Using a sick child to promote your business?

pebbles21

I've noticed three businesses, within the same area as myself in the last few months,asking customers to buy from them and they will give a percentage of their profits to some worthy cause.

One being to a local hospice as a family member who died was cared for there,another to a young local child who needs a wheelchair and another to send a sick child to Disneyland.

Don't get me wrong,these are all worthy causes and I have made contributions to all three,but somehow I feel its not right to promote your business through other peoples misery ie. Plastering it all over your Facebook page and all over your shop front

Would it not be better to make a donation yourself and then the beneficiaries can publicy thank you if they like ?

Or am I bitter twisted old man ?

aN.Droid

Ehh it's a win win really. The business gets more customers and a tax refund and the charities get some much needed funds.

As long as the charity is reputable and local I say it's fair in my own opinion .

pebbles21

Limericks wrote: »

Ehh it's a win win really. The business gets more customers and a tax refund and the charities get some much needed funds.

As long as the charity is reputable and local I say it's fair in my own opinion .

Fair enough. .but where do you draw the line ? Does every other business in the area start looking out for their very own charity case (to keep up with the jones's)

aN.Droid

pebbles21 wrote: »

Fair enough. .but where do you draw the line ? Does every other business in the area start looking out for their very own charity case (to keep up with the jones's)

Lot's of business' are already doing it. Here is tesco's charity page: http://www.tesco.ie/corporate-responsibility/charity-of-the-year/

You often see bottles of minerals or other items in shops with a tagline along the lines of "1c from every bottle sold goes to X charity"

I mean in the end of the day the customer can feel good too as it is their money going to the shop which is then going to charity so I revise my win-win statement. It is actually win-win-win

Another popular program is the humble bundle that runs every now and again selling pc games with a pay what you want price tag with a percentage that you set going to charity. I buy it everytime and everytime I not only feel good that I am getting a very good deal but that I am helping the charities aswell.

If it was an all the time thing though with every shop doing it I can only see it being passed onto the customer as a mark up over time as it will eat into shop profits too much.

Peterdalkey

I would be rather dubious as to the motivation of the promoters. If they are genuine, they should put on public view the running total of actual total handed over to the charity to date. The old style target/ funds raised thermometer for schools/chrch roof fund is ideal.
With most businesses at best breaking even these days, a percentage of profits is a meaningless concept. I am all for supporting good causes and we all have an individual moral responsibility to contribute to those less fortunate than ourselves, within our means. This applies to businesses too.
Leveraging good causes to grow ones business does seem rather tacky to me at the least and perhaps disingenuous at worst.
There are lots of ways business can help by selling specific charity items, having charity sales/staff days or by direct donation. We have products that are bought by charities, so we give all registered charities a straight discount, a percentage that is more than double our net profit figure.