Clean Makeup for Clean Water

I get so excited when I see a favorite brand of mine engaged in a cause marketing campaign. One of the main reasons why this is exciting is because I am a woman loyal to only a few select brands and rarely ever do I switch a brand once I find one I l-o-v-e. I have stuck to some brands for more than 25 years.

One of my favorite brands has been and still is COVERGIRL. I love everything about their makeup products from the texture to the scents to the 'real life' face colors. I just pulled out a few of the products I use and have used over the years. My favorite foundation is their FreshLook (Ivory), Cheekers blush (Brick Rose), Perfect Blend PencilCrayon (Brun*Noir), Professional mascara, LipSlicks Lip gloss(Precious) and Dark Chocolate lipstick w/ SPF15. Oh, how I love this lipstick. When I run low, I go into the drugstore, head right to the rack and pick up the product. I can get what I need with no hassles.

Now here is the best part, COVERGIRL has partnered with The Children's Safe Drinking Program and just launched their Clean Makeup for Clean Water campaign. The beauty of this campaign is that it's brilliant and simple on many levels. First, it uses the word 'clean', enhancing the brand image, product line and the cause initiative. This is symmetric and easy to remember (Clean Makeup and clean water), so both the company and cause brand image win.

Another reason this campaign is brilliant is because it directly involves their customers on two different levels. The first level of involvement asks the customer to share a video about how they give back to make a difference. This is a super idea in that viewers can learn about causes and charities, and creative ways other women give which helps build awareness and inspiration. Another level of customer involvement offers women an opportunity to win! Who doesn't like to win something. They could win either a trip to Africa that is a humanitarian effort and aligned with the campaign (sending clean water to children in developing countries) or the chance to participate in a photo shoot. Either of these two possibilities are exciting.

I give this campaign two thumbs up! It's message, brand building, cause awareness, and customer involvement and call to action rock.

About:

The Children's Safe Drinking Water Program provides clean drinking water to developing nations. Every day more than 4,000 children in developing countries die from diseases due to unsafe drinking water.

• Contaminated drinking water is a major problem, especially in developing nations.
• More than one billion people worldwide do not have access to safe water. Diarrhea caused by drinking contaminated water remains a leading cause of illness and death among infants and children in the developing world.
• About 1.8 million children die every year due to diarrheal diseases. More children die from diarrheal illnesses like cholera and dysentery than from HIV/AIDS or malaria combined.
• Beginning in 1995, P&G collaborated with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to develop the PUR Purifier of Water, a safe drinking water system that people can easily use in their homes.
• Simple, low-cost interventions at the community level can improve the quality of household water and greatly reduce the risk of diarrheal disease and death.
• Simply providing safe, clean, drinkable water can significantly help reduce deadly diarrhea and other devastating diseases.

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold or Hungry

It all started late one evening. Lisa Manyon (Twitter handle @WriteOnCreative) and I (Twitter handle @MaggieKeenan) were being our social selves on social networks. Lisa and I have known each other for several years. We professionally have worked on projects together and we are real friends, Twitter pals and Facebook friends, too.

Lisa posted a question on Facebook that asked: “I think it would be fun to be a professional gift giver w/ an unlimited budget to delight others. What would you give & why?”

This sparked some interesting discussion and I know that Lisa and I both have a passion for giving and helping nonprofits.

Then the magic began. Lisa mentioned she was thinking about the recent Facebook craze of women posting their bra color in their social media status to support breast cancer. But what about taking action to REALLY make a difference. Lisa sent the link about the bra gig to me and I thought wow, what a cool, a very cool idea.

Lisa immediately thought about a blanket drive and then I thought about all the cold and hungry people within our own communities. We were both on the same wavelength.

I suggested we involve a young teenager, Zach Bonner ( @Zach_Bonner on Twitter). He’s a 12-year old and Founder of the

Little Red Wagon Foundation a charity organized to raise awareness and funds to help homeless children. I've been following Zach for over a year. Part of the proceeds of my book support his cause and I followed him last summer on his ATL-DC Walk.

Lisa and I are asking you to join us in supporting this new campaign and we are making it super easy for you. You can either donate your time, a blanket or some food to a charity in your community or nationally, or if you cannot donate your time or items, please consider sending Zach a donation.

