What is the state of cause marketing on eBay in 2013?

It certainly has been a while since a blog update. We have been rather busy the last few years executing a number of cause campaigns for brands and nonprofits and have seen a real shift in a few key areas. This hiatus allows us to highlight some of what has changed and where the opportunities lie for savvy marketers looking to connect a cause and a brand on the world's largest marketplace.

To be clear, this is not an eBay sponsored or endorsed blog. We at Auction Cause have a number of years in producing high profile eBay events. Think 300+ campaigns as an agency realizing over $35 million for causes. We like to share what we see working and some of the metrics used to measure what makes a campaign successful. We will be looking at various case studies and sharing what has made them successful.

Like many forms of advertising, we know recognition often comes from repeating campaigns on a yearly basis. We have been executing the Lindt Chocolate Signed Gold Bunny campaign now for a few years in support of Autism Speaks. 

By sending out requests for athletes, celebrities, and others of note to simply sign the gold bunny for the auction, Autism Speaks was able to raise significant funds. What has made this yearly campaign so successful?

• Well known names that have an active and lucrative fan base. This sounds easy, but many times older, more classic names that are not the flavor of the day will do much better than someone featured in a new hit film or TV program. People who grew up as a fan of someone now possibly are in position to spend their discretionary income.

• Engagement of the well known person who signed the bunny to Tweet. This is especially important, and timing the Tweets while the auction is live translates usually into a stronger call to action.

• A great cause that is usually understood and and widely supported. So many important causes, but a disease that affects so many does strike a chord with a wider selection of the public.

• Repetition of a great campaign. People now look for the yearly auction, and the bunnies have become very collectible. We have seen prices paid steadily increase too, along with repeat buyers as well as people winning more than one bunny.

• Authentic support of the brand. Part of the change we have seen the last few years is that brands really want to give back and support a great cause. It cannot be only about selling the product. The messaging for this campaign clearly shows who is behind it, but with 100% going to Autism Speaks, consumers can feel good knowing their bid is making a difference.

Do you know of a successful cause marketing campaign on eBay? Do you have questions about running such a campaign? Please comment below or email us directly at causemarketing@auctioncause.com. We will do our best to address either on this blog or emailing you back directly.

Jay Manuel and cause marketing of a celebrity on eBay

Wanted to share how celebrities too are part of cause marketing on eBay. It can showcase the generosity of a well known person, increase a fan base, and of course raise serious money for a philanthropic cause. Have a look at the release we just put out for Jay Manuel to see an example of how this works:

Jay Manuel's Legendary Red Carpet Fashion Styles
To Be Auctioned Online

Hollywood Records & their eBay Daily Deal for a signed Jonas Brothers CD

The music industry has long been supportive of philanthropy and giving back. We have been privileged to manage a few different Jonas Brothers experience eBay auctions, and now have teamed up with Hollywood Records who is embarking on their first cause marketing campaign on eBay.

This very special cause marketing campaign that has some great elements - The Jonas Brothers own charity (Change For The Children Foundation), Hollywood records donation of close to 900 signed CDs of their Lines, Vines and Trying Times, and a ridiculous low $14.98 buy it now price as part of eBay's Daily Deal with free shipping.

Many would ask, why would Hollywood Records practically give away such a hot item? One reason is to help promote the brothers in a big way and showcase their very charitable side. Another is to create awareness for their Change For The Children Foundation, a nonprofit started to support programs that motivate and inspire children to face adversity with confidence and a will to succeed.

We hope fans and charity supporters jump on this quick, as though there are close to 900 available, we expect them to sell out very quickly. Just be logged in to eBay and go to the eBay homepage at 8 AM PST, Monday, and click on the Daily Deal tab, or go directly there at http://deals.ebay.com

Howard Stern cares about breasts and much more!

I do not know Howard Stern personally, but we recently were approached by someone who knew him about helping out with a special eBay charity auction. The Holly Heisman Memorial Fund was started to honor Holly's memory after she lost her battle to breast cancer.

The auction can be seen August 2nd through August 12th at www.ebay.com/howardstern.

I was impressed that a man who often is known for more adult humor involving females is truly giving his time to help fund research to eliminate this disease that strikes so many.

