Archive for the ‘Fax & Figgers’ Category
Ridiculous Factoid of the Moment #1 (orig. posted 03/11/07)
I peruse several magazines every month since I have a hard time reading books. I guess I need the “quick fix” that magazines offer – a few paragraphs or pages and then off to the next topic. I won’t go into the list but I think there are around 8 or 9, including Time.
Time, Newsweek, and US News and World Report (you’d think they could have picked a shorter name) all seem to report on the same items, but I’ve mostly only read Time for the last few years. So I’m reading this week’s issue and I come across an interesting blurb about the RED Campaign. The RED Campaign was started last year “to benefit the Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria” – very noble.
Something NOT so noble in my opinion ? The fact that Gap, Apple and Motorola have spent an estimated $100 Million on marketing and advertising. Sounds OK, right ? Except so far the charity has raised only $18 Million worldwide ! In these corporate giant’s attempts to “attach” themselves to a cause, they have spent much more to get noticed than to actually help the cause – terribly misguided.
The Unites States is probably the most charitable nation the world has ever known, and we are blessed to live here. From children collecting money for UNICEF to big business to the Buffets & Gates’ – there are some things this country does right ! I feel that when all is said and done we will be judged on how we treated our fellow man while we were here – I’m very serious about that. Certainly not the only thing, but a big percentage of the compulsories.
I commend these companies for trying, and in the long run maybe the monies raised will greatly surpass the amount spent. Instead of trying to “cash in” on the cause, maybe they should just give the money straight to the existing charities trying to fight these dreaded diseases. I guess you have to “spend money to make money” as the adage goes…
Update : Interesting article on MSN today - http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Extra/FightingAidsWithARedTShirt.aspx?GT1=9215
