Cause Marketing = TOM's Shoes

I'm sure the company TOMS needs no introduction but just for the sake of being consistent I will give a little background on the company. Blake Mycoskie visited Argentina back in 2006, bonded with children he met there and realized that they had no shoes to protect their feet. In an effort to change this, Blake got the idea of creating shoes that, when bought, would also provide a pair for a child: One for One. 

Blake chose shoes for a few reasons:

1. Many diseases are absorbed into the skin in developing nations, and can eventually cause serious harm.

2. Bare feet leave children vulnerable to cuts, and sores that can get infected and have serious health problems.

3. Children without shoes to wear with uniforms cannot attend school. Without school, these children are unable to fully explore their intellectual potential.

This idea has been insanely successful. I cannot tell you how many people I see in NYC wearing these shoes. I have three pairs, plan to get more and I have to say that they are QUITE comfortable.

More recently, TOMS has also started the Giving Sight program. Here is how it works (straight from TOMS website):

What a great idea! Giving Sight is taking place now in Nepal, Cambodia and Tibet. 

One concept that I've been encouraged to look into with my goal of making passive pro-choicers active pro-choicers is cause marketing. I've tried looking into examples of how ideas can be shared, people will make contributions and what would cause them to do so.

I've talked to some people, and one opinion I've received is that people will take action when they feel empowered, and feel as if their action is actually making a difference. If they feel there's not point or "I'm one person" it's not so motivating. However, if they can see the difference, especially quickly, they are more motivated. 

The work of TOMS has been instrumental in helping these children and now adults too. I'm trying to take this inspiration to see if I can also somehow find a way to incorporate this idea into my design solution.


For my first blog entry which describes the purpose of my blog, please click here. 

A nod to the open-minded religious individuals

"Making the decision to have an abortion may have been difficult for you, but God understands that life is complicated and sometimes there aren't clear cut answers to life's most difficult questions."

I wanted to take a moment to recognize those are highly involved in their religion, spirituality and belief in God, but don't hold the same views on abortion as the judgmental ideological crazies you see in front of abortion clinics, yelling at women and telling them they will burn in hell.

There are individuals who are very involved in their religious beliefs who also hold a firm belief that abortion is a personal choice and that each woman should be able to make it for herself.

I wanted to be sure to acknowledge these individuals so as not to alienate them or group them into a mass of religious fanatics when they don't belong there. Just as I think it's incredibly unfair for a religious individual to judge me on my decisions, I don't want to judge others purely based on the fact that they hold firmly to their religious beliefs. The fact is that we don't know how people truly feel or think until we ask. For those who belong to this group, we hear you and we thank you for your openness.


For my first blog entry which describes the purpose of my blog, please click here.                                  

Steinem quote

I did not see any way that I could possibly 
give birth to someone else, and also give 
birth to myself. 

[Gloria Steinem, on her decision to have an abortion.]

Taking inspiration from Gran Fury

Gran Fury artists

As I have been brainstorming how I can create my design solution that will empower passive pro-choicers to take action against the Anti-Choice agenda, I met with my thesis professor last week and he gave me some ideas. One thing he said was that I should look to other important movements to see what they did and tactics they may have used.

My friend, Alenka (she's a designer and she's awesome!), came to Greenpoint about 2 weeks ago and we had lunch. She'd made a suggestion to me to look into Gran Fury, so I did.

Gran Fury was a collection of work by artists who were also AIDS activists. This activism was expressed through agitprop art (i.e. agitational propoganda art.) The name was derived from the Plymouth automobile favored by NYC police. Gran Fury was born from ACT UP/NY (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power, New York.) This agitprop art was expressed via posters, stickers, printed ads, fliers, bus signs and billboards. Additionally, photographs and slides were reproduced and used.

Here are some examples of their work:

Kissing Doesn't Kill

Sexism Rears Its Unprotected Head

Pope Piece

I got my information and images from the NYPL. For my first blog entry which describes the purpose of my blog, please click here.                                  

How Much Time Should She Do?

I've been in contact with David Benzaquen, Political & Legislative Action Coordinator at NARAL Pro-Choice New York, who has been really helpful in directing me to some information that I can use for my thesis.

One website, in particular, that he directed me to was created back in 2008 for the presidential election. NARAL created a website entitled 'How Much Time Should She Do?' This website explores the criminalization of abortion, if made illegal as a result of electing a pro-life President and Vice President.

There are statistics (which at this point are not the most updated, but gives the visitor a general sense), tells the visitor where action is being taken against women to strip their anatomical rights, HOW it affects women and what the user can do to take action.

I found it to be very well organized and not overwhelming in terms of the information given. I find that one thing that may scare people away at times when it comes to very controversial topics such as abortion is the fact that they are bombarded with information so much so, that the user eventually navigates away because there is just too much to digest at once. It was very succinct and well organized.

