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January 2007 Archives
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January 31, 2007
Whole Foods & CEO Pay
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Inspiration
In November of last year, upscale grocer Whole Foods CEO and co-founder John Mackey wrote a letter to all of his employees/team about compensation. He announced that Whole Foods was increasing its salary cap (from 14 times the average pay to 19 times the average pay) to allow for more competitive executive salaries. It's worth noting that the average CEO of a Fortune 500 company earned 431 times as much as their average employee.
The highlight of Mackey's letter was that effective January 1, 2007, his own salary was being reduced to $1. "I am now 53 years old and I have reached a place in my life where I no longer want to work for money, but simple for the joy of the work itself and to better answer the call to service that I feel so clearly in my own heart."
Furthermore, the Whole Foods board of directors chose to contribute $100,000 annually to a new "Global Team Member Emergency Fund" that will be distributed to team members based on need.
It's great to see examples of the head and heart working so well together!
Thanks to Fast Company for re-printing the letter in their February 2007 issue.
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January 30, 2007
Don't Play with Your Food
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Creativity
Every Tuesday morning we meet for about 15-30 minutes to reflect on a word or concept to expand our thinking and keep us grounded. Last week was my turn to lead our reflection time and the topic was imagination.
So what did we do? Well we did something very scientific and highly intellectual--we played with our food. We stuck our fingers and hands (some of us more so than others) into the dark, slimy, chocolaty substance known as pudding and played with it.
Continue reading "Don't Play with Your Food"
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January 29, 2007
Tasting Our Medicine
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Personality News
Here at Personality™, we're always tweaking our service offerings so that we can stay a leader in the cause marketing world. Many months ago, Brett approached me with the idea that we should test some of our own "genius" out on ourselves. If we think what we're doing for our clients works so great, should it not also work for us?
So on Friday we put ourselves through one of those processes and it was powerful! I think more organizations should be doing this. How do your products, services, promises work for you?
We spent four hours dissecting who we are, what we do, and who we do it for. It was some of the most productive four hours we've spent together in a long time. The results will be seen in subtle and significant ways in the weeks and months ahead.
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January 25, 2007
Putting the Fun in Fundraising
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
A mustache-growing contest in Washington, D.C., dubbed the 'Sweet 'Stache ManPageant' raised more than $3,000 for a local non-profit that helps kids with cancer ("Lip hair is because we care," said Mr. Sweet 'Stache 2006 Steve Weldon). The dating auction Babes for Boobs raised over $5,000 last year by auctioning singles and allowing its organizer to participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Another fundraising plan for the same event raised $1,000 with an online match-making service. The Couch Potato Party bar crawl (organized by the same folks who did the mustache contest) raised $500 for the Homeless Children's Playtime Project, but in the process also signed up 80 people for an upcoming walk for the homeless.
It's the new face of fundraising and charity: Young people who want to help a cause and have fun doing it.
Continue reading "Putting the Fun in Fundraising"
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Giving Leads to More Sales
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Research
For every $1 a company donates they can expect sales to go up by as much as $6, according to a new research report mentioned in The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
"Contributions have this advertising effect to them, this image-enhancing effect to them. What we see is giving goes up first and then we see the sales go up," said Christine Petrovits, an assistant professor of accounting at New York University Stern School of Business and a co-author of the report.
Companies that sell directly to consumers like retailers, finanical institutions and electronics manufacturers saw the most direct econcomic benefit from giving, but other companies also saw tangible benefits that had a less-direct economic component. The report advises businesses publicize their philanthropy to see the biggest return.
(link via Selfish Giving)
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January 19, 2007
What is Cause Marketing?
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Whitepapers
At the most basic cause marketing is about making a living while making life worth living. It's doing something good and making money at the same time. It's helping a local charity and selling widgets.
What is Cause Marketing? (PDF, 96 KB, 2 pages)
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January 18, 2007
Top 59 Smartest Organizations Online
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Technology
Seth Godin's Squidoo, GetActive and NetSquared have put together a list of the top 59 smartest organizations online. These are non-profit organizations that understand web 2.0. They've got blogs, social networking accounts, online video, e-mail newsletters, online campaigns and so much more. If you're looking to figure out how your organization or business can make better use of the web, here are 59 good examples. (link via Getting Attention)
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January 17, 2007
Donating a Real Water Buffalo
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
So Philip Greenspun wanted to donate a water buffalo to a family in Asia. Seems like a practical way to make a donation.