The winner will get a chance to go in studio, listen to a broadcast as it happens, and maybe even banter with Howard and the guests/crew, though we carefully worded this is not guaranteed. Better to under promise and over deliver for sure in any business, right?

I think lost at times is how celebrities or those in the media eye truly care to help those around them. Some of it makes news, but often times charities get their requests for auction donations filled outside of the spotlight.

Working in cause marketing with many celebrities, I see that 9/10, those we work with go out of their way to make sure a winner for an experience with then is treated amazingly.

Another beneficiary of an auction like this is the company associated, in this case, Sirius Satellite Radio. Their logo is being shown thousands of times on our auction pages, generating positive publicity at a time when many online advertising budgets are being slashed. Though they are not the client here, their association with Howard is nothing but positive.

The Bonnie Hunt Show and JOHNSON'S utilization of eBay for cause marketing

We run many celebrity based auction campaigns and the response is always enthusiastic - fans of the celebrity get to connect with them by winning an item or experience and support a great nonprofit cause which is near and dear to the person they admire.

When brands come on board, sometimes the consumer stops and takes a harder look at the motives - is it just to sell products/promote something commercial or is there a deeper and authentic commitment to raising funds for the cause?

We have been working for a number of months with The Bonnie Hunt Show on a series of auction programs that feature items and experiences celebrity guests of the show donate. Bonnie Hunt and her entire team have shown a strong dedication to the program - promoting the auctions on air and on her website. 100% of the proceeds to the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. Bonnie has a platform to champion the issue of cancer research and at the same time, connect with her viewers. An added benefit from the cause marketing point of view has been the thousands of eBay members who maybe had not been watchers of her show now were curious to check out Bonnie Hunt. The celebrities on her show are able to serve as highlights for the quality of guest who she features.

To further brand the show and showcase the items for auction, we have used video clips of the guest presenting Bonnie with their items to put up for auction on eBay. The results have been amazing - tens of thousands raised to fight cancer, millions of media impressions for the auctions, message boards excitedly abuzz about what is coming next, with new viewers joining loyal ones excitedly watching the show.

To see the current auctions - please click here.

JOHNSON'S also has taken a long term approach to cause marketing on eBay. This is year two of their commitment to fund clean water through Global Giving. Centered around Mother's Day, the brand engages A list celebrity moms to donate baby gear or experiences related to being a mom and has Auction Cause list them on eBay.

Gwenyth Paltrow and Jessica Alba are supporting the campaign through some really unique donations. The auctions can now be seen by clicking here.

JOHNSON'S commitment is more than marketing to consumers.

JOHNSON'S® Clean Water Initiative is a new global charity initiative launched by JOHNSON'S® Brand. As a company, they are dedicated to helping families and children throughout the U.S. and around the world live happy, healthy lives. This year, JOHNSON’S® Brand is partnering with nonprofits Water for People® and GlobalGiving® to help provide families in need with access to clean water. Through the JOHNSON’S® Clean Water Initiative, they can provide babies and families with innovative and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene solutions. To learn more about the program, please visit http://www.babycause.com/.

Both of these examples reflect what we believe is crucial for the right mix of cause marketing:

• A genuine commitment by a company that goes beyond an ad campaign


• High profile names that speak to a wide audience


• A call to action that extends beyond the campaign


• Media driven story - make the cause marketing campaign newsworthy


• Long term messaging with the public to create ownership for the campaign

What other online cause marketing campaigns have caught your attention? Visit our site and submit your thoughts, we would love to discuss in a future blog post.

Auction Cause launches new website to showcase celebrity charity projects

The familiar adage of "the cobbler's children are the last to get new shoes" rings deep here at Auction Cause. We have been so busy with designing our cause marketing campaigns for clients, we did not exactly put our own site to the top of the design list.

Under the direction of our EVP Jody Stange, we created a much more visual experience, showcasing some of the fun charity projects we have live, coming up, and completed. Many people have asked if there is an easy way to see some of our best celebrity videos and we obliged - now you can see Ludacris with "Blizzard Man", Kim Kardashian, Faith Hill & Tim McGraw, Tony Hawk, and many more, discusing their eBay auctions.

We very much want to hear what you want to see up for auction. Communicate with us via Twitter, Facebook, or just email us your ideas.

