Category Archives: Cause Marketing & Social Media

For Direct Relief, Cause Marketing, Disasters are a Game

Written on May 24, 2011 in Cause Marketing & Social Media
1 Comment

There’s social media, and social networking and then there’s social gaming. And they’re all growing like crazy and can be used for cause marketing. While my focus is generally on how social media and cause marketing can work together, social gaming is an uncharted area for me. Fortunately, I now have a good guide.

Tony Morain of Direct Relief International (DRI) is a graduate of the Six Figure Cause Marketing program Joanna MacDonald and I teach. But he’s taught me a few things on how social gaming can be used for cause marketing. Tony must be a serious Farmville player because he’s planting seeds in fertile ground.

eMarketer estimates that 68 million American will be playing social games (online games on which you play with people across the street or around the world) by 2012.

A leader in social gaming is Zynga, which is behind the two games you either love or hate on Facebook: Farmville and Mafia Wars.… Keep reading

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Nonprofit Uses QR Code, Quora to Make Cause Marketing More Transparent

Written on May 5, 2011 in Cause Marketing & Social Media
9 Comments

Back in January I talked about Quora and how it could be a resource to consumers who had questions about a cause marketing promotions, and an asset to causes that wanted to be more transparent about their programs.

This month my fellow Dummies writer Joanna MacDonald and I are putting Quora to the test with a QR code on our latest pinup that will be sold at iParty and Fuddruckers locations throughout New England.

When consumers scan the code with their smartphones (try it yourself!) it takes them to this Quora page where they can comment or ask a question about the campaign.

We plan to monitor the page regularly so we can answer questions quickly and accurately.

To answer common questions about the program we also included a link to a  frequently asked questions page on Quora.

How many people will scan the QR code? I’m not sure. A small percentage of shoppers most likely.… Keep reading

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Are You Ready for Mobile Cause Marketing?

Written on March 30, 2011 in Cause Marketing & Social Media
8 Comments

“Fate leads those who are willing. The unwilling it drags.” – Seneca

I’ve been thinking and talking a lot about mobile and cause marketing lately. Mobile seemed to be a big buzz word at SXSW earlier this month and I know firsthand there was lots of talk about it at Nonprofit Technology Conference the following week. Over the two days I was there, the only sessions I attended were on mobile. A lot of chatter about mobile devices!

Frank Barry got me thinking about mobile again this morning (Frank does that from time to time) with this infographic. Mobile is pervasive, inescapable and dominant. Like a tidal wave heading for our shores, there’s no running or hiding from it. As cause marketers we have to man and woman up!

But many of us are still playing in the sand oblivious to the impending wall of smartphones, apps, check-ins, texts, and mobile web sites bearing down on us.… Keep reading

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10 Cause Marketers You Should Follow on Twitter (Plus 20 More)

Written on February 28, 2011 in Cause Marketing & Social Media
16 Comments

I love Twitter.

There’s a certain magic to Twitter. So interesting. So fast. So current. So informative….So short, just 140 characters.

I’ve learned a lot about cause marketing on Twitter, and now I want to my fantastic teachers with you!

My criteria for picking them.

I chose real people as much as possible. For me, Twitter is all about talking to people, not logos or brands or billboards.

They tweet, a lot. There’s a big difference between being on twitter and being active on Twitter. The Twitter handles I chose, especially in my top ten list, are on Twitter every day. There are many, many other people I could recommend, but they’re just not active enough and you would be, well, disappointed. And I can’t have that.

Cause marketing is a focus. But not the only focus. Chris Noble talks about his other business in China. Noland Hoshino is always bragging about how much he goes to the Gym.… Keep reading

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Food Bank Bags $15k with Cause Marketing, Social Media

Written on February 24, 2011 in Cause Marketing & Social Media, Cause Marketing In Action
9 Comments

I love examples of local cause marketing, especially when they involve social media.

Take the recent partnership between Massage Envy and Second Harvest Food Bank in the Santa Clara and San Mateo counties in California.

Huh? You might be thinking. Massage Envy has 600 locations nationwide. Second Harvest Food Bank is a member of Feeding America, the largest national hunger relief charity in the U. S. with 200 locations in all 50 states.

It’s hard to think of these two as local, but they are.

Massage Envy are franchised stores. In Santa Clara they’re run by regional developer Charles Goodwin. He and his wife are local supporters of the food bank and he came up with the idea of having a social media challenge with the charity.

Second Harvest Food Bank is a certified member of Feeding America. But they’re an independent food bank in many ways. They have their own logo and didn’t change their name after the 2008 brand makeover to the parent organization.… Keep reading

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