Passionate environmentalists may be known for their willingness to go the extra mile for a greener alternative, but the majority of people who understand the importance of environmental responsibility intellectually still lack the motivation to make an inconvenient or costly adjustment to their life. So, recognizing the power of incentives, companies are finding creative ways to encourage green-minded behavior.
Riding Green: Perhaps the most congested city in the country, Los Angeles is resting its hopes on California’s bullet train project. But with the costly proposition still under debate, less complex and more immediate alternatives are emerging. One of those, Riding Green, is cleverly raising awareness about available public transportation options by leveraging one of LA’s most attractive commodities: its nightlife. The new company partners with local bars and restaurants to provide individuals with food and drink discounts upon proof of public transportation use. We suspect that more than a few creatures of the night will find it quite liberating to not have to designate a sober driver.
For those still slacking on their holiday shopping (you know who you are), may we make a suggestion? Fashion denim line J Brand has created three limited edition colors of its famous skinny fit jeans: Apache (a warm khaki), Vine (a dark olive), and Plumberry (a dark saturated fuchsia). Even better than the fact that they’re among the most universally flattering jeans around is that 100% of the net proceeds are going to City Year, a nonprofit organization that partners with public schools to provide full-time targeted intervention for students most at risk of dropping out.
Giving your loved one the gift of her new favorite jeans while also helping keep kids in school is a win-win, but those members of the fairer sex shouldn’t feel bad about picking up a pair for themselves, either. A little self-gifting never hurt anyone, especially when it’s in the name of charity, right?
P.S. – Trendcentral will be recharging its batteries over the next two weeks. Publication will resume on January 3rd. Happy holidays, and we’ll see you next year!
Along with transparency, social responsibility is one of the most important factors in shaping young consumers’ opinions of corporations and brands. Increasingly, given the state of the economy, Gen Ys are seeking to leverage their consumerism in more benevolent ways. Several new companies have taken note, creating new business models that are as focused on giving back as they are on turning a profit.
Community Collection: Groupon has proven that daily deal sites can drive sales, but perhaps something’s missing, as some shoppers report experiencing post-purchase frustrations, or even guilt, when dealing with them. Enter Community Collection, the first-ever flash sale site to donate 20% from every purchase to a worthy cause. USC graduate Brooks Cook had the idea to pair hip designers such as Alexander Wang, Helmut Lang, LNA, and Alexis Bittar, with charitable organizations like Operation Homefront, Flying Kites, Partners in Health, and World Wildlife Fund. Categorized into ten distinct causes with over 200 brand partners and counting, Community Collection may be redefining the meaning of “retail therapy.”
A striking example of how the tight job market has motivated even less civic-minded types to support nonprofits, LinkedIn recently introduced Volunteer Experience & Causes, a feature that allows members to promote their volunteerism. But despite the pervasiveness of social causes, it has become daunting for people to choose where to direct their philanthropic efforts, so several new entities have sprung up to play matchmaker between donors and causes.
Catchafire: Nonprofits are often unsure of how best to access pro bono labor and individuals are often confused about where to put their professional skills to philanthropic use. Catchafire aims to streamline both processes by encouraging users to “Give what you’re good at.” The company’s website, a near amalgam of Idealist and OKCupid, algorithmically matches one’s talents to the organization that most needs them. Though most of Catchafire’s projects are located in New York, where it’s based, it also features virtual volunteering opportunities. Current projects include crowdfunding for Humanitarian Notes, website design for Hope Sings, and PR planning for ACE Programs for the Homeless.
On the heels of Kickstarter came niche fundraising platforms like GiveForward and Pifworld, and now even video games are focused on saving the (real) world. New to the do-good scene are charitable mobile apps, which make it easy for users to lend a helping hand—whenever and wherever the mood strikes them.
WeFeedBack: WeFeedBack is a persuasive app that puts the developed world’s daily food expenditure in perspective. Enter the cost of a favorite food item into the calculator and it returns a startling figure: the number of hungry children that the same amount of money could feed. The math involved is simple; the food’s cost is multiplied by four, based on the World Food Programme’s estimate that it takes just 25 cents a day to feed one child. (One $9 panini, for example, is worth full meals for 36 kids). With its single-click option to “Feed Them Now” and engrossing global feedback tracker, the campaign has already collected the funds to feed more than 120,000 children.