However, the Heifer International web site where Greenspun hoped to make his donation said it was just a symbolic contribution and would go to Heifer International's general fund to help struggling families. So Greenspun wouldn't be buying a water buffalo that would go to a needy family. He'd be buying into a not quite honest marketing campagin.
Enter the Internet.
Continue reading "Donating a Real Water Buffalo"
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January 16, 2007
Invisible Children and Guess
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
If you've got your Product (Red) sneakers and hoodies, perhaps it's time to expand your cause-supporting wardrobe. The Guess apparel retailer and the non-profit Invisible Children have teamed up to offer an Invisible Children T-shirt and DVD pack. You get a copy of the Invisible Children rough cut DVD and a specially designed Invisible Children T-shirt.
It's the brainchild of 14-year-old Olivia and 16-year-old Caroline, daughters of Maurice Marciano, the founder and co-ceo of Guess?. They saw the Invisible Children story on Oprah and were inspired to do something. Their father loved the idea, but insisted that they do all the work to make the project happen.
The shirts and DVD should be in stores now.
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January 15, 2007
Church Marketing Sucks is Must-Read Fundraising Blog
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Personality News
Church Marketing Sucks--a church communications blog launched by Personality™ founder and president Brad Abare--has been named one of the top five must-read fundraising blogs by Jeff Brooks, author of the Donor Power Blog. Brooks complimented the site's "edge in critiquing church marketing efforts."
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Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2007
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Personality News
Today in the United States, we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Established in 1983, it is the newest addition to our annual holiday lineup, although it wasn't until 2000 that every state recognized it (thanks Utah!). Besides George Washington, Dr. King is the only other American honored with a national holiday.
Several months ago we were brainstorming as a team what to do for gifts this past Christmas for Personality™ clients and friends. Instead of sending something along with every other fruit basket and chocolate, we re-directed our efforts to Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Last week we shipped hundreds of gift kits with an invitation to dream. Inspired by Dr. King, each kit is your chance to create some space and ask "What if?"
This holiday means a whole lot to us because it's about a cause. It's the day we recognize a man who wasn't just standing up for racial equality, he was fighting for justice.
"I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant ... I believe the wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality, and freedom for their spirits. I believe that what self-centered me have torn down, men other-centered can build up." -From his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech on December 10, 1964
We honor you, Dr. King. Thanks for showing us what it means to live and die for a cause bigger then ourselves. Thanks for showing us how to ask "What if?"
If you want one of the gift kits, we have a few left. Drop a line to Brett or Brian and we'll get one out to you right away (while supplies last).
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January 13, 2007
MLK Day On
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Inspiration
I had no idea how widespread the idea of using MLK day as a day of service was. Taking a day off to use for a day of service is brilliant, and in my opinion is the way Dr. King would have rather had it anyway. To think that his death resulted in just giving people a day off is actually a little insulting!
Thanks to the Congress of 1994 who enacted this day of service, ten years after establishing the holiday in the first place. Bravo!
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January 12, 2007
We Are Men of Action
Posted by Brian Zopf | Filed under: Inspiration
In one of the greatest films of all time (not open to debate), The Princess Bride, the "poor and perfect" farm-boy, Wesley, says at one point: "We are men of action. Lies do not become us." I love that line. It's one of my favorites.
I want to be a man of action.
Everyone has dreams. But why is it that so many are doomed to watch from the shoreline as they either fade or disappear altogether as years go by? Could it be because they're content to simply dream the dreams, rather than run after them?
I would rather run.
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January 11, 2007
Blogging for Charity
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Marketing
Network for Good is offering charity badges, little web widgets bloggers can add to their sites that help raise money for the charity of your choice (and as soon as MySpace and Facebook functionality is up, this will go far beyond bloggers). Anyone can basically create a badge that promotes the charity of their choice (as long as it's registered with Network for Good) and customize it with their own text, photos, etc. and slap it on their site. The badge shows how many donations and how much money you've raised for your cause. How cool is that?
The project is supported by Yahoo! and they even offered a matching grant to the top fund raiser in the first month ($49,537 went to the Sharing Foundation). You can also check out the top 10 fundraisers.
