Allstate encourages teens to say NO to texting and driving

Photo credit: Allstate Insurance

Since the invention of cellphones the there has been an increase in the number of deaths due to distracted driving. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, car crashes are the number one killer of U.S. teenagers. As a car insurance company Allstate has taken it upon itself to educate teens on the dangers of texting and driving and through its program Allstate Teen's Driver Pledge encourages them to put away their cell phones while driving.

The program asks teens to sign the pledge not to text and drive and when they do they receive a thumb band that says 'TXTING KILLS' as a daily reminder of the commitment they have made. Within two years of the programs inception they received 250,000 signed pledges from teens not to text and drive. The company also set up a Facebook page that provides additional stats, information, pledge stories, event dates and detatils, etc.

This campaign is effective because as a car insurance company the issue of teen drivers and texting and

Photo credit: Allstate Insurance

driving is something that can often be a factor in insurance. The company would have access to information on the epidemic that is texting and driving and made it its responsibility to educate people and try and change this behavior. A campaign like this provides benefits to the company as well giving them a more favorable reputation. Parents may be more swayed to choose Allstate as their insurance company of choice for their teens new car if they have the option to educate their child about driving safety and get them to sign a pledge not to text and drive.

One criticism I have is that yes they are creating more awareness potentially and getting teens to sign the petition but their is no indication that this is truly changing teen behavior or changing statistics around teens and texting and driving. However on their website they do indicate that they have been able to reduce teen traffic accident fatalities by 48 per cent since 2005 but this is a reflection of all their teen safe driving initatives and not a reflection of the 'X the TEXT' pledge.

- Thea Ness

LUSH Charity Pot = effective cause-related marketing

Photo credit: LUSH

In 2007 LUSH launched a program called Charity Pot. Since then the charity has been able to raise over $10,000,000 for more than 850 grassroots charities in 42 different countries. LUSH gives 100% of the proceeds to the charity that is indicated on the lid of the pot.

Charities supported by LUSH range from humanitarian to environmental and animal rights. Of you of the charities that have benefited from the charity pot program are:

• Victory Community Development Society
•  Supporting sustainable community building and poverty alleviation in Northern Ethiopia.
• For the Children
• Every student should have school supplies to begin each school year regardless of socio-economic status.
• Equality New Mexico
•  Equality New Mexico is the state's LGBTQ advocacy and civil rights organization.
• Project Coyote
• Promoting compassionate conservation and coexistence between people and wildlife 
• Honor the Earth 
• Honor the Earth: a national environmental Native-led organization protecting our sacred waters, land and relatives.
• Spirit Bear Research Foundation
• Conducting locally relevant, ecosystem-based wildlife research addressing pressing conservation concerns in Canada’s Great Bear Rainforest.

This cause-related marketing is effective because it allows people to buy a useful product (lotion) encased in

Photo credit: LUSH

attractive packaging. Each pot has a picture and description on the lid of the charity that proceeds from the sale will help fund. Purchasers of the charity pot also aren't limited to donating to just one charity as the program has a number of different pots offering support to a wide number of different charities.

LUSH already has other initiatives that make it  a very socially responsible company. All of the companies products are ethically sourced, environmentally friendly and are not tested on animals. The companies ethical efforts is a huge part of it's brand.

The charity pot program has also been tied into some of the companies other intiatives making it an even more attractive buy. Each charity pot includes 7 ingredients from the companies SLush Fund projects around the world. The SLush Fund mandate is: 2% of the amount spent on raw materials and packaging is used to invest in sustainable farming and community projects from scratch.

Charity Pots can be purchased online or in store. Charities that are interested in applying for funding can do so here.

- Thea Ness