause marketing, are teaming up to share our top “pinktober” cause marketing promotions. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and companies are partnering with breast cancer charities on a variety of “pink” promotions.

In choosing ribbon-worthy “pinktober” campaigns we began with two standards to guide our selections.

First Standard: Does the program says exactly what charity will receive the funds, with enough information for a person to find and investigate the charity on their own. (e.g. Funds raised will benefit Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Learn more at www.bcrfcure.org.)

Second Standard: Does the program say exactly how much money the charity will receive – either in total or from each purchase with a projection of the total and any minimum or maximums built-in. (e.g. X charity will receive ten cents from each yogurt sold for a total minimum donation of $50,000 and a maximum donation of $100,000.)

All the programs we chose that fundraising goals met these two standards. Among other things, we also considered the size of the contribution, the length of the partnership and some of the creative ways the cause marketing promotion was activated.

Our choices aren’t the only noteworthy “pinktober” promotions. But they are some of the best, and embody the standards and qualities of good programs we might have missed or didn’t make our top ten list.

Program: Lee Jeans National Denim Day

The Details: Wear your jeans to work on Denim Day in exchange for a $5 contribution to Women’s Cancer Programs of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF).

Why It’s on the List: Since 1996 this simple cause marketing program has raised $83 million dollars and involved thousands of companies and tens of thousands of employees. This year, Lee partnered with celebrity Mike Rowe and his mom to tell their personal story and encourage supporters to donate the the cost of their jeans.

Program: NFL Goes Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

The Details: Everything from pink apparel, equipment, half-time programs celebrating cancer survivors and even pink field goal posts the first Sunday of October made this a can’t-miss program.

Why It’s on the List: A tremendous visibility effort that, in true NFL form, really kicked off “pinktober”. We admire the NFL’s focus on cancer prevention by encouraging women over 40 to get their mammograms, which will be important in driving down cancer rates.

Program: Dick’s Sporting Goods October – The Power of Pink

The Details: In addition to selling many pink ribbon products in their stores from names such as Nike, Reebok and Under Armour, Dick’s will kick-off the giving with a $250,000 donation to the National Breast Cancer Foundation. Consumers can also show their support by adding a pink ribbon to Dick’s “Endless Ribbon” Facebook initiative. Throughout October, consumers can visit the Dick’s Sporting Goods Facebook page, add a pink ribbon to their profile picture and dedicate it to a loved one or choose to include an expression of hope. Dick’s goal is to break the record for World’s Longest Pink Ribbon. Finally, the sporting goods retailer is teaming up with several professional NFL players to promote “The Power of Pink” via public relations and social media.

Why It’s on the List: Dick’s is supporting breast cancer with in store tie ins, digital, a corporate gift and celebrity endorsements. As a retailer that’s done many cause marketing campaigns – mainly point-of-sale programs at the register – Dick’s Sporting Goods has challenged themselves and created an October promotion that is varied, ambitious, creative and generous. [One thing we did find at Dick's and other retailers' online shopping sites is a need to share the same level of details and transparency online that is often shared offline on pink products sold in stores. This is certainly an area for improvement for most brick and click retailers.]

Program: Kroger Giving Hope a Hand

The Details: Kroger will carry over 1,600 pink items–supporting many breast cancer organizations–in October that this year alone will raise $3 million. This will bring Kroger’s total fundraising effort to $18 million since 1996. This year, Kroger is featuring 53 employees and cancer survivors in its latest promotion.

Why It’s on the List: As the country’s largest grocery chain, Kroger is uniquely positioned to help vendors such as Yoplait, Campbell’s and Betty Crocker to achieve their own ambitious fundraising goals. Giving Hope a Hand puts a face on the program for the company and gives “pinktober” a new relevance and urgency. Kroger’s commitment to keeping dollars raised local and the company’s involvement year-round in cancer fundraisers gives hope more than a hand – it gives it a real boost!

Program: Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives**

The Details: In the Save Lids to Save Lives program, for each pink lid redeemed by customers through the end of the year, Yoplait will donate 10 cents to Susan G. Komen for the Cure to support local breast cancer awareness programs, up to $2 million.

Why It’s on the List: This is a signature “pinktober” campaign has raised $30 million over the past 13 years. Not only is it one of the most recognizable cause marketing programs among consumers, but Yoplait’s commitment to the cause is year-round through the Komen Race for the Cure and is always finding new ways to support breast cancer awareness and survivors.

** A Cone client.

Program: Delta Air Lines Take Flight for the Fight

The Details: A pink plane – “Breast Cancer One” – kicked off month by taking Delta employee cancer survivors from Atlanta to Detroit. Delta employees are adorned in pink scarves, ties and other apparel. When you join the Delta Sky club 10% is donated to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Finally, Delta has teamed up with Minute Maid Pink Lemonade to donate 100% of inflight sales to BCRF.

Why It’s on the List: We recently had the chance to fly Delta and witness firsthand their commitment to the cause. It was omnipresent on the flight from the staff’s announcements to apparel to branded napkins. There’s a pride that makes this program very authentic. It shows in how much Delta has given to the BCRF since 2005: $3.5 million.

Program: Sharpie Ink it Pink

The Details: Sharpie is challenging consumers to Ink it Pink for the cause. For every pink autograph submitted to its website in October, Sharpie will donate $1 to City of Hope. Sharpie also has a whole of line of pink ribbon products that have helped raise $2 million for City of Hope since 2006.

Why it’s on the List: This is great integration of breast cancer awareness with a product line. Sharpie has worked hard to engage celebrities, sports stars and other A-listers in the program, which has increased the the visibility of the promotion and awareness of breast cancer issues.

