Can Shopping Save the World?
Posted on March 14, 2007
Many people are now beginning to question the proliferation of products which support charity. But some new questions are being raised about the whole concept of "shopping to save the world." In particular, the Buy Red campaign started by Bono has been coming under fire from critics. These critics say that people should donate directly to the charity involved, and not buy products of which a certain percentage goes to charity.
A new website, BuyLessCrap.org (no longer available), makes its point by parodying the famous Buy Red ads. The site urges people to donate directly to the charity involved and not to think that shopping can help people who are suffering.
Newsweek examines the issue in a new story about whether shopping for a good cause really benefits charities. The article sites a 2006 survey that found 74% of American 13-to-25-year-olds "are more likely to buy from a company with a strong commitment to a cause."
Paul Jones, a Salt Lake City-based marketing consultant and author of the Cause-Related Marketing blog, tells Newsweek, "Done appropriately, cause marketing does well with kids, with women, and with greens," says . "They think, 'If I'm already going to buy something, why wouldn't I buy the thing that gives back?'"
Red is one of the organizations behind many charitable products. Red cofounder Bobby Shriver tells Newsweek, "It's not that people say, 'Oh, I'm feeling charitable today, let me go to the Gap. If you're feeling charitable, write a check. If you're feeling like you need a cool shirt, go to the Gap."
We have mixed feelings on this one. We do think that the number of charity products has become overwhelming. We are also concerned about how much of each product goes towards the charity in question. On the other hand, there is no question that major campaigns such as Red raise awareness of AIDS and other issues. Also, we do buy the argument by some of the companies involved, such as Gap, that these campaigns are reaching people who would never give to charity anyway, but who might buy a t-shirt.
The bottom line is this: do charity-related products cannibalize donations to major organizations or do they simply add some dollars to the charities' bank accounts? The evidence appears to support the conclusion that these products do not reduce donations to good causes and do raise awareness. So we have no problem with it. So we'll continue to support charitable projects, especially those from one of favorite charities, the Susan G. Komen Foundation which helps lead the fight against breast cancer.