Treasure in Trash
Thanks to Citizen Brand and to Triple Pundit for bringing RecycleBank to my attention. It's a perfect recipe for success: A pound of self-interest and a teaspoon of idealism.
Triple Pudit writes:
Basically, it's a system wherein your recyling bin gets weighed, and you recive a coupon that's redeemable at various stores for purchases. The arrangement is described in the article, and works so well that in the frst pilot neighborhood, participation stands at 90%, and the city (Philadelphia) is saving money on waste costs - all while the two entrepreneurs running Recycle Bank build a successful business.
Businesses that partner with RecycleBank pay nothing and are advertised on RB's website, promotional materials and media announcements delivered by the participating city.
For cause marketers, this program illustrates the importance of offering free, turnkey programs for businesses. All the programs we run at Boston Medical Center are managed by the cause marketing team and are generally free to businesses--the real money is in selling through to the customer anyway. Given the choice between paying for cause marketing and advertising, businesses will choose the latter hands down. So, don't give them an excuse to say no.
While many people say that the nonprofit credo is "If it's free it's for me", it has a pretty strong following in the for profit world as well.