There are some really special auctions coming up in April and May we cannot announce yet, so please check back soon.

Bring charities, brands, and celebrities together in unique ways is what we do and love. We are thrilled to help our customers learn about great causes and donate significantly to them via an auction win on eBay. At the end of the day, cause marketing makes everyone feel great, which is a breath of fresh air in the challenging times the world finds itself in.

How much should a celebrity give?

We often ask ourselves this question. There seems to be a perception that if you are famous, you must be wealthy, and as such, everything you do business wise should be 100% to a nonprofit.

On eBay, we often run campaigns where 10% goes to a cause. The cynical can look at this as greed or a less than authentic attempt to give back. My take is a bit more bottom line - If their auctions raise $50,000 for a cause, 10% is $5000, which is a nice chunk of change for anyone nonprofit to receive.

Beyond the % that is given, what about the free publicity for the cause? We link to the non profit's website and also provide easy ways for people to donate to them via Paypal. While we have not measured the publicity scientifically, we do see many people clicking through and getting excited to connect to a cause their favorite celebrity also supports.

It is also interesting to note that there is the perception that celebrities get all their possessions as "swag" at events. While they certainly do seem to get loaded up in ways the rest of us can only dream with products, they buy plenty of things too. Most people just have yard sales, sell for pure profit on eBay, or drop off at a thrift store, so celebrities who put items up on eBay with any amount to a cause is ahead at charitable giving compared to most we feel.

Speaking of giving, we are thrilled to be working once again with Kim Kardashian and her "Kim's Closet" auction. She just recorded her latest video for it too. Kim, as many know, has been buying and selling on eBay for years. She has sold through Auction Cause about 2500 items in the last 12 months, and with the whole family included in the closet cleaning, we have over 1000 new items to list starting in the next week. Please be sure to visit eBay.com/kimscloset to see her video as well as the new items when they are live.

Latest chatter on our eBay cause marketing and branding campaigns

It is an interesting time to say the least on eBay. There have been a lot of changes coming down the pipe there, with more of an emphasis on fixed price offerings than the traditional auction format. We continue to run campaigns in both formats and each has its benefits.

Our current fixed price offering is for The Larry King Cardiac Foundation and a heart stent surgery. The winner will get a personal phone call from Larry King to thank them for their donation and let them know more about his personal work and experience with cardiovascular disease. We are not allowed to auction medical treatments on eBay so the $2500 buy it now fixed price is techinically for the phone call. The foundation is also promoting its party in a box concept on their Larry King & Friends site. Soon to launch will be the chance to visit Larry on the set of Larry King Live and win his famous suspenders. Visit the page now to learn more.

More traditional auctions which are live now include:

Allen Houston basketball experience - learn from one of the all time Knicks greats, play some horse, chat about the NBA, and then hit the Garden with him to see the Knicks take on the Hawks from behind the Knicks bench. Proceeds to benefit Allen's own foundation too. We love the way the experience has a personal connection to the charity - a crucial aspect to authentic cause marketing campaigns for celebrities as well as brands!

L'Oreal Paris keeps the fun going with their amethyst and rhodalite compact, in honor of the Academy Awards. As a sponsor of numerous award shows, and supporter of women's health at the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund, L'Oreal Paris has made sure their name is front and center and in the minds of consumers who are shopping with the 4th awards show themed compact. See this beautiful piece here and visit the listing to bid.

Celine Dion and her spiral staircase from her hit Las Vegas show at Caesar's is perhaps one of the larges items we have had the pleasure of listing on eBay. 15 feet high, it is a showpiece that can take on the marketing tasks for the restaurant, bar, museum, or club which purchases it. Yes, we do have someone who can ship it!

Right to Play helps bring sports to the lives of children in some of the most challenging places on earth. We often forget that beind the famine and wars, there are kids who may not know what it feels like to just partake in sports. You can help change that along with hockey greats. Starting with a Harley-Davidson donated by Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Ference, a Poker Table from Steve Montador, a game used hockey stick from Daniel Alfredsson and many other NHL items. Visit now to see a video from Andrew Ference and bid.

