There is no doubt that the January 12th earthquake that rocked Haiti, the poorest country in the western hemisphere, exerted devastating damage throughout the capital city of Port-au-Prince. Much of the city is in ruins, and the Haitian government, known for being corrupt, is in tatters as well. Fortunately, as is often the case in devastating circumstances such as these, relief efforts by well known aid agencies have stepped into high gear.
There is another, not so pretty, aspect to the relief efforts, however. It seems that whenever a major catastrophe, such as the earthquake in Haiti, or the Tsunami in 2004, for example, companies rush to offer to donate a portion of the purchase price of their products to relief efforts. While I certainly applaud their contributions to the relief efforts, I’m not sure how I feel about such marketing ploys.
Companies play on people’s feelings and their desires to do their part to help in the relief efforts by enticing them to purchase their products because the company is, out of the goodness of their hearts, donating a portion of their profits, typically 10 – 20%, to relief efforts currently underway in earthquake stricken Haiti. Many companies use this marketing ploy to point out to consumers how they are not just out for profits like the other companies in their industry.
By offering this service, these companies are showing that they care about the little people, and when a major disaster like this happens you can count on them to step up and do their share. At least that is what they are hoping to show the consumers And I think that is true. Most people want to help out when a tragedy like this happens. It is also, however, a marketing ploy in building good public relations.
There has been some evidence, although much of it seems to be anecdotal in nature at this time, that consumers, when faced with two companies offering the same product of equal quality and price will purchase the desired product from the company offering to donate a portion of the purchase price to ongoing relief efforts, such as those occurring in Haiti. It seems that it is a winning situation for both the company and the consumer. The consumer is able to obtain the needed item while also contributing to a worthwhile cause. The company, on the other hand, is able to make a profit while facilitating goodwill for both itself and the relief effort.
There are a few things consumers need to keep in mind, however. As with any purchase, it is probably best to stick with companies that were established prior to the earthquake. This will help to weed out those short lived companies that sometimes spring up at times such as these in order to capitalise on the tragedy at the expense of both the earthquake victims and the donors of aid. In addition, it is helpful for consumers to realize that their donated amount will often be less than the percentage stated by the company. This is because credit card fees, or other fees associated with paying online or over the telephone, can take a small amount also..
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