A Tale of Two Facebook Fundraisers

Each in its own way, two consumer products companies launched Facebook campaigns to engage consumers in their charitable causes. The Clorox Family of Toilet Products has partnered the World Toilet Organization (WTO) to launch “Flushing for a Cause,” a campaign to bring attention to the issue that nearly 40 percent of the world does not have access to toilets. And Southern Comfort announced its campaign to aid the Gulf Relief Foundation to help the fishing community and support wetland preservation in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana.

Actress and host Niecy Nash promoted the social media aspects of the Clorox campaign yesterday by responding to visitor submitted questions during a live video chat on the “Ode to the Commode” Facebook page. Visitors to that page are able to flush a virtual toilet. For every flush received now through June 2011, Clorox will donate $1 to the WTO, up to $10,000.

Flushing for a Cause seeks to increase awareness of those with access to “flushing” of the over two billion people without such sanitation. The goal is to provide funds for the WTO to aid its mission of making toilets accessible and affordable throughout the world.

Wednesday, Nash helped launch the campaign by handing out approximately 10,000 free subway tickets to commuters at Grand Central Station heading to and from Flushing, NY. For every commuter ticket distributed, Clorox will contribute a like-for-like subway fare donation to the WTO, for a donation of $22,500. The Clorox Company Foundation contributed over $11 million in cash and product last year to non-profits.

Separate from the main Clorox Facebook page, the Ode to the Commode Facebook page is “liked” by over 40,000 fans. It’s media rich and incorporates several concurrent contests and promotions. Visitors arriving at the page land on the fundraising tab. One does not need to “like” the brand to participate in the Niecy Nash event or to flush to increment the contribution to the WTO.

On the Southern Comfort Facebook page, each time a visitor sends one of his or her friends a brand-themed virtual gift, the company will donate $1 to The Gulf Relief Foundation. Up to $25,000 will be donated via the Facebook campaign.

The Gulf Relief Fund was established in response to April’s oil spill in the Gulf Region to raise funds to support the well-being of fisherman, wetlands and wildlife in Plaquemines Parish and St. Bernard Parish. The fund will ensure all proceeds are distributed to organizations focused on supporting wetlands/coastal environmental issues, the well-being of fishermen and the regional seafood industry.

Beginning July 1, Southern Comfort will also donate 25¢ for every full-sized bottle of it’s product purchased, offering as much as a $250,000 donation for the combined Facebook and retail campaigns, along with the initial contribution. Created in New Orleans in 1874, Southern Comfort kicked off this initiative with an initial donation of $50,000, including a check for $35,000 presented by musician Lenny Kravitz to the Plaquemines Parish Community C.A.R.E.S. Center.

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Landing on the Southern Comfort brand page takes a visitor to the wall tab. At present, when one of the over 160,000 people who “like” the brand and other visitors come to the page, they see a tab for Gulf Relief, but no other permanent tab. While one does not have to be a fan of Southern Comfort to send a gift and trigger a donation, the friends chosen to be gifted must be of legal drinking age. Selecting the SoCo Gift App opens a new window.

Associating a brand with social good can be of great benefit to those brands, as well as their benefactors. Both Clorox and Southern Comfort have structured their campaigns so that their Facebook visitors can feel a sense of active participation in the charitable giving, without any cost to them. Certainly, it is hoped that the awareness created by participation leads to consumers reaching into their own pockets. And both companies have commendably avoided requiring a visitor to “like” its respective brand as a prerequisite for the brand to make a donation.

Join Baratunde Thurston (left), The Onion’s Director of Digital and author of How to Be Black, for an entertaining look at creative social media campaigns in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. Other speakers include Morin Oluwole (Facebook), Tim Devane (bitly), and SocialTimes' writer Devon Glenn.   Register now.