Cause Marketing Efforts in Support of Haitian Earthquake Relief

It can’t come to soon for those in Haiti, but cause marketers… including some from smaller entities… are using the power of cause marketing to support relief efforts in the earthquake battered country.

What follows is a representative few. But it’s an important list because it demonstrates that you don’t have to be an A-list celebrity, like George Clooney and pals, to do your part.

If you see more examples of cause marketing on behalf of Haiti and Haitians I hope you’ll either email me at aldenkeene @ gmail [dot] com or comment below.

One of the most prominent examples comes from Zynga, creator of the virtual worlds and games including Farmville, Fishville, Zynga Poker, and Mafia Wars. When you certain buy virtual items from Zynga for use in those games, a donation is made to the U.N’s World Food Programme.

The donation to Haiti relief efforts from Zynga users is already north of $1.5 million!

Paper Culture, an online stationary story, is donating “100 percent of all proceeds from its 2010 Valentine’s Day Cards to Haiti Relief. No word on which charities get the money or how they figure the proceeds.

Replay Photos, which sells framed pictures of collegiate stadiums and other sports-related gift items will donate $10 for every purchase over $40 through January 31 to the American Red Cross for Haiti relief, when you use the codeword Haiti when you checkout.

On Sunday, Jan 24, Bongos Cuban Café in Miami, owned by Gloria and Emelio Estafan hosted an all-star celebrity jam session in support of World Vision’s work in Haiti. The door charge was $100, which included hors d’ouevres and drinks.

Invited guests included Pitbull, Don King, Ted Lucas, Melky Jean, Inner Circle, Marley’s Family, Jagged Edge, Trina, Black Dada, Indio, Flo Rida, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, and others.

A celebrity jam session is a fun idea. People love that kind of thing. But the press release I received had no information on how the money was to be split.

Comments

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