drumkeeran
War Child
I was under the impression that Jesus was a carpenter.
(03-04-2007) Costly Red Campaign Reaps Meager $18 Million - AdAge*
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MrsSpringsteen
Blue Crack Addict
Letter to the Editor
Advertising Age
Dear Mr. Bloom,
I want to clarify a number of issues from the article on March 4th by your writer Mya Frazier "Costly RED Campaign Reaps Meager $18 million."
It has been a year since the launch of (PRODUCT) RED in the UK – a brand launch designed to get people used to the idea of an entirely new "fund raising" model; a brand launch that entered the market slowly with a small product offering at the time. It was designed to build over time. It built up to a full product offering and launch in the US on October 13th, 2006. So we’ve been in business really for only five months.
Your article says that $18 million and soon to be $25 million (when we have completed our most recent accounting) is a "meager" amount. It's five times the amount given to the Global Fund by the private sector in four years.
Second, your writer suggested that the $25 million is meager compared to the marketing money spent. Because (RED) is explicitly NOT a charity, we encourage our partners to go about their business including their marketing. This sells the products; the products generate the $25 million.
In addition, this marketing would have been spent anyway, on other product lines. It never would have been (nor will it ever be) given to the Global Fund. We were able to divert existing marketing dollars for (RED). The companies have erected signs in stores and billboards across America saying that AIDS in Africa is a serious global problem. What is the value of that communication? Your writer never tells us. A phenomenal benefit is that Gap, Apple, Sprint and other sales people are meeting Americans and explaining that 5,500 Africans dying daily of AIDS is preventable. What is the value of this?
The only substantial point in your article is the notion that people will stop contributing to charity because they’ve purchased (RED) products. There is actual data showing that when people become aware of crises, they give more money rather than less. Your writer doesn’t mention that data. We believe (RED) will lead to more rather than less giving.
(RED) is one of the choices people can make to fight the biggest healthcare crisis in human history. Yours,
Bobby Shriver
CEO
(RED)
Advertising Age
Dear Mr. Bloom,
I want to clarify a number of issues from the article on March 4th by your writer Mya Frazier "Costly RED Campaign Reaps Meager $18 million."
It has been a year since the launch of (PRODUCT) RED in the UK – a brand launch designed to get people used to the idea of an entirely new "fund raising" model; a brand launch that entered the market slowly with a small product offering at the time. It was designed to build over time. It built up to a full product offering and launch in the US on October 13th, 2006. So we’ve been in business really for only five months.
Your article says that $18 million and soon to be $25 million (when we have completed our most recent accounting) is a "meager" amount. It's five times the amount given to the Global Fund by the private sector in four years.
Second, your writer suggested that the $25 million is meager compared to the marketing money spent. Because (RED) is explicitly NOT a charity, we encourage our partners to go about their business including their marketing. This sells the products; the products generate the $25 million.
In addition, this marketing would have been spent anyway, on other product lines. It never would have been (nor will it ever be) given to the Global Fund. We were able to divert existing marketing dollars for (RED). The companies have erected signs in stores and billboards across America saying that AIDS in Africa is a serious global problem. What is the value of that communication? Your writer never tells us. A phenomenal benefit is that Gap, Apple, Sprint and other sales people are meeting Americans and explaining that 5,500 Africans dying daily of AIDS is preventable. What is the value of this?
The only substantial point in your article is the notion that people will stop contributing to charity because they’ve purchased (RED) products. There is actual data showing that when people become aware of crises, they give more money rather than less. Your writer doesn’t mention that data. We believe (RED) will lead to more rather than less giving.
(RED) is one of the choices people can make to fight the biggest healthcare crisis in human history. Yours,
Bobby Shriver
CEO
(RED)
hotpepper
War Child
Thanks Mrs. Springsteen for finding the letter from Bobby Shriver.
Ralphie
The Fly
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Jeannieco
Rock n' Roll Doggie Band-aid
Thank you for that letter from Bobby Shriver!
Good points made.
Good points made.
last unicorn
Blue Crack Addict
That's a good letter from Bobby, he reacted very fast and adequatly to the issue and sets a number of things straight. Good points!
drumkeeran
War Child
Well stated Mr. Shriver!!!
Project RED is not about the absolute dollar value raised. Raising a large absolute dollar figure is not the goal here. The goal is to provide impoverished countries with an economic solution to poverty. By working and producing these clothes (for instance, GAP RED products were produced in South Africa), and producing them under fair and just labor practices, the people of Africa are working to solve their problem, as opposed to just receiving aid. By purchasing GAP RED products, then, we're working to create fair trade worldwide. We're not just buying these clothes to donate money. We're buying these clothes to provide work. And not work that's equivalent to slave labor, but fair and just work. Granted, this is not the case with all RED products, but this is the philosophy behind the idea.
Don't get me wrong - charity is a good thing. However, ultimately, charity will not raise the world from poverty. Only the initiative of the people - the initiative to become part of the global economic process - will save people. It's the principle of teaching a man to fish. You can give someone charity everyday, but when that person goes out and earns it in a fair and decent manner, then that person becomes part of the economic system, and they can raise themselves up. We're helping them by doing something that we would do anyways - buying products.
Don't get me wrong - charity is a good thing. However, ultimately, charity will not raise the world from poverty. Only the initiative of the people - the initiative to become part of the global economic process - will save people. It's the principle of teaching a man to fish. You can give someone charity everyday, but when that person goes out and earns it in a fair and decent manner, then that person becomes part of the economic system, and they can raise themselves up. We're helping them by doing something that we would do anyways - buying products.
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dazzledbylight
Blue Crack Supplier
thank you gabriel, Dr who & Mrs Springsteen........all good points!
