Are Happiness and Generosity the Future of Marketing Campaigns?

Last winter, a report "Generation Generosity" predicted that corporate greed would be replaced by generosity and a little love and happiness too.  Seems like generosity comes in shades of green too.

Two different green campaigns were launched this week with different objectives and strategies.   The first is an environmental activism campaign using positive messages and creativity to advocate for the Climate Bill.   The other one a campaign that promote's one corporations green initiatives and corporate social responsibility efforts.   What did they have in common?  Love and generosity as themes and user-generated content goals.

Love, the Climate

Live Earth has just launched an awareness campaign, Love, The Climate,  to engage the public in environmental activism and contact their senators about supporting the Climate Bill. 

What's different about the tone of this campaign is that it using happiness, love, and optimism as the core drivers.  Live Earth is soliciting positive and supportive user generated content expressing appreciation and love for senators’ positions on the environment, green jobs, clean energy, and/or the Climate Bill.     They are urging us to encourage and motivate them to support a greener future.  Live Earth is giving us a permission to be funny, enthusiastic and creative by contributing a video or photo expressing our love for the climate.  

With the goal of generating an unexpected outpouring of positive feedback, the “Love, The Climate” campaign encourages people to thank those who are making a difference, and show those who haven't yet seen the light how much more love they'll receive when they change their minds.  They are also offering some cool prizes and incentives, including these Climate Love Packs (Wow, that grand prize is a Schwinn 2010 World NX7 Commuter bike.)

Here are the different ways that you can participate:

• Leave a voicemail thanking a senator for improving the world and letting everyone know how much you love the climate. Call 347.422.6392 now to leave your message on the Live Earth message line (this is not a toll-free number) or go to Live Earth's site  and they’ll call you!  Live Earth will highlight the best voicemails on their website and forward the best ones to the senators to whom they’re addressed. 

• Add to the “Love, The Climate” Facebook Page  with a note, a message, a photo, or a link to content that shows how fantastic the climate will be after senators have taken action by passing the Climate Bill.

• Make a video for the climate demonstrating to senators how amazing life has become in a future where the environment is protected.  Sing them a song, read a love sonnet, speak for the trees in costume, let the whales do the talking! Submit your video here.  Live Earth will promote the most creative entries, and forward the best videos to the senators to whom they’re addressed.  Check out the announcement video here.  Need some inspiration? See  Shira Lazar’s inspired contribution here.

All participants who register for the campaign through September 25, 2009 will be entered into random drawings to win one of the “Climate Love Packs” or the grand prize of a Schwinn 2010 World NX7.  In order to be eligible for the prize drawings, you must submit an entry form to Live Earth

Ebay's Give, Good, Green Community

Ebay has launched "Give, Good, Green" which promotes its company philanthropic work, how ebay users can sell items and give proceeds to charity, its green team, and social good initiatives.  There's a sweepstakes
(Grand prize is an electric car - a Tazzari Zero) and other green goodies.   In addition, there's an online community project - if you join by uploading your photo, Ebay will donate a $1 to one of three charities, including Oxfam America, Hands on Network, and EDF.  (Can you see my photo in the montage?)

Comments

[Dan Dahlke]

These initiatives are a step in the right direction. I hope more organizations jump on this trend.

[Ann Douglas]

I would love to see campaigns veering away from fear-based messaging to more positive, appreciation-based messages (such as what you're describing above). I read a tweet earlier this morning from @maggiefox which mentioned that trust is also becoming key in marketing campaigns:

@maggiefox If you don't trust a company, you won't buy their stuff. How trust is bringing marketing, comms & cust service together http://bit.ly/1AGHa1

It's my sense that consumers will have to be totally convinced that organizations are worthy of their trust/gratitude before they buy into and act on positive messaging (e.g., sending a thank you note, etc.) So part of the positive messaging campaign will have to involve providing proof.

Anyway, very helpful info, as always. I read your blog regularly because I find it helpful in my role as a volunteer member of a Board of Directors for a non-profit organization.

[Joanne Fritz]

So cool! And a terrific counterweight to all the rudeness and in your face tactics we're seeing. Better to encourage politicians than to yell at them. The eBay initiative should be a smashing success too. Think of all those sellers giving a small cut of their proceeds to charity. Maybe I'll dig around in my garage and get something up.

[twitter.com/5forFairness]

Makes me think of Gordon Gekko's line, "Greed is good" from Wall Street. How much better to say "Good is good."

In the work we are doing at 5 for Fairness, the bad news is so prevalent and overwhelming that it can feel disempowering to people. This is a good reminder that staying positive can really help people feel empowered and engaged - as does applauding their generosity.

Thanks.

[Tom Bailey]

There is often love in business already. People often find what they are looking for when they look hard enough. If you take out the top 15 percent of donors there would be massive challenges in non-profit and much of that money was created through corp. "greed".