Charity Chooses Not To Go Wild
My tip of the hat this morning goes to the Boston chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, who did something we never see in the nonprofit world, and turned down some easy money, because they didn't like it where it was coming from.
The charity found out this week that the group Girls Gone Wild (no link, kids, this is a family blog) named them their “charity partner” for a party next weekend featuring the "video vixens" at a Boston nightclub. The event is to be partially sponsored by Whipps Cream, an alcohol-infused whipped cream, and the Girls Gone Wild film crew is to be on hand and ready to capture the "inevitable debauchery." The bawdy video company then planned to donate some yet-to-be-determined proceeds to the charity for terminally-ill children.
And yet the charity, upon hearing of the event, is saying "no thanks" to the co-branding relationship and any proceeds derived from it.
Three things:
1. I applaud this move and hope that, as cause-related marketing continues to take off, more charities will follow their lead, and not allow themselves to be completely compliant partners with any company that wants to "partner" with them by donating money to their cause. Charities should be protective of their brands, recognize that the for-profit company is also getting something from the partnership (usually legitimacy--especially evident here), and make wise decisions that benefit their own operations and the long-term good of their recipients.
2. I suspect that this decision, and its subsequent publicity, will actually yield more revenues for the group than the one-time event would have.
3. There's alcohol-infused whipped cream?
The charity found out this week that the group Girls Gone Wild (no link, kids, this is a family blog) named them their “charity partner” for a party next weekend featuring the "video vixens" at a Boston nightclub. The event is to be partially sponsored by Whipps Cream, an alcohol-infused whipped cream, and the Girls Gone Wild film crew is to be on hand and ready to capture the "inevitable debauchery." The bawdy video company then planned to donate some yet-to-be-determined proceeds to the charity for terminally-ill children.
And yet the charity, upon hearing of the event, is saying "no thanks" to the co-branding relationship and any proceeds derived from it.
Three things:
1. I applaud this move and hope that, as cause-related marketing continues to take off, more charities will follow their lead, and not allow themselves to be completely compliant partners with any company that wants to "partner" with them by donating money to their cause. Charities should be protective of their brands, recognize that the for-profit company is also getting something from the partnership (usually legitimacy--especially evident here), and make wise decisions that benefit their own operations and the long-term good of their recipients.
2. I suspect that this decision, and its subsequent publicity, will actually yield more revenues for the group than the one-time event would have.
3. There's alcohol-infused whipped cream?
Labels: Girls Gone Wild, Make-A-Wish, special events, Whipps Cream
posted by Trent Stamp at 10:00 AM
2 Comments:
Thanks for the laugh about alcohol-infused whipped cream. I think this is an interesting topic (saying no to money, not booze based dairy products) and begs the question, "Where's the line?"
I completely agree with your points and with Make-A-Wish for rejecting a non-family-friendly partnership.
I wrote an article titled, "Imagine if Paris Hilton Hyped a Charity Instead of Being a Spectacle?" that you can read here: http://searchgive.com/blog/?p=15. My basic premise is that spill-off publicity, even from a less than perfect billboard, can still bring tremendous benefit to a worthy cause.
What do you think?
I take it you haven't been whipped yet?! Its amazing! The whipps cream crew was at the vegas bar & night club convention- its delicious & fun!
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