Susan Boyle - the Scottish singer who broke into the music industry a year ago with her astonishing performance on Britain's Got Talent - is now helping other normal folk to start musical careers. With the Susan's Search contest, ordinary people can audition for a chance to record a duet with Susan for her next album, to be released this November.
Susan explains it this way:
"When I did Britain's Got Talent, I was given a chance by Simon Cowell to show what I could do. This got me thinking about people who maybe missed that opportunity. Susan's Search is about giving other people an opportunity; it's about letting them live the dream that they have always wanted to do."
Because someone gave Susan the chance to show that her singing talent meant more than her outward appearance, her response is to create similar opportunities for other singers who may be "diamonds in the rough."
To give back, or "pay it forward," (as depicted in the movie of the same name) is the natural response of a thankful and humble attitude. When we take into account the number of opportunities we've been given (opportunities that were not created by us, only used by us), and the number of people who have helped us in our journey (people who didn't owe us any help), we should want to create opportunities and offer help to others.
Organizations, like individuals, can find ways to give back. Like Susan Boyle, they can offer a chance to talented people whom the world has ignored. Like TOMS Shoes, they can provide shoes, or clothing, or shelter, or food, or education, to children across the world who wouldn't otherwise have those necessities. They can give unexpected gifts or discounts or freebies to customers and non-customers, in gratitude for the patronage of their loyal shoppers. They can take time to serve the communities in which they operate - communities which provide resources and support for the business.
How is your organization "paying forward" the opportunities that it has been given?
Showing posts with label giving. Show all posts
Showing posts with label giving. Show all posts
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Things Worth Doing
As marketers (and as human beings in general), our lives should be about making others' lives better. Meeting needs. Bringing joy to lives. Helping others to succeed. Making the world a brighter place.
We weren't created to be takers, but to be givers.
When I see creations like this one, I think that someone is doing a good job of brightening the world:
Yes, it's a two-and-a-half-minute commercial for Toyota. But it's also a rap song about some suburbanites and their minivan. The folks at Toyota and director Jody Hill spent time and money (a lot of it, I'd imagine) on creating something that would be fun to watch. That would make people laugh. That people would enjoy watching. And these Toyota folks probably had fun in the process.
In the first seven weeks since the video was posted on YouTube, it has received over 3.8 million views. And I can understand why. People need (and want, and enjoy watching) things that make them laugh. That make the day a little brighter.
Marketers, if you're going to do something, then do something worth doing.
If what you're doing is not making the world a better place, then why are you doing it?
We weren't created to be takers, but to be givers.
When I see creations like this one, I think that someone is doing a good job of brightening the world:
Yes, it's a two-and-a-half-minute commercial for Toyota. But it's also a rap song about some suburbanites and their minivan. The folks at Toyota and director Jody Hill spent time and money (a lot of it, I'd imagine) on creating something that would be fun to watch. That would make people laugh. That people would enjoy watching. And these Toyota folks probably had fun in the process.
In the first seven weeks since the video was posted on YouTube, it has received over 3.8 million views. And I can understand why. People need (and want, and enjoy watching) things that make them laugh. That make the day a little brighter.
Marketers, if you're going to do something, then do something worth doing.
- Start initiatives that help people to succeed.
- Create content that makes lives happier.
- Sell products that help people to breathe easier.
- Give service that brings a smile to peoples' faces.
If what you're doing is not making the world a better place, then why are you doing it?
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Coca-Cola: Sharing a Little Happiness
Coca-Cola recently made a few little tweaks to one of their vending machines:
Okay, so maybe they made more than a few tweaks.
But what has Coca-Cola really done here?
For the cost of a few "extras" and some apparent manpower, and with the element of surprise, they have brought laughter and happiness to potentially thousands of college students. Plus, they continue to bring joy to tens of thousands of other people, as those same college students share the story with their friends, and as viewers watch the video online. (On YouTube, the video already had 81,924 views on Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 8:55 AM Central Time. The video was posted on January 12, 2010.)
Do you want your brand to be known as a brand that brings joy to people? What can you do to brighten their lives?
Okay, so maybe they made more than a few tweaks.
But what has Coca-Cola really done here?
For the cost of a few "extras" and some apparent manpower, and with the element of surprise, they have brought laughter and happiness to potentially thousands of college students. Plus, they continue to bring joy to tens of thousands of other people, as those same college students share the story with their friends, and as viewers watch the video online. (On YouTube, the video already had 81,924 views on Thursday, January 14, 2010 at 8:55 AM Central Time. The video was posted on January 12, 2010.)
Do you want your brand to be known as a brand that brings joy to people? What can you do to brighten their lives?
Monday, December 7, 2009
Revising Your Holiday Gift-Giving Strategy
Last week, MediaPost's Marketing Daily published an article entitled, "Report: Gift Cards Are The New Fruitcake." That is to say, gift cards are the new "classic" Christmas present that nobody wants to receive.
