We kicked this month off with a post about World AIDS Day, and as AIDS Awareness Month continues, discussions about the disease and people affected by it are popping up all over the blogosphere. Last week I ran across a video highlighting a (PRODUCT) RED “makeover” as part of the anti-AIDS campaign. You may have seen some of these products at the Gap, Apple, and Starbucks.
This could be an entertaining tidbit if you’re into this sort of illusion of reality. What bothers me is the implication that a great way to support the AIDS cause is to go out and shop for (PRODUCT) RED branded merchandise. Using the “Buy (RED), Save Lives” tagline could trivialize the significance of the fight against AIDS by putting it in such consumerist terms.
Now have a look at this appeal from the mouths of babes:
Let me be clear; I do think (RED) is a brilliant idea. It’s a business model created to raise awareness and money for the Global Fund by teaming up with iconic brands to produce (PRODUCT) RED branded items. A portion of profits from each (PRODUCT) RED purchase goes directly to the Global Fund to invest in African AIDS programs, with a focus on women and children. The money isn’t used to pay consultants or build infrastructure–it’s used to purchase antiretrovirals, keeping people alive longer so they can continue to contribute socially and economically to their communities.
Seeing a gap the private sector could fill by generating a sustainable source of funding for the AIDS cause, (RED) entrepreneurs have created a social business model to fill that gap. And they’ve done a great thing by using cause marketing to make a real impact in the global fight against AIDS. The decisions partner companies have made to embed charitable giving in (RED) products is generous and admirable. Millions of dollars are being raised for the Global Fund through this initiative, and US consumers are being exposed to the reality of the AIDS pandemic.
Here’s my contention: cause marketing is a means to an end, not an end unto itself. If you’re already going to buy a coffee, or a scarf, or an Armani t-shirt, and you like the color red, why not buy one that embeds a donation? Seems like a win-win. But if you’re setting out to support the AIDS cause, shopping (RED) is not a particularly effective way to do that.
Instead, you might sign a petition asking a political leader to make fighting AIDS a policy priority. You might sign up to make a recurring monthly donation to the Global Fund or another organization working to fight AIDS. If you don’t already have your heart set on an Armani t-shirt, you might consider asking for or making a donation in lieu of a gift.
Alexandra is raising money for the Global Fund, too, instead of asking for gifts for her Bat Mitzvah. Check out her fundraising page here.
