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Greetings!
A record number of new products hit store shelves in
2006 and "conscientious consumerism" was one of
the main driving forces, according to Packaged Facts,
a division of MarketResearch.com
Sales of products making "ethical claims" (e.g.
organic, no genetically modified ingredients, Fair
Trade) climbed 17 percent to $33 billion.
Also expanding is the realm of causes that
corporations will embrace. In this issue, we explore
two emerging causes that few mainstream
businesses built campaigns around five years ago:
global warming and human trafficking.
David Hessekiel
President
Cause Marketing Forum, Inc.
| Global Warming Emerges as a Hot Topic |
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The 2006 film An Inconvenient Truth
demonstrated that the
issues of global warming and resource conservation
can attract an audience. But is the message ready for
its close-up in front of actual paying customers?
Two very different companies -- Dell Inc. and Clif
Bar -- are betting the answer is yes.
Clif Bar's “Save Our Snow 2007 Winter Roadtrip" is
touring ski areas encouraging energy conservation to
ensure the future of snow and skiing.
Dell's “Plant a Tree for Me” asks customers for a
modest donation to plant a tree which is calculated to
offset the carbon that will be released to power their
new Dell desktop or laptop computer.
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| Abolition As A Corporate Cause |
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Many of us think that slavery ended with the Civil War,
but human trafficking is a reality for millions of people
around the world.
Largely, though not exclusively, an overseas
phenomenon and often involving forced prostitution,
slavery has not been a cause many corporations have
felt comfortable embracing.
That may be about to change with this month's launch
of the "Not
For Sale" campaign.
One US-based multinational has already adopted the
fight against human trafficking as it's signature cause:
Manpower, Inc., the employment services giant.
CMF offers you an inside look at this emerging issue
with a March 12 teleclass led by David
Batstone, author of "Not for Sale: The Return of
the Global Slave Trade and How We Can Fight It"
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| NP Licensing Growth |
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Retail sales of nonprofit licensed products grew 6% in
2006 to $950 million, according to
The Licensing Letter.
The good news: That's the highest percentage growth
rate measured by the industry chronicle.
The bad news: Nonprofit licensing still only accounts
for 1% of licensed good sales in the US and Canada.
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| The 1st Run Walk Ride Fundraising Conference |
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Nonprofits raise in excess of a billion dollars annually
via walks, runs, rides, swims and other participatory
athletic events. Up to now, each of them has had
to “reinvent the wheel” in developing their programs
because there’s been no place to share best
practices.
If you’re involved in running a “thon” to support your
charity, you won’t want to miss the inaugural Run
Walk Ride Fundraising Conference. Presentations by
leading practitioners and facilitated discussions will
help you improve your fundraising results, generate
greater awareness for your cause, more successfully
activate corporate sponsors, and better recruit and
retain participants.
Learn more and register
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