Now I happen to be on the {for now} upper side of poor. But poorish I am. {and esp compared to a modest but nice middle class life before 95}
I DO have modest extra spending money until a particular situation changes sometime this year or next......... where i may have a bunch less.
If it works out well, it wil have a serious upside even with little extra money. Then I'll working to increase my income.
In the meantime I use some of my modest extra money for Artisitc drawing/learning to paint again/and special free digital art classes { but MONEY Needed when/once I will have to print Very High Quality Prints at some future point & marketing stuff, too} Work, and medium to High-Level {Artisan} Jewelry.
ALL of that takes alot of money over time to get supplies/info-instruction & visual books/articles-magazines [not everything I need is IN the library
] and even IF it is-- i often have to make xeroxes.
PLUS Storage Items, too! egads!
Lots of storage material over the decades & even {esp} these past 5 yrs!
SO I don't spend too much money on each item of clothing I buy. RED Products clothes-wise are in general too expensive. I go Target/K-mart and a few other stores.
I also have to have a bit of money left for inexpensive take-out and a few movies and dinner/lunch out a year. Plus when i save up U2 recordings and a few others.
Beleive me I didn't have the money to pay for one of the Vert shows i saw right off, and 2 of them ended up being free
<I'd gotten a 300$ increase in credit i hadn't even used for the first 4 months that great seat was ther first new purchase>,
plus I got a gracious free tix / and the Brooklyn Bridge show was free.
I still haven't even started paying off the 260$ I owe my sis for our MSG ETS U2 tix- so we could go together, and also see Patti & her band.
I did- don't groan- buy the 1$ pin within a week of that lastest GAP stuff.
Originally i had planned to buy a bunch, and link them together.....but didn't get around to it. I'm NOT near a GAP that often to spark my memory. If my money dosen't go to one thing it goes to another often real soon tho, the rest sometimes goes to some modest savings involved till i spend that.
I thot about the ? 10$ bracelet. but never got back to it.
But I like the newer 15$ necklaces even better! IU have special reason for it, too, so I WON't forget this time!
BUT I'm ALSO thinking IF I can manage to save up the $ WITHOUT spending it beforehand.
............
I really liked the GAP RED Big ?Satchel bags- esp the green & red one from the start !
I can ALWAYS use another esp STURDY carrying bag-- with ALL the supplies, letter-sized pappers, boxes of beads, finished stuff in sturdy or with cardboard added manila or plastic 9 x 11 inch type of Envelopes, and other stuff I carry!
I have 1 special one with web=straps. for larger ? 20 X 22 inch or so drawing pads, paint boards etc.
I could use a more "scruffy" looking one to carry stuff in.
ANd that'll be The One!
Now I happen to be on the {for now} upper side of poor. But poorish I am. {and esp compared to a modest but nice middle class life before 95}
I DO have modest extra spending money until a particular situation changes sometime this year or next......... where i may have a bunch less.
If it works out well, it wil have a serious upside even with little extra money. Then I'll working to increase my income.In the meantime I use some of my modest extra money for Artisitc drawing/learning to paint again/and special free digital art classes { but MONEY Needed when/once I will have to print Very High Quality Prints at some future point & marketing stuff, too} Work, and medium to High-Level {Artisan} Jewelry.
ALL of that takes alot of money over time to get supplies/info-instruction & visual books/articles-magazines [not everything I need is IN the library
] and even IF it is-- i often have to make xeroxes. PLUS Storage Items, too! egads!
Lots of storage material over the decades & even {esp} these past 5 yrs!SO I don't spend too much money on each item of clothing I buy. RED Products clothes-wise are in general too expensive. I go Target/K-mart and a few other stores.
I also have to have a bit of money left for inexpensive take-out and a few movies and dinner/lunch out a year. Plus when i save up U2 recordings and a few others.
Beleive me I didn't have the money to pay for one of the Vert shows i saw right off, and 2 of them ended up being free
<I'd gotten a 300$ increase in credit i hadn't even used for the first 4 months that great seat was ther first new purchase>,
plus I got a gracious free tix / and the Brooklyn Bridge show was free.
I still haven't even started paying off the 260$ I owe my sis for our MSG ETS U2 tix- so we could go together, and also see Patti & her band.
I did- don't groan- buy the 1$ pin within a week of that lastest GAP stuff.
Originally i had planned to buy a bunch, and link them together.....but didn't get around to it. I'm NOT near a GAP that often to spark my memory. If my money dosen't go to one thing it goes to another often real soon tho, the rest sometimes goes to some modest savings involved till i spend that.
I thot about the ? 10$ bracelet. but never got back to it.
But I like the newer 15$ necklaces even better! IU have special reason for it, too, so I WON't forget this time!
BUT I'm ALSO thinking IF I can manage to save up the $ WITHOUT spending it beforehand.
............I really liked the GAP RED Big ?Satchel bags- esp the green & red one from the start !
I can ALWAYS use another esp STURDY carrying bag-- with ALL the supplies, letter-sized pappers, boxes of beads, finished stuff in sturdy or with cardboard added manila or plastic 9 x 11 inch type of Envelopes, and other stuff I carry!
I have 1 special one with web=straps. for larger ? 20 X 22 inch or so drawing pads, paint boards etc.
I could use a more "scruffy" looking one to carry stuff in.
ANd that'll be The One!
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dazzledbylight
Blue Crack Supplier
^^^^^^
all the extra details I added was to just show how one person with modest extra money- might take a way longer time to actaully purchase something in the mid-price range for the GAP RED stuff.
all the extra details I added was to just show how one person with modest extra money- might take a way longer time to actaully purchase something in the mid-price range for the GAP RED stuff.
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