Posts Tagged ‘giving’
Tie marketing with giving
February 10th, 2010 | 
Author: I was talking to a friend of mine the other day and he said in times like these (with the Haiti earthquake) he just has to turn off the t.v. and isolate himself because it is so hard to watch the news unfold. I know for myself, I have to become very aware that it doesn’t consume and then immobilize me.
The very best thing any of us can do is to try in some small way to help. When we tie the things we have to do anyway (we all know marketing is a necessity, right?) to things we care deeply about, then we are creating a positive message and a greater way for our customers to get to know us. It’s a proven fact that people buy from people they feel they know, trust and can relate to. We are extremely lucky when we can do something to benefit ourselves (get new customers or remind the old ones about us) and at the same time do something that will benefit our neighbourhood or country or the world.
A few months back I attended The Thirty Day Challange where the hosts were obviously using this marketing to increase their customer base. Nothing wrong with this because they are known for giving great value whenever they speak. But they went beyond the normal and linked with Kiva so that participants could donate as a group and then could see the difference they were making to people’s lives. When it came time for them to sell their product they also pledged to give some of the proceeds to Kiva
In my post, “How blessed are we?” I was asking for everyone to take a breath and do something now to help the people of Haiti. Now I’m asking if you can find a way to go beyond that, to work it into your every day marketing and keep the act of giving alive. Here’s the challenge. Spend an hour or two today (include your staff if you have some, or even make it a topic around the dinner table) and see what ideas you can come up with.
I have to caution you that in order for it to be successful it has to be sincere.
- People will smell a phony act of kindness a mile away so tie your giving and your marketing with something you really, truly, care about. Tell those you are marketing to why you care about this.
- Don’t just slap any old thing up on the internet to sell, add a charity to it and hope for the best. Always remain true to your products and services and give the best value possible.
by Lynda Morris -
Lynda is the owner of Being the Best, a consulting company for small and medium sized businesses interested in developing an Online Marketing strategy, creating a plan for implementation and/or just needing a helping hand to understand benefits/risks.
Being the Best Website
Feel free to contact Lynda at best@beingthebest.ca
Posted in Marketing | 
Tags: business owners, charity, conversions, ethical marketing, giving, relationships | 
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How blessed are we?
Every day I hear from business owners working on the edge. Some are building new businesses and some are established but being hurt by the recession. Most are worried about getting through to the end of the month and there are those who have stopped living day by day and are now living moment by moment. It’s pretty easy to start to look inward, to start isolating ourselves and to be consumed with our problems.
The situation in Haiti right now snaps us back to reality. The earthquake there has been devastating and the loss is hard for us to comprehend. Much like the tsunami in Indonesia in 2004, Haiti is dealing with a force that was beyond their control. There was nothing they could have done to prevent it or stop it.
This should be the time we all look outward and count our blessing. Do you have a roof over your head? Do you have a loved one standing next to you? If you pick up your phone, will it work? Did you get to take a vacation this year? Are your kids healthy and in school?
Sure, our problems may not be small to us, but they sure are small in the scheme of things. This isn’t the time to play politics or procrastinate. This is the time for action and we are known for jumping in and lending a helping hand.
It may take a bite, but sometimes that is very good for our soul. Sometimes helping someone else even helps us to fix what is broken.
Please give to a reputable charity right now. The need is urgent. These first few weeks are critical in saving the lives of as many as possible. If you can only afford $10.00, don’t be shy. $10.00 can mean a lot. If you can afford more, if you have to tell the kids you are putting off the vacation this year because someone needs your help more, than do the kids a favour and show them what it really means to be a global village. Maybe we could turn this into a win/win. Can you give up some of those morning coffees? Can you cut back on some take-out? I was sort’a planning on quitting smoking but now I’m determine to stop tomorrow. I’m watching a lot of money go up in smoke.
Leave a comment below and tell me what you have done/ plan on doing. Let’s encourage everyone and at the same time, take a bow for standing up and getting involved.
Here is a list of places you can donate to
U.N. Food Program
http://www.wfp.org/
Because of the desperate situation the U.N. Food Program had their warehouse looted yesterday and they lost a lot of food they were trying to distribute. This means they are in even more need of donations.
Red Cross Canada
http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000005&tid=003
(If you don’t want to donate online, many Canadian banks are accepting donation that go directly to the Red Cross http://www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=33931&tid=001 )
Red Cross U.S.
http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_subsrc=RCO_ResponseStateSection
Habitat for Humanity
https://www.habitat.org/cd/giving/donate.aspx?link=1&r=r
** Update
1. For Canadians. CIDA is matching dollar for dollar your individual donations up to 50 Million dollars. For more details check here
http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca/acdi-cida/ACDI-CIDA.nsf/eng/ANN-114115719-MVV
2. Many corporations, such as KPMG (Bravo!) are also matching dollar for dollar their employees donations to UNICEF. Ask at your place of work what is being done to help.
by Lynda Morris -
Lynda is the owner of Being the Best, a consulting company for small and medium sized businesses interested in developing an Online Marketing strategy, creating a plan for implementation and/or just needing a helping hand to understand benefits/risks.
Being the Best Website
Feel free to contact Lynda at best@beingthebest.ca