We love this one - interact in a very personal way with some of the best known and loved celebrities in the world and raise funds for International Medical Corpos. Winners get to have their outgoing voicemail or answering machine message recorded by stars such as: Ben Affleck, Courteney Cox & David Arquette, Hank Azaria, Elizabeth Banks, Matt Cassel, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cindy Crawford, Billy Crystal, Marshall Faulk, Isla Fisher, Jennifer Garner, and Felicity Huffman. Plus, bid on a walk-on role in Jerry Bruckheimer's hit show CSI: NY, a House of Blues Foundation Room gold membership, or a makeover by Stylist to the Stars Anya Sarre. Visit the auction here.




The power of celebrity to draw attention to a cause or brand and at the same time allow a fan to obtain the item or experience of a lifetime is extremely powerful as we have seen.


Universal Music is a client that has been committed to causes such as City of Hope, VH1 Save The Music, and TJ Martell through various high profile experience and product auctions around the music industry.

Here are the current music memorabilia auctions

Autographed Jon Bon Jovi Fender Stratocaster Guitar
All proceeds benefit The T.J. Martell Foundation

Autographed Maroon 5 Fender Squire Stratocaster Guitar
All proceeds benefit The T.J. Martell Foundation

Fender Stratocaster Guitar Signed by 3 Doors Down
All proceeds benefit The T.J. Martell Foundation

Autographed Nickelback Fender Stratocaster Guitar
All proceeds benefit The T.J. Martell Foundation

Kelly Clarkson autographed "My December" CD
All proceeds benefit The T.J. Martell Foundation

Kings of Leon autographed "Youth & Young Manhood" CD
All proceeds benefit The T.J. Martell Foundation

Leona Lewis Autographed "Bleeding Love" CD
All proceeds benefit The T.J. Martell Foundation

Sarah McLachlan Autographed "Afterglow" CD
All proceeds benefit The T.J. Martell Foundation

Avril Lavigne Autographed 5x7 Photo
All proceeds benefit The T.J. Martell Foundation

Katherine McPhee Autographed 8x10 Photo
All proceeds benefit The T.J. Martell Foundation

Visit http://stores.ebay.com/Universal-Music-Store to see them all.

Last but not least, Evangeline Lilly of Lost has come up with a great way to support the work to end Brazilian Favelas and share her luxury lingerie with consumers. Visit http://cgi3.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=evangeline-lilly-r*favela-lingerie

Be sure to visit us at Facebook to learn more about Auction Cause and alerts on the latest cause marketing campaigns

I think I Could, I Think I Could.....

Two fun cause marketing campaigns on eBay to feature this week:

Universal Pictures has teamed up with Starlight to offer a really unique opportunity - you or a child can get to do a voiceover for the film The Little Engine That Could in Los Angeles coming up in March. You will be forever part of film history and even get a framed illustration of the character you did the voice over for!

Keeping it in the Universal family, Universal Music Store is at it again with some amazing music related auctions to support The City of Hope and their medical services:

2008 Grammys Gift Bag: Jacket, Cap, CDs, Program +More!

Rock Star for a Day! Recording Session w/ Elliot Mazer
Airfare to/from NYC included! Charity Auction

Taylor Swift Autographed Photo & "Fearless" CD + More!

We like to see campaigns with various price points on eBay so that fans and supporters can take part at whatever level they can afford. Traffic to our eBay auctions shows that these campaigns resonate far and wide, with bloggers, the media, and the Twitter world taking it upon themselves to promote for the cause, the brand, and of course the item/experience being offered.

Starlight continues to run their campaign for Coraline now too, with fans driving key props from the movie now to over $6500. Even Teri Hatcher's purse which she generously donated has been receiving a lot of attention.

Next week - how does International Medical Corps tap their celebrity supporters for a feel good auction that allows personal interaction with their fans?

Magic, Movies & Hello Kitty on eBay

I always enjoyed magic as a kid. Like everyone, the fun was trying to guess how they did it, but the good magicians were so adept at deception, their tricks never seemed to be revealed. Danny Gans, of Las Vegas fame, is one of the world's greatest magicians year after year. He was a guest on the Bonnie Hunt Show recently and offered up a great charity auction package - r/t air from anywhere in the U.S. to go 2/6 to Las Vegas, 2 nights in a luxury suite at Steve Wynn's Encore, plus tickets to his gala and party. They gave us only 3 days' time to have it on eBay, so someone is going to get a great deal as this is only at $2000 so far as I write this. Click here to see the auction and watch a Danny Gans video clip from the show.

