Author: Drew Neisser

I love this story. Its starts in Maine back in 1962 when 12-year-old Morrill Worcester visited Arlington National Cemetery. What struck him the was the “enormity of the cemetery” and that “everyone buried there had a personal story and aspirations and plans for the future, like we all do.” Ten years later he started a wreath company called Worcester Wreath Company that grew and grew and grew supplying wreaths for L.L. Bean’s catalog among other outlets. In 1992 when Morrill discovered he had several thousand left over wreaths he got the idea to donate them to Arlington and much to his surprise was granted permission by the US government to do so. So he and his son and several co-workers drove to Virginia and took six hours in the rain to lay 5,000 wreaths on the graves stones. Feeling good about himself, Morrill decided to make this an annual tradition and did so pretty much in obscurity until last year when a photo of his wreaths sprinkled with snow became a viral sensation. The photo was taken by an Air Force news photographer and posted to an Air Force website to which someone added a moving poem. Suddenly, everyone related to the military had seen the photo and military cemeteries all over the country wanted wreaths of their own. Morrill was beginning to believe the military dictum that “no good deed goes unpunished” when he figured out a way to help out the other cemeteries, even involving UPS who agreed to ship them for free. Ultimately, Morrill’s effort landed his company on the cover of Friday’s USA Today. The reason I love this story is that Morrill did good simply because he thought it was the right thing to do. This was not a deliberate act of Marketing for Good, but it certainly ended up being good marketing — I know where I’ll be getting my wreath next year. How about you?

At the risk of losing all credibility, I’m about to argue that video games in general and Wii in particular can be part of the Marketing for Good movement. If you are one who believes that all video games are bad and encourage endless hours of sedentary behavior not to mention senseless violence then you’ll want to stop reading now. And oh by the way, I have a 14 year-old son who would spend endless hours playing video games if we didn’t police his screen time. Fortunately we do so he doesn’t. So back to how video games and Wii can be forces of MFG. Video games in general are the red wine of kids entertainment. In excess they can screw up your life. In moderation they can actually be good for you. On a side note, video games have been linked with developing stronger passion for mathematics and computers in boys versus girls who don’t tend to play these games as much. My son and I play some of his video games together which gives us a little quality time and provides me a little glimpse into his passions which we talk about long after the off button is pushed. Again, I must emphasize at this point that parents have to pay attention to kids screen time and “just say no” when the hours devoted to video games start to accelerate.

Now on to Wii and why I have identified it as an example of a MFG product enhancement. For those of you who aren’t in tune with the gaming world, Wii (pronounced We) is the “gotta have” game machine of Xmas 2006. The reason for all the buzz is that this gaming system includes a motion-sensor activated remote that allows players to physically interact with the screen. Unlike all other the popular gaming systems like XBOX 360 and Playstation 3 which have a complex button- driven control system, Wii allows you to virtually kick, box, bowl, swing, slash and yes, fire a gun with the motion of your hand. Suddenly gamers are off the couch and serving up aces like Roger Federer, boxing like Mohammed Ali and driving golf balls like Tiger Woods. If you think I am over-stating the amount of physical activity, take a peak at an article from yesterday’s New York Post called “Smash vid game gives players a beating.” The article notes that “cracked television screens, smashed dishes, broken ceiling fans and black eyes are all documented on WiiHaveAProblem.com.” No doubt thousands of other users are have fun without causing damage to their furniture or companions. While I don’t propose Wii as the solution to Childhood Obesity, it is a step in the right direction and is but one of many ways to get them off the couch. In sum, it is a Wii bit better.

I have downplayed the importance of motive in Marketing for Good hoping that marketers will consider ways to help make life a little bit better even if it is a blatantly self-serving short-term effort. That said, I must admit to having a greater appreciation for sincere commitments, especially when it comes to cause marketing efforts. Home Depot’s commitment to KaBoom!, a nonprofit that builds safe play areas for kids, has been going on for more than a decade. According to Event Marketer “the retailer recently renewed, pledging to create 1,000 pay spaces in 1,000 days, putting $25 million and almost one million hours of its employees’ time against this effort.” Ten years is definitely a sincere commitment. $25 million is big money in the cause marketing arena and a million hours of employee time is proof positive that this is a meaningful part of the Home Depot ethos. With playgrounds under attack as unsafe and parents ready to sue if little Johnnie gets a scratch from a swing, KaBoom’s efforts are more important that ever helping kids be kids with other kids and just play. Kudos to Home Depot for doing this and I hope lots of parents flock to their stores to return the favor. I also hope it inspires other marketers to make similar commitments to Marketing for Good.

Okay I’m confused. I admit it. One tenet of Marketing for Good is that enhancing products to gain competitive advantage is but one of many ways marketers can make life a little better. Target Pharmacies completely revamped its prescription pill bottles, making them easier to read and easier to tell apart and gained competitive advantage in the process. So when food companies add dark chocolate to cereal, a proven anti-oxidant that might lower blood pressure, could this also be an example of Marketing for Good? I suppose the first issue to consider is whether or not chocolate in fact is a healthy ingredient in cereal. An American Heart Association press release notes: “If you have high blood pressure, a daily bar-sized serving of flavonol-rich dark chocolate might lower your blood pressure and improve insulin resistance, researchers report in Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.” The article goes on to caution people against consuming mass quantities of chocolate in the name of good health. Okay, I get it–A little chocolate is good for you like a little red wine is good for you. Personally I’m thrilled since I love both. But it still begs the question whether or not to praise or lambaste the folks at Quaker Oats for introducing Life Chocolate Oat Crunch and Kellogg’s for serving up Special K Chocolatey Delight. Clearly neither of these products qualify as health foods but both are better for you than some of their less nutritious shelf-mates (like Count Chocula and Lucky Charms!) All I know is that I have always considered chocolate brain food and it is my snack of choice when the ideas aren’t sparking. Clearly, I’m in in murky water here. Help me out if you can.

It’s Monday morning and I’m already behind schedule. Typical. So this post is going to be quick. Perhaps its all the subject deserves.

At this time of year, agencies turn their marketing powers upon themselves and unleash a barrage of holiday cards, some printed most virtual. Two of the funnier ones I found are Santa Hunters and Pimp My Nutcracker. Both promote creative boutiques. The first for an agency called VIA includes three episodes of a Ghostbusters-like troop in search of the real Santa. The cast in the video are all agency principals who no doubt should keep their day jobs. The second is from Creature Seattle and allows visitors to literally pimp out a nutcracker, a fun, mercifully fast little exercise in silliness. Both are entertaining and naturally make you think that the folks behind them are clever if not creative marketers. I’m really stretching here to call either of these efforts Marketing for Good but as I said, I’m cramped for time. Perhaps you all have seen examples of clever agency holiday promotions that are better examples of MFG. Let me know.