Jump on the Bandwagon
It should come as no surprise that the economy has crushed charitable giving for the last two years, and there’s no one out there saying things are going to improve this year. Recession or no recession, there will always be a small segment of the population whose wealth allows them to make the sizeable donations that keep charities afloat. The more important question is, “How do we get the rest of spending consumers to give?”

Trendwatching.com has pointed to “embedded generosity” as a trend for 2010. It makes so much sense that I had to wonder why it hasn’t been trending for years! You can’t ask a family struggling to get by to make a donation to your charity, but you can partner your company with a specific charity and embed that donation into a product or service they’re likely to purchase anyway.

Stop what you’re doing right now and listen to what I’m saying. Seriously. Listen to me: the next time you are making a purchase, stop and find out whether a portion of the proceeds are going to a charity. Take the time to figure out where your hard-earned dollars are going. Are they going straight into the company’s pockets? Or are they also going towards a worthy cause, making life a little better for someone less fortunate? If you’re going to spend the money anyway, it seems like a no-brainer that you would make sure the company you’re supporting is giving something back.

IKEA, P&G’s Pampers diapers, Tom’s Shoes and Campbell’s Soup have all embedded a donation program into the sale of their products. Disney’s new “Give a Day…Get a Disney Day” program is making a big splash. Disney is offering guests a voucher for admission to its theme park when they verify their time volunteered. In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, I wrote a blog entry about the importance of volunteerism and Obama’s United We Serve initiative. United We Serve is one of the 70,000 organizations sanctioned by the HandsOn Network so that volunteer hours can go toward a free trip to Disney. In yet another brilliant marketing move, Disney is promoting theme park attendance by encouraging volunteerism. That’s absolutely brilliant!!

Each of these examples creates a passive way for virtually anyone – regardless of their economic status – to feel as if they’ve made a difference, however small it may be. It also generates a positive feeling toward the brand and is a high-profile way to gain respect from customers and the media. This is a trend without a downside and one that’s likely to increase. More retailers should take note and jump on the bandwagon sooner rather than later. And more consumers should insist on patronizing only those retailers that make it easier for them to give back. It’s a win-win situation for everyone.

LINK:
TrendWatching.com – 10 Crucial Consumer Trends for 2010