Cause Marketing

Maximizing Charity Auctions on eBay More than 40 celebrities signed ' Matt ,' the paper mannequin training aid used to demonstrate Philips Electronics' automated external defibrillators at the Sundance Film Festival in January. Philips donated $500 to the American Heart Association for each celebrity who signed Matt, up to maximum of $20,000. When the Festival concluded, Matt was packed off to Auction Cause, an auction management agency in Beverly Hills, Calif. led by Eric Gazin. Eric is an eBay PowerSeller and has specialized in celebrity and charity auction items for more than eight years. I asked Eric if he would share some secrets from his experience, and there are some surprises. One, for instance, involves Britney Spears' recently shorn locks! Read on. How much did the Save Matt auction generate? "The auction generated $300, but more importantly, it received a lot of publicity for the American Heart Association ." How does your service work? "Auctio...