Cause Marketing

In Time , Sports Illustrated and other magazines there’s been a series of ads running in hot rotation and in support of a website called ‘Takemefishing.org.’ The ads and the website are sponsored by Markel Insurance Company , which insures boats and other things and a slightly murky entity called ‘Sport Fishing Restoration.’ Takemefishing.org is so declarative it’s easy to guess what that’s about. But Sport Fishing Restoration ? Therein lies a fish story about the financing of World War Two, habitat restoration and government funded cause marketing. In WWII, Congress enacted a tax on fishing tackle to help fund the war effort. By 1950, the law was changed so that tax revenues would go to state natural resource agencies to improve sport fishing. Stuff like fisheries research, boat docks and ramps, habitat improvement and education. In 1998 Sport Fishing Restoration founded the 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity Recreational Boating and Fishing Foundation (RBFF) with members of the recreation...

In a campaign reminiscent of the U.S. Post Office’s semipostal stamp campaign for the benefit of cancer research , the U.S. Mint is doing a cause campaign honoring Louis Braille and benefiting the National Federation for the Blind . Starting last Thursday, March 26, you can purchase specially minted coins bearing the likeness of Frenchman Louis Braille and in memory of his bicentennial. Only 400,000 coins will be minted and they can not be ordered after Dec. 31, 2009. In addition to being minted in a limited quantity, the coins will be the first ever from the U.S. Mint to feature readable Braille on them. The NFB anticipates raising as much as $8 million for the campaign, which will be used be used to advance Braille education for the blind in the following ways: Increase access to Braille instruction and reading materials Expand Braille mentoring, reading-readiness and outreach programs Require national certification in literary Braille among all special education teachers Advance ...