Here’s how you can make it happen:

1. Post the information you’ll find below on your Facebook page, blog etc. to spread the word.

2. Take an action yourself. Select the best way to support this campaign.

3. Join our campaign on Twibbon as a supporter.

4. Then, post one of the status suggestions below in all of your social media status sections.

That’s it! So let's get started. Below is all the information you need to help out.

Here’s a suggested post you can use on your blog and to send to friends on your social networks to spread the Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold or Hungry.

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold Or Hungry

People in your community are cold and hungry. You might not see them on the streets in your community but they are there. Or you may live in a community where it’s more than obvious (Hello, Seattle, Los Angeles, Detroit…). Maggie Keenan (@MaggieKeenan –twitter) and Lisa Manyon (@WriteOnCreative –twitter) are no strangers to giving. They’re challenging you to do the same. So, donate a blanket or food to someone who needs it. Perhaps someone you see on the street or contact your local organizations. There are Community Partnership Act programs across the country, homeless shelters and food banks, too. Or, if you cannot donate an item, donate your time to a local soup kitchen or other shelter. Let’s make a difference.

The Help Starts @ Home movement was inspired by the social media craze of women posting their bra color to support breast cancer. Maggie & Lisa support breast cancer too BUT they’re taking this a step further and challenging you and your family to take action and make a difference.

Help really does start at home and no one should be cold or hungry. Post this to your Facebook wall, pass it on to friends, add it to your blog, send it to your newsletter subscribers & when you’ve taken action, post this in your status on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook or whatever social media platform you choose.

Think of the impact we can ALL make. Oh, and if you really cannot find the time to take action and donate a blanket or food, please consider sending a donation to the The Little Red Wagon Foundation. Zach Bonner (@Zach_Bonner – Twitter) is the founder. He’s 12-Years old and dedicated to helping homeless children. Check him out on Twitter or at http://littleredwagonfoundation.com/ .

Go forth and GIVE. And, when you do, add our Twibbon to your your Twitter profile to show united support for Help Starts @ Home.

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold Or Hungry ~ I donated to (insert item & name or organization here)

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should BE Cold Or Hungry ~ I donated a blanket & food today

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should BE Cold Or Hungry ~ I donated to http://littleredwagonfoundation.com/

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold Or Hungry ~ I volunteered in soup kitchen today

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold Or Hungry ~I volunteered in a homeless shelter today

Help Starts @ Home ~ No One Should Be Cold Or Hungry ~ I volunteered at a Food Bank today

Thanks for your support! Someone somewhere will appreciate you!

Hear the World Foundation & Celebrity Calendar Edition

What is Hear the World? Hear the World, a global initiative by hearing system manufacturer Phonak to raise awareness about the importance of hearing, has created a poster-size limited edition 2010 calendar featuring the world-renowned photographs of Hear the World celebrity ambassadors, including Jude Law, Annie Lennox, Lenny Kravitz and Elle McPherson (sample pages attached).



- What makes this a perfect gift? All proceeds go to the Hear the World Foundation which is dedicated to supporting individuals and groups around the world whose lives are affected by hearing loss with technology and financial assistance.



- How much does it cost? $29.90



- Where can I get it? http://www.hear-the-world.com/en/the-initiative/calendar-2010.html (order now to make sure your copy arrives by the holidays)



While hearing loss is one of the world’s most preventable disabilities, it is also one of the most common. 800 million people worldwide, more than 16 percent of the world’s population, have hearing loss and the number is expected to increase to 1.1 billion by the year 2015. Help make a difference through one simple purchase.



Submitted by:

Stephanie Long

Fleishman-Hillard International Communications

6 Key Indicators To Know if Your Business Giving is Making a Difference

Almost every business owner has a passion for some social issue that we know we can help to make a difference. Your cause may be illiteracy, breast cancer, the environment or hunger. There are so many causes and the desire to help a lot of them can be overwhelming. Realistically, you know you just can’t help them all. So, what do you do and where do you begin?

Most of us start our business putting in countless hours with little financial return for the first few years. Spending time away from core activities of your business just isn't a priority, like going through donation requests or returning calls for donations. But no one ever really said to you, "Hey this is how to create a giving program that works."