For non-profits this is a cool way to mobilize your donors to raise money for you--just make sure you're on Network for Good. For businesses this is a cool way to raise money for your favorite charity of choice. (link via Nonprofit Blog Exchange)
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January 10, 2007
Stats on Donations
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Research
And now for stats on donations from The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
- 83% of Americans donated to a charity in the past year.
- Average total donations per person fell from $1,352 in 2005 to $1,220 in 2006.
- Donors are most likely to give to religious causes (35%), groups that fight hunger (34%), and health organizations (31%). Donations to disaster relief charities fell from 49% in 2005 to 26% in 2006, primarily due to the lack of high profile disasters like the Southeast Asia tsunami in late 2004 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
- 76% donate because "it's the right thing to do." Other motivations include tax write-offs (15%), employer encouragement (6%), news media attention (2%) and pressure at fund-raising events (2%).
- 45% planned to donate specifically for the holiday season. 9% planned to donate in someone else's name.
- Non-tradiational donations still make up a small percentage of donations: donor-advised fund (8%), bequest (4%), gift of stock (3%).
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Stats on the Non-Profit Sector
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Research
Check out these stats on the non-profit sector from The Chronicle of Philanthropy:
- 7.2% of all employees in the U.S. work for a non-profit. If you add in volunteers, non-profits account for 10.5% of the American workforce.
- The non-profit world is larger than other major industries including utilities, construction and wholesale trade.
- From 2002-2004 the American workforce as a whole declined .2%, yet the non-profit sector grew by more than 5%.
- Most non-profit work is in the human services field. One-third of non-profit workers are employed at hospitals and another 21% work in other health-related positions, including clinics and nursing homes.
If you want to partner with a non-profit, it helps to know more about their field. Especially the fact that the sector is growing and that more than half of it includes health-related work.
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January 8, 2007
Goodbye Kari Gibbs
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Personality News
Four months ago we welcomed Kari Gibbs to the team as our much anticipated project director. We had been looking forward to her arrival for quite sometime, and realized how much more we really did need her after she arrived. Kari has been amazing!
Not long after Kari began working at Personality™ she learned of the news that her sister had been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Over the last several months, and many long weekend trips to the Sacramento area, Kari has made the decision to move up north to be with her sister full time. Life is short. Work is not. We're behind Kari in her decision to spend these unknown number of remaining days with her sister. Kari, you will be missed! Thanks for all you've done in the short amount of time you were here.
Kari's last day will be this Friday, January 12.
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January 4, 2007
Where's My Gift?
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Personality News
Ever since our early days in Chicago, Personality™ has been known for giving some pretty ridiculous gifts during Christmas to our clients. One year it was a gift box that had a lever you pulled when you opened it. The lever lit up the box with Christmas lights surrounded by chocolate and coffee. Another year it was a box that asked you to place a magnet over a button. Once the connection was made, a fan started inside and created a snow storm in the box!
This year, we decided against a Christmas gift and instead are doing something a little different. Surprise, surprise. What, you ask?
You'll just have to see.
Of course, if you're not a client or if you're not on our special list, you won't know will you? Drop a line to Brett or Brian and maybe they can let you in on the secret.
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January 3, 2007
Mashing Relational Connections
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Productivity
Several weeks ago it was my turn to lead the team during our weekly Reflection time. Each week one of us is assigned to lead the rest of the team through a 30 minute reflection about a pre-assigned topic. My topic for this particular week was "relationship."
So I cut up little pieces of paper (about the size of playing cards) and wrote a different word on each one. Play, homeless, dirty, desk, magazine were among the dozens of different words. I gave each person five words (one word per paper--five different pieces of paper each).
Continue reading "Mashing Relational Connections"
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January 2, 2007
Happy New Year 2007
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Personality News
Happy New Year from all of us at Personality™! We just returned from a restful week off, and we're looking forward to a meaning-filled 2007.
We spent our Reflection time this morning sharing holiday stories and catching up after being away for 10 days. The highlight for me was how everyone was able to really unplug and unwind. Of course that's not hard when you're like our art director who spent the last week in Hawaii for Christmas with family.
Brett and Brian, our account director and account executive, respectively, didn't waste anytime bringing in the new year. They're both out east working on our first Brand Analysis of the year with a client in DC.
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