Call it selfish charity?

When had the support for charitable causes managed to creep into our materialistic lives? After an hour of mindless staring into my 13.3” monitor, I still cannot pinpoint a specific time of this phenomenon’s arrival. Maybe it was a spark of inspiration from the ever charitable Princess Diana. Maybe it was the recent rise in number of natural disasters (think Sichuan earthquake). Perhaps it was Brad and Angelina with their 2339 adopted kids. Whoever and whatever it was, associating oneself with charity has undoubtedly become a leading trend. It’s what the cool kids do.

I am selfish when it comes to giving up money for people that I don’t personally know. Every April, my name is in contention for dead last on the list of potential donors for the 30 Hour Famine cause. However, I 100% believe in the power and business potential of associating with charity.

TOMS is a company that has recently garnered my attention. Initiated in 2006 by entrepreneur Blake Mycoskie, the company has been widely recognized for its One for One program (explained in video below).

Established brand names such as Ralph Lauren quickly partnered with the company, along with numerous of celebrity endorsements. To date, TOMS has donated over 1 million pairs of new shoes to the less fortunate and can be bought worldwide.

Charity has certainly brought nothing but positive attention to TOMS. It spells business potential, and it’s a cause that markets itself, immediately drawing consumers’ attention. Charitable consumers are roped in by the company’s cause, and average “selfish” consumers feel good for their purchase of the shoes. I mean, for a company that sells quirky looking shoes, it has to be doing something right to be able to survive past the economic downturn right? I am confident that the key word is charity.