Breaking News: Humane Society of the United States Added to Microsoft's i'm Initiative List of Benefiting Charities

It's not often that I get to 'break' news here at the Cause-Related Marketing blog, but today I do.

Here's a press release, leaked to me, which announces that The Humane Society of the United States is the tenth charity to benefit from Windows Live Messenger's cause-marketing campaign called the i'm Initiative.

The Humane Society of the United States Announces Participation in the i’m Initiative from Microsoft
Windows Live Messenger connects customers to top social causes through the donation of Microsoft advertising dollars

(May 21, 2007) - Starting today, anyone who sends instant messages to their friends, family or colleagues using Windows Live Messenger can also help animals at the same time.

Through participation in the i’m Initiative from Microsoft, The Humane Society of the United States is offering supporters and other animal lovers who download Windows Live Messenger the opportunity to make a difference without spending a dime. Microsoft will donate a portion of advertising revenue to The HSUS, and also offers special backgrounds and buttons featuring an animal theme.

Microsoft and nine other charitable organizations announced the launch of the i’m Initiative in March. The HSUS is the tenth organization participating in the
initiative.

‘The Humane Society of the United States is pleased to be participating in this exciting program,” said Wayne Pacelle, HSUS president and CEO. “We are searching for every possible way to connect with our supporters and to help them demonstrate their affection for animals and their affiliation with us.”

This new initiative connects selected cause-related organizations to Windows Live Messenger users. When joining the program at http://im.live.com, users will be asked to select a cause organization to benefit from donations generated from their conversations on Windows Live Messenger.

Every time a user who joins the i’m Initiative has a conversation, Microsoft shares a portion of the program’s advertising revenue with the participating organization of his or her choice. While there is no set cap on the amount each cause can receive, Microsoft will make a minimum $100,000 guaranteed donation to each of the 10 organizations during the first year of the program.

Designed to empower people to make a difference without spending a dime, Microsoft says the i’m Initiative helps support causes that are confronting some of the world’s most urgent social issues. The i’m Initiative aims to help the organizations involved to broaden their reach in a sustainable and new way, allowing the millions of people already using Windows Live Messenger today to be a part of the solution.

According to a 2006 Cone Cause Millennial Study, 61 percent of young Americans between the ages of 13 and 25 are currently worried about the state of the world today and feel personally responsible to make a difference.

“This initiative is the latest in a series of programs we offer to help people connect to our mission to celebrate animals and confront cruelty,” said Pacelle.

-30-

The Humane Society of the United
States is the nation’s largest animal protection organization – backed by
10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS
has been fighting for the protection of all animals through
advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting
cruelty -- On the web at humanesociety.org.

For
more information, press only:
Rachel Querry, The Humane Society of the United
States,
301-258-8255
rquerry@humanesociety.org

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

Batting Your Eyelashes at Prescription Drug Cause Marketing

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Cause Marketing: The All Packaging Edition

One way to activate a cause marketing campaign when the sponsor sells a physical product is on the packaging. I started my career in cause marketing on the charity side and I can tell you that back in the day we were thrilled to get a logo on pack of a consumer packaged good (CPG) or even just a mention. Since then, there’s been a welcome evolution of what sponsors are willing and able to do with their packaging in order to activate their cause sponsorships. That said, even today some sponsors don’t seem to have gotten the memo that when it comes to explaining your cause campaign, more really is more, even on something as small as a can or bottle. The savviest sponsors realize that their only guaranteed means of reaching actual customers with a cause marketing message is by putting it on packaging. And the reach and frequency of the media on packaging for certain high-volume CPG items is almost certainly greater than radio, print or outdoor advertising, and, in many cases, TV. More to ...

Chili’s and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

I was in Chili’s today and I ordered their “Triple-Dipper,” a three appetizer combo. While I waited for the food, I noticed another kind of combo. Chili’s is doing a full-featured cause-related marketing campaign for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. There was a four-sided laminated table tent outlining the campaign on the table. When the waitress brought the drinks she slapped down Chili’s trademark square paper beverage coasters and on them was a call to action for an element of the campaign called ‘Create-A-Pepper,’ a kind of paper icon campaign. The wait staff was all attired in black shirts co-branded with Chili’s and St. Jude. The Create-A-Pepper paper icon could be found in a stack behind the hostess area. The Peppers are outlines of Chili’s iconic logo meant to be colored. I paid $1 for mine, but they would have taken $5, $10, or more. The crayons, too, were co-branded with the ‘Create-A-Pepper’ and St. Jude’s logos. There’s also creatapepper.com, a microsite, but again wi...

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