‘Giving’ starting to lose meaning
Have to have that limited-edition T-shirt by your favorite designer where proceeds go to charity? What about that exclusive secret track by your favorite band that’s only available if you buy the entire benefit CD?
Every company out there is doing it: getting you to buy items to give back to those in need. It’s a brilliant concept. Present customers with something that’s rare or special, and tell them their money is going to help a good cause. Get a celebrity to tweet about it, appear on a talk show and endorse it, make a commercial and teenagers will be throwing out money left and right. It’s a great way to make money, promote a product and, in a sense, save the world.
Buying a product that benefits charity is a two-for-one deal for consumers. They get to buy something they already wanted to purchase (products ranging from free-range coffee to rubber bracelets), and their money goes to a cause that is worthy of supporting on its own. It’s also a great way to get a younger generation concerned with consuming to pay attention to issues going on in the world and feel like it is actually making a difference in ending these huge disasters.
But are consumers buying because they want to give back, or do they just want something unique from their favorite brand? Have people stopped giving from the heart in favor of gaining cool swag?
It upsets me that people feel like they need something in return for their “donation” to a cause. Giving back shouldn’t be done simply to keep up with the latest trends. Helping people in need is always in style, and it should be done from the heart.