In case you have not been watching TV, or paying attention to billboard ads, Neil Gaiman's hit book Coraline is a new movie that is causing quite a buzz. Staring Teri Hatcher and Dakota Fanning, it is the story of a girl wishing for a different family. Proceeds from the auction to benefit Starlight, a children's charity that everyone should know about. We have a number of items from the film, including key props (this puppet is amazing!) and some artwork of serious collector value. Here is a raw list of the items and current prices at time of writing the blog:

Coraline Handcrafted Animation Puppet Prop Used in Film

400029122359

Coraline Handcrafted Other Mr. Bobinsky’s Circus Mouse

400029122988

Coraline Handcrafted Other Mr. Bobinsky’s Circus Mouse

400029123224

Coraline Handcrafted Other Mr. Bobinsky’s Circus Mouse

400029124265

Original 11" Resin-cast Maquette (Statue) of Coraline

400029125417

Original Maquette (Statue) of Mother from Coraline

400029125881

Original Maquette (Statue) of Father from Coraline

400029127245

Tadahiro Uesugi Framed Coraline Ghost Children Print
400029127721

Tadahiro Uesugi Framed Coraline "Pink Palace" Print

400029130826

Coraline Box #41/50 with Handcrafted Collectible Relics

400029203778

Teri Hatcher Juicy Couture Purse Package w/ Autographs!

As one can see, just some one of a kind/hard to find pieces which fans are going to love. Check it out at the above links or see all the auctions by clicking here.

Here is an early alert to an auction we expect a lot of buzz(or at least purring!) around. MAC Cosmetics has teamed up with Hello Kitty around a line of cosmetics. To help kick it off, MAC got 30 of the top fashion designers in the world to create Hello Kitty themed dresses. These will be shown durng Fashion Week n NYC 2/6, and then put up for auction on eBay starting February 9th. I got a sneak peak at the designs last week and could not believe how creative and exciting they were. This is coming from a guy whose last interaction with Hello Kitty was puffy stickers in the 4th grade way too long ago! This auction is not to be missed. We cannot post the photos of the dresses quite yet, but click here to see the preview page and remember the URL http://www.ebay.com/machellokitty for access to them 2/9 - 2/19.

Lots of exciting campaigns for brands and causes coming up. Be sure to sign up for our newsletter at http://www.auctioncause.com. You can also find us Twittering about eBay and auctions at http://www.twitter.com/auctioncause and on our Facebook fan page.

To learn more about using Auction Cause for your cause marketing campaigns, please call (323) 655-0554.

Evangeline Lilly & her lingerie taking eBay by storm for charity

Celebrities engage on different levels with eBay. Some donate a signed item, others have their own foundations they seek to benefit. We have a lovely actress now we are working with who is about as involved as you can get.

Evangeline Lilly is busy doing media for the new season of LOST, but has taken a charitable perspective with the interviews, seizing the moment to talk about her 2/1 eBay auction for her lingerie line, with part of the proceeds to benefit Task Brazil, a very special cause which seeks to help the kids get out of the favelas (slums) which were shown in the film City of God. On Tuesday 1/27, she talked about it on Good Morning America and then later on David Letterman, mentioning eBay Giving Works and Auction Cause too.

The auction is a series of listings of brand new high end lingerie, starting at 99 cents with no reserve. Evangeline hand signed a nice 8x10 color photo as well as signed a thank you letter, every winner gets both of these. She also took time out from her busy schedule to record a video about the auction and charity. You can see it on the auction site.

What a great way to encourage bidders, inform the public about an important cause, and market her lingerie. We hope everyone enjoys these great pieces. You can sign up now to be notified when it begins by entering your email address here.

NY Knicks Legend Allan Houston Auction On eBay

Growing up as a kid, I thought when I made a great shot in a game of horse from the driveway in front of my house, I thought I could take on any NBA player. I am sure a lot of kids thought the same when they sunk that one incredible shot (once out of 10 times for most of us I bet!). Well, some lucky bidder is going to get that chance to spend some serious time with former Knicks great Allan Houston soon and get to find out what it is like to shoot against him.

