It’s a big world and most of us are bit players. That said, whether in a corporate role or as private citizens, I never ceased to be amazed at how much good inspired individuals can actually do even in their “spare time.” One new organization that is hoping to inspire some good will in younger people (as in younger than moi) is AllDayBuffet.org. A fellow Dukie (thanks Victor) told me about them a few months ago and I have been watching with interest as they get things off the ground. The blog Eightfold provided a nice description:
This Good Magazine meets Flavorpill inspired online forum is intended to help young adults and social entreprenuers (which they haven’t capped by age – so if you’re young at heart, this could be a site for you) have fun while gaining awareness, taking action and making social change.
I think AllDayBuffet.org is one of those sites worth watching. Their virtual army is based out of two hubs New York and New Orleans and is creating a much needed centralized location where influential subcultures around the world can interact, share and create ways to transform any activity from BMX biking to Zoology into a world-changing platform. This makes AllDayBuffet.org a great investment for youth culture brands that are trying to identify strategic ways to “do good”.
Speaking of Eightfold, if you haven’t been there, it is worth checking out. It is a very interesting site with some great thoughts on marketing. I was particularly impressed with the following definition of “what is good?” since this is certainly something I wrestle with all the time on this blog:
What is good?
Doing good shouldn’t be an obligation or a responsibility. Being responsible implies looking at the past to make up for what’s been done, minimizing damage rather than maximizing value and supplementing or offsetting behavior rather than fundamentally improving behavior.Doing good should be about looking into the future with an impassioned belief that a company or brand lives, breathes and rallies behind. It transforms a company or brand into an active member of society – not just another philanthropic arm.
To do this a company must act on a mutually beneficial vision for society and company where social, economic and environmental growth are intrinsically tied. The improvement of one should lead to the improvement of the others.
So, this provides an interesting transition into the question raised by another blogger, Anastasia on Y Pulse, “can indulgences do good?” She asked this in the context of Jones Soda’s online promotion in which they will give 25 cents (up to $250K) for every stream [e.g. video view on YouTube] to an organization called Vitamin Angels. Her conundrum centered around the fact that Jones Soda was essential “not good for you” yet the sales of that product could result in some good. My feeling on this is simple: let’s celebrate the good wherever we find it. Every little bit helps.