Under the very first link, 'What happens if...' hosts a video that was taken at an Anti-Abortion demonstration in Libertyville, Illinois (does anyone else see the irony in that?) These people, from what I observed from the video, have all been doing this for at least 2 years. When questioned about what they think should happen to women who get illegal abortions if abortion, in fact, becomes illegal as they feel it should be the answers were even more ridiculous than their cause.

The most common response?

"I don't know. I haven't given that much thought."

Huh, that's interesting. So you've been working for this cause for multiple years and you're positive that you are fighting for the right thing, and yet you haven't given any thought to what will happen to women who get an abortion illegally?

I have to admit that the response that really frustrated me was the response that women should not be sent to jail because the abortion is punishment enough. Why would that change if abortion were legal? I can confidently say that women who have abortions are not doing cartwheels on their way to the clinic, nor are they having abortions and then immediately heading out to the local bar to celebrate. The depression, guilt and grief are very real emotions these women experience as a result of having an abortion.

If you are just beginning to read my blog, here is the first entry that briefly describes the purpose.

Progress So Far

It is July 22, 2011 and my thesis is due written and designed in a little less than 5 months. I'm not gonna lie; I'm a little panicky.

Essentially, I'm pursuing a topic that is very close to my heart (not to mention my uterus) and while I'm gathering information, I'm appalled by some of the information that I'm reading and it's a cause I want to fight for I can't say that I'm getting the golden idea just yet. I'm trying to take all the information, random ideas I come up with and see if I can somehow fuse it all. There are so many ideas and information running through my head right now that I don't know what to do with it all.

Here is something that I came across and figured it was worth writing about, especially if it ends up inspiring me: 50 Guerilla Marketing Tactics You Should Be Using

Sticky Notes – Another way to use your stamper or even your printer. Sticky notes are noticeable anywhere because people know what they’re for; notes. Put these on local business doors, offices, cars, or above mail boxes in apartment complexes and people will take notice.

So many stamps – Looking for a way to get noticed in the huge pile of advertising mail potential clients get? Send your promo material in a big manilla envelope and put 39 – 1 cent stamps on it. Out of 100 envelopes, who’s do you think will catch the eye first?

Fake publicity stunt – you could have people picket your storefront with signs that read “This business is too nice” or “Company X is too good at their job”. Theres a million fake publicity stunts, use your imagination and I bet it’ll work no matter how weird or out of the box it seems.

Temporary Tattoos – I seen a post on some guerrilla marketing ideas over at Daily Bits and they talked about this as well. These tattoos will last for X amount of days and would be perfect for blog expos or other events where tons of people will be. Placing it in a weird place (forehead, neck, full back, foot, ect) is also a great way to get it noticed. Hey, if people talk about it, thats the whole point right?

Window decals – get a custom printed window decal on your car with your logo/website and possibly a slogan. looks professional, and is great for red lights.

I highlighted the ones that I thought I could most realistically use, if I went about it in the printed sense, for the most part. The wheels are turning, but I'm still waiting for my "A-ha!" moment.

"These recommendations are based on science and existing literature.”

Great news from Washington! A panel of medical professionals recommended that all insurers be required to cover all contraceptives for women as a part of the new health care law.

Obama's team stated that "they were inclined to accept the panel's advice and that the new requirements could take effect for many plans at the beginning of 2013." Kathleen Sebelius (secretary of health and human services) revealed a 10-year plans to improve the health of the U.S. citizens (which was submitted to her by the Institute of Medicine - part of the National Academy of Sciences.) Contraceptive coverage was one of the changes proposed. Officials would like to act on said recommendations by August 1 and are receptive to the proposition of removing cost from birth control for U.S. women as a barrier to keep them from receiving it. Obviously, these recommendations were whole heartedly supported by women's rights supporters and organizations, and rejected by the Roman Catholic Church.

As stated by Ms. Sebelius: "This report is historic. Before today, guidelines regarding women’s health and preventive care did not exist. These recommendations are based on science and existing literature.”

(SCIENCE, people!)

The panel who submitted these recommendations concluded that insurers should be forbidden to create a monetary wall for women to pass over or through, thus making it more difficult for them to receive the preventative tools they need to avoid unwanted pregnancy.

Additionally, the medical panel recommended that that government require health plans to screen for detection of domestic violence, H.I.V. as well as counseling and equipment to promote breastfeeding with free breast pump rentals, gestational diabetes in pregnant women, DNA testing for HPV and other preventative screening.

As part of supporting evidence for said recommendations, the medical panel said that almost 50% of all pregnancies in the United States are unintended, and of those unintended, 40% end in abortion. If women had unrestricted access to contraception there would be far unintended pregnancies, teen pregnancies and (shocker of all shocks!) abortions.

Cost has not yet been considered but according to the panel it is highly cost effective.

Barbara A. Mikulski (Democrat of Maryland) said it best: “We are one step closer to saying goodbye to an era when simply being a woman is treated as a pre-existing condition. We are saying hello to an era where decisions about preventive care and screenings are made by a woman and her doctor, not by an insurance company.”



For more information, see Robert Pear's article in the New York Times.


If you are just beginning to read my blog, here is the first entry that briefly describes the purpose.