“Bullseye Gives” Uses Facebook to Promote Target’s Commitment to Giving
A few weeks ago, we posted an article showcasing how social media is affecting the way today’s major brands and retailers are doing business. Based on the success of social networking sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter and given what we know about the power of peer referral when it comes to influencing purchasing decisions, companies are looking at social media platforms as a means of connecting with consumers on a whole new level.
Yesterday, Target (an IMRE client) announced its online giving campaign – Bullseye Gives (#bullseye). Through this campaign, visitors to Target’s Facebook page can vote for one of 10 charities eligible to win a portion of $3 million the retailer will be giving away.
All votes and dollars allocated for each of the charitable organizations will be updated in real time on the Target Facebook page, and site visitors will be able to vote once per day, everyday, throughout the length of the contest. The final charitable donation allocations per charity will be announced on May 26. The 10 charities involved in the contest include:
- Breast Cancer Research Foundation
- Feeding America
- HandsOn Network/Points of Light Institute
- Kids in Need
- Operation Gratitude
- Parent Teacher Association
- National Park Foundation
- American Red Cross
- St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
- The Salvation Army
According to the company’s president of community relations, Laysha Ward, Target wanted to capitalize on the fact that social media is a national trend that also happens to be dominating the philanthropic sector. As reported in a recent New York Times article, Ward looks at the contest as “an opportunity to demonstrate the company’s commitment to supporting nonprofit work and enhance its brand.”
Other companies that have hosted similar contests include Amazon.com, TripAdvisor and American Express, but celebrities like Hugh Jackman have also jumped on the social media bandwagon in recent months to help raise money for charitable foundations.
We’re excited about the ways in which companies are incorporating social media outlets into their marketing strategies and look forward to reporting on more innovative online campaigns that brands are launching.
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Tags: Amazon.com, American Express, Bullseye Gives, Facebook, LinkedIn, marketing strategies, New York Times, philanthropic sector, social media, Target, Twitter