According to research firm TowerGroup, store gift card spending is expected to decrease 7% for 2009; an October Consumer Reports survey revealed that only 15% of consumers actually want gift cards.
The MediaPost article and a video by Consumer Reports offer some hypotheses for the reasons behind the gift card's fall from favor:
Adding to the "fruitcakey-ness" of gift cards this Christmas season is the loudness with which retailers have been peddling their gift cards. It seems that a person can no longer turn on the television or set foot in a store without a bombardment of advertisements touting gift cards as the "one-size-fits-all gift" or the "gift that won't be returned" or the "gift that people really want."
But if folks want to give something better than fruitcake to their loved ones this Christmas, they might be advised to avoid the gift cards and resort to the good, old-fashioned holiday gift strategy:
Giving actual, physical objects as Christmas presents.
When a person gives a physical item - be it a toy, a sweater, cologne, or a toaster oven - it shows that he took the time to consider the recipient's likes and dislikes; he spent time browsing the store aisles or catalog pages (or actually making a gift, like everyone did in the olden days); he spent time choosing a thoughtful and meaningful gift.
Instead of trying to persuade consumers to buy gift cards for their loved ones this year, marketers ought to help consumers pick out considerate and desirable gifts.
Social media seems like one natural venue for this. Help consumers use their friends' profile information (with permission, of course) to determine likes, dislikes, and wants. Design quizzes that enable users to report on their likes and interests, and then output suggested gift items. Enable users to create "Christmas wish lists" to post to their profiles. Create "secret societies" of friends that can share ideas for what to give to a certain someone.
In-store displays could also give helpful hints to gift-givers. What if stores showed lists of this year's top-selling items for different interest categories: "for the musician," "for the gamer," "for the animal lover," "for the skater," "for the outsdoorsman," "for the fashionista," "for the bookworm," etc.?
This Christmas, consumers may be returning to the notion of giving thoughtful gifts because they care, instead of giving "spend-as-you-like" gifts because a gift is expected. And if consumers are thinking more about the gifts they give, marketers should be thinking more about how to help those gift-givers give meaningful gifts.
According to research firm TowerGroup, store gift card spending is expected to decrease 7% for 2009; an October Consumer Reports survey revealed that only 15% of consumers actually want gift cards.
The MediaPost article and a video by Consumer Reports offer some hypotheses for the reasons behind the gift card's fall from favor:
- Consumers want to spend money on more practical items (i.e. food and gasoline), not on the non-necessities sold by the typical gift card retailer.
- Consumers are slow to spend their gift cards. According to Consumer Reports, 25% of consumers who received a gift card in 2008 have not yet spent the gift card.
- 65% of consumers spend more than the face value of the gift card they receive, meaning that in order to use their own gift, they must spend money.
- Retailers are maintaining smaller inventories this year; thus, by the time a consumer visits the store to spend a gift card (i.e. after the holidays), the items they might have wanted may likely be sold out already.
Adding to the "fruitcakey-ness" of gift cards this Christmas season is the loudness with which retailers have been peddling their gift cards. It seems that a person can no longer turn on the television or set foot in a store without a bombardment of advertisements touting gift cards as the "one-size-fits-all gift" or the "gift that won't be returned" or the "gift that people really want."
But if folks want to give something better than fruitcake to their loved ones this Christmas, they might be advised to avoid the gift cards and resort to the good, old-fashioned holiday gift strategy:
Giving actual, physical objects as Christmas presents.
When a person gives a physical item - be it a toy, a sweater, cologne, or a toaster oven - it shows that he took the time to consider the recipient's likes and dislikes; he spent time browsing the store aisles or catalog pages (or actually making a gift, like everyone did in the olden days); he spent time choosing a thoughtful and meaningful gift.
Instead of trying to persuade consumers to buy gift cards for their loved ones this year, marketers ought to help consumers pick out considerate and desirable gifts.
Social media seems like one natural venue for this. Help consumers use their friends' profile information (with permission, of course) to determine likes, dislikes, and wants. Design quizzes that enable users to report on their likes and interests, and then output suggested gift items. Enable users to create "Christmas wish lists" to post to their profiles. Create "secret societies" of friends that can share ideas for what to give to a certain someone.
In-store displays could also give helpful hints to gift-givers. What if stores showed lists of this year's top-selling items for different interest categories: "for the musician," "for the gamer," "for the animal lover," "for the skater," "for the outsdoorsman," "for the fashionista," "for the bookworm," etc.?
This Christmas, consumers may be returning to the notion of giving thoughtful gifts because they care, instead of giving "spend-as-you-like" gifts because a gift is expected. And if consumers are thinking more about the gifts they give, marketers should be thinking more about how to help those gift-givers give meaningful gifts.
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