Program: Boston’s Copley Square Hotel Goes Pink for October

The Details: The Copley Square Hotel is matching $1 donations from guests at time of reservation. The hotel’s restaurant, XHALE, will offer a special pink themed dessert in October for $5.00 with 100% of the proceeds plus a hotel match going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. The hotel staff will also be doing their part by wearing pink bow ties and scarves throughout October.

Why It’s on the List: A great local example (Selfish Giving and Cone are based in Boston!) of cause marketing in a place consumers usually don’t find it: a hotel. The program involves the hotel’s major asset: guest reservations. Copley’s commitment to the program is complete as hotel staff will also be doing their part by wearing pink bow ties and scarves throughout October. And the hotel will be flying a pink flag, of course.

-Joe Waters, Selfish Giving

What are your favorite pinktober promotions? Agree or disagree with any of the causes listed above?

October has really taken off as breast cancer awareness month, especially in recent years. Do you think it is possible for another cause to claim a specific month out of the year and become as successful as breast cancer month?

Chewing Gum for a Cause?

Would You Buy Ordinary Gum Just Because It Supports a Cause?

It’s something that comes up again and again. Will consumers buy a product or use a service just because it supports a cause?

I don’t buy it, and fizzled experiments from Causeon to Edun to CauseWorld to GoodSearch show that while consumers do indeed want a world with causes, a cause world is a different matter. Brand and margin lead (e. g. Groupon, The Gap, Foursquare, Google) and mission follows.

I believe the best way for a business to help a cause is to first be a great business. It’s like before takeoff when the flight attendant tells you if the oxygen masks drops from the top of the cabin you should put it on yourself first before trying to help anyone else with theirs.

But Project 7 is betting that something as mundane as chewing gum will succeed because it’s all about helping others first. As reported in Good, this gum is ordinary. They even recently changed the ingredients so it will taste like every other stick of gum, which may increase sales but it got Project 7 booted from organic-only Whole Foods. So taste, cost and placement near the rest of the candy is all the same. But this gum benefits a variety of good causes that feed the hungry, heal the sick and save the earth. The can’t miss cause packaging says it all.

Which is why Project 7 is expecting this gum to stick.

Everyone points to Newman’s Own as proof that cause products such as Project 7 can be a big success. But that’s like believing your organization can have its own national telethon because Jerry Lewis had one, or that you can partner with some of the best businesses in the world because Product Red does. It’s just not that simple.

You have to compare apples to apples. Even Product Red may be a one-hit wonder. When U2′s Bono and his wife put their stardom behind fashion-for-good line Edun it flopped, highlighting that even rockstars are challenged to put mission before margin and brand.

The notable exception is Tom’s Shoes. You certainly can’t argue against Tom’s success (Nor do I want to. It’s great.). But Tom’s is the exception, not the rule. It’s like coming across a blue lobster (chances: 1 in 2 to 5 million) in a sea of red, which is where most cause businesses end up.

I’ll be watching Project 7 to see if they can make their gum stick. But I’ve chewed on this one before and I don’t think this gum is going to last.

- Joe Waters, Selfish Giving

What do you think? Will you buy Project 7? Have you purchased Tom's Shoes or Product Red clothing?

Don't Just Buy Something Because it Has a Pink Ribbon on It

As surely as the leaves change color every October, it’s time again for yogurt cups, sneakers, toilet paper and a slew of other products to turn pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Breast cancer advocates are warning again this year that buying merchandise emblazoned with a pink ribbon or cotton candy-colored packaging is no guarantee that much of a shopper’s money will actually go to fighting the disease.

Some companies that use well-known symbols of breast cancer awareness on their products have legitimate agreements with reputable fundraising groups to donate a fixed share of the proceeds. But others only promise vaguely to donate to breast cancer causes without specifying how much or to whom.

Fundraising groups and critics can agree, however, on some tips for shoppers. The bottom line: Shop smart or consider donating to a breast cancer organization directly. Consumers should ask the following questions:

- Does the package say how much the product maker will donate to charity? Try to judge if it seems like a significant amount. For example, if the seller plans to make a donation per purchase, what percentage goes to charity? Is there a minimum or maximum donation the company will give? Can you find out more details from the seller if the package itself is not clear? (Sure, we will donate a "percentage" of our 2 million profits this month to Komen - exactly what percentage are you going to donate? Or we will donate "a percentage up to $20,000 - why put a limit on your donation if it is based off how many products are sold?).

- Check how the donation works to see if your purchase alone will result in a contribution or if additional steps are needed for a charity to get the money. For example, Yoplait plans to donate 10 cents to Komen for every yogurt cup lid that is sent back into Yoplait, up to $2 million. (So they will donate 10 cents per lid, but you have to spend how much on the stamp to send in that lid?)

- What organization will the donation benefit? Cohen-Boyar recommends a “donor-centric” nonprofit that can readily explain what percentage of its money goes to its charity versus administration. Check up on charities at www.give.org or charitynavigator.org. (The cashier always asks if I would like to make a donation to "breast cancer" yet they never seem to know what organization is benefiting.)

- What will the beneficiary do with the money? Will it go to public education and community programs? Helping low-income women get mammograms? Research? Consider what kind of program you want to support.

I would suggest instead of buying that expensive toilet paper with a breast cancer ribbon on it, or instead of donating $1 in the check out line, consider doing a little research of nonprofits and making a donation straight to the organization of your choice. In my opinion, that organization is going to benefit more from a straight up donation from you as opposed to getting a "percentage" of your purchases (but only up to a certain amount).

What do you think?

Read more: http://www.wickedlocal.com/framingham/news/x136291385/Shoppers-beware-Pink-ribbons-are-not-created-equal#ixzz1c1nYkAHb