Blog Post #4- Good Causes

Chapter 6 in our textbook says, "organizations that embrace CSR (corporate social responsibility) are 'a positive force for change to help improve the quality of people's lives.'" In my opinion, this is a major factor in what designates a "good brand," one that you would want to support through your time commitment or money, from one that you might not be so keen on supporting. The textbook goes on to say that CSR is a social expectation that contributes to a fully functioning society, meaning that organizations who use CSR contribute to the well-being of their communities.

The most compelling statement that gave me the idea for this post: 89% of Americans born between 1979 and 2001 say they will switch from one product to another if the second brand is associated with a good cause.

I found this a bit hard to believe; I have learned throughout all the history and economic classes that Americans are first and foremost consumers. We look for the most efficient bargains and we try to get the most out of our time, work efforts and money. Would we really switch to possibly less efficient or less well known, thus credible, products or organization just because they are for a good cause?

I started evaluating my own personal choices and settled on a choice I'll have to make in the near future. I'm growing my hair to donate it to an organization that makes wigs for cancer patients. Originally I was going to donate to "Locks of Love" because it was the most well known, and I figured the most credible.

Locks of Love website

Upon further research and talking to friends who have donated to Locks of Love, I found out that most of the time these wigs are not given free of charge. Financial aid is based on assessment, and most of the time health insurance does not cover wigs. Regardless, when faced with overwhelming medical bills and the emotion of fighting cancer, who wants to worry about paying an extra $1200.00 for something that just provides a sense of normalcy in one's overturned life?

Friends recommended that I donate to Pantene Beautiful Lengths.

Pantene website

This website says that all of these wigs are given free to cancer patients. In addition, while Locks of Love needs 10 inches of hair, Pantene only calls for eight inches- more efficient, and in my opinion, a better cause!

In essence, it's a true statement that people are willing to switch from one thing to another is the second is for a good cause. This is why we recycle, use "green" products, and protest the usage of sweatshops. This is an excellent reason for organizations to demonstrate ethics while simultaneously helping their causes.