I know about the owner of a small communication company who works tirelessly taking new orders, making sure technicians are in the field, handling crises, hiring new sales persons, then, exhausted and burned out, she would let the stack of donation requests pile up. She would literally wait until December to handle them all. Frustrated and tired of reading requests, she realized one day that she'd have to do something different if she really desired to make a difference.

It's at this point you must make a decision. Most of us try to be the good neighbor to charities. But you simply can't. The problem is there are things you MUST DO to truly create a successful business giving program. If certain systems are not in place then you really don't have a business giving program at all. Below are some key indicators to let you know if you are making a difference. And making a difference means you are effective with how you give and what you give.

Here are Six Indicators:

1. Your giving is purpose-driven. Giving is a good thing to do. But, as a business owner you need to align your giving with your values and your business's values. As a small business you may be thinking that you are your business so how can the two be different. But, in some ways they are. When your giving is not purpose-driven, it is unfocused and reactive. And this is a sure way for your giving not to help build your brand or build cause-related connections.

2. You have a business giving plan. Jotting down donation requests on a legal pad doesn’t count. Using sticky notes don't count either! You have to take the time to create and follow a written business giving plan, just like you do for your marketing. A plan allows you to become effective with the resources you give, and by giving you the tool to measure your success each year.

3. You have a giving budget and leverage business assets for giving. Writing a lot of checks are you? $25 here, $75 there and not balancing it against a giving budget! Oh, you don’t have a giving budget! This is an absolute must. You need a budget for your giving even if it's a small one. Keep in mind that business giving is not all about money! As a matter of fact, small business owners should have a well leveraged giving program.

4. You give to fewer charities. Giving smaller size checks to as many organizations you can actually waters down your giving impact. This goes back to being unfocused and reactive and you are missing a key ingredient giving success. A well focused program leads to business success and charities will thank you for it too.

5. Your communication is clear. You have to have a way to say no to charities that ask you for donations and not feel bad about it. You can't be all things to all organizations. It's impossible. If you are saying yes to just about anyone or any friend that asks you to make a donation from your business, this will leave you feeling depleted and awful because you know that you just cannot make the donation at the time and you don't want to say no. Having a communication plan in place to address this situation alleviates any regret or from feeling badly. Actually, your plan allows you to say proudly and confidently what you do support.

6. You have an accountability system. You scramble to find receipts or letters from organizations that you gave to because your accountant needs them. If this is you, you should have a system for managing and monitoring your giving records. It helps with end-of-year evaluation of your giving.These are just a few of the indicators to know if you are making a difference.

A business giving program that makes a difference for you and the causes you care about most has a solid plan in place, is well managed and measures its giving. If you are someone who desires to have a business that stands for something and makes a difference, creating a business giving program and system is the key to giving success.

Copyright © 2009. Maggie F. Keenan, Ed.D. All rights reserved.

Moving Comfort & Girls in the Game.... Game On!

I am so excited I can hardly sit still. Moving Comfort is a fitness apparel company for women. I love'm and have been wearing the running attire for years. Started in the late 70's by two young female runners, they saw a need for running shorts for females. Back then, and as a runner of over 35 years, everything was unisex. Their success story is great and I support them.

Just over a year ago, I had the opportunity to work with Moving Comfort (MC) to help structure a giving back program. Well, here is what they created to make a difference! They recently launched their all new "Support Your Girls" campaign. This giving program ROCKS! The t-shirts which have the slogan Support Your Girls on the front gives 33 percent of each t-shirt sale to Girls in the Game. Girls in the Game (GIG) provides and promotes sports & fitness opportunities, nutrition & health education, and leadership development to enhance the overall health and well-being of all girls.

Okay, so here's the thing. The success and power of this program is in:

1. The alignment of mission of Girls in the Game and the vision of Moving Comfort;
2. The mutual values and commitment to those values;
3. The ideal match between a brand and what can boost the target's needs of an organization;
4. The authentic expression of the message which supports both MC and GIG;
5. The opportunity to be creative, have fun, and share an inspiring success story.

To know that thousands of girls between the ages of 6-18 lives will be touched is awesome. I applaud this partnership and what it means for girls now and the impact it will have on their lives in later years.

All I can is "WooHoo!"