To see the auction please click here.


It is a pretty unique auction for sure, far beyond just a lunch or dinner. This is what the winner gets:


Clinic for two (2) people at the Knicks practice facility in Tarrytown, NY (Westchester County) on Monday, February 2nd, 2009 where winning bidder plus guest will learn basketball shooting techniques from Allan Houston. Directly after the Clinic, test your skills against Allan and learn fun shooting games. Floor seats for two (2), sitting right next to Allan behind the bench as the NBA's best players attempt to make their own history at Madison Square Garden versus the L.A. Lakers (Monday, February 2nd, 2009).Travel arrangements to Madison Square Garden and the practice facility in Westchester Country are the responsibility of the winning bidder and his/her guest. Clinic at the Knicks practice facility will be hosted by Allan Houston and will last approximately 30-45 minutes with shooting games after the Clinic.
100% of the proceeds will go to the Allan Houston Legacy Foundation too. Can you imagine what it will be like after shooting hoops with Allan, you sit there on the floor at The Garden next to him, while the Knicks do battle against the Lakers?


We love this auction as a great example of a cause, celebrity, and auction all aligning perfectly. Basketball fans get to support a cause which was created by the player they get to interact with. How happy do you think Allan may be to meet the folks who just gave his cause a nice sum in order to get the experience with him?


This is also an ideal example of a worthy nonprofit marketing itself, creating branding, attracting new donors and supporters, and allowing their founder a way to give back in a meaningful way.

Brands, Hollywood, and nonprofits on eBay

A lot of talk on how the economy is affecting all sectors. On a personal note, the last 6 months has seen steady to increasing number of campaigns for us at Auction Cause on eBay. Before looking at some current campaigns we are running, I would like to offer some theories from the trenches.




Brands are more selective with their ad dollars but still want to be seen as giving to good causes. eBay cause marketing campaigns are able to hit on a number of different factors. For one, they allow a brand to stretch their interactive dollars in relevant ways beyond banner ads and flash pages by hitting consumers in the buying mood, and with much more dedicated content and contextual messaging.




Another we have seen, brands who are being asked to curtail some of the philanthropic giving or community relations donations can capitalize on having a charity benefit from their auctions. Donation amount can be similar at the end of the day, they attract even more attention for the cause they favor, and of course the built in cause related marketing strikes right at the consumer, enhancing the brand.


Let's look at some current and recent cause marketing and nonprofit auctions on eBay Giving Works which we have managed/designed:

Perhaps one of the best trends we have seen in the last year is the use of eBay cause marketing for feature films. We are running a campaign now for Coraline, the Neil Gaiman story made into the movie, starring Teri Hatcher and Dakota Fanning. All the proceeds are benefiting Starlight, one of our favorite causes, which is also supported by Teri and Dakota. The listing now is for the chance to attend the premier in Portland, Oregon, plus some extras including the after party. The page also serves as a great announcement for the film and prepublicity, calling out when it will be in theatres and linking to the film's website. We are following this up strategically with another Coraline auction in February around the film's release which will include auctions for key props from the film. This will serve to further brand the film and their support of Starlight, plus command higher prices since the props will become more relevant to those who saw the film. We are running a similar campaign for the TV show Beverly Hills 90210, with a chance to meet the cast on the set and live the life of the characters through shopping, eating and more. The official show site has been driving traffic as well, with all proceeds benefiting Habitat for Humanity. Call outs on the page for when to catch the show on TV as well as for the other donors whose items are part of the package really tie in for the fan who finds this on eBay through key word searches or other promotions running on eBay for the auction.




We have run similar campaigns for films such as The Kite Runner, P.S. I Love you, Rush Hour 3, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall. The fan base has loved the way they can connect to a film or star they admire and give back to various causes.




A brand we are working with now that has taken this to another level is L'Oreal Paris. As sponsors for most major film festivals, they commissioned various designers to create theme inspired compacts with 18k gold and gemstones, with all proceeds benefiting the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund(OCRF). With the Golden Globes awards auction ended, and the Sundance auction in full swing now here, L'Oreal Paris is reaping the benefits of a long standing cause marketing relationship with OCRF, by highlighting the nexus between their beauty brand, a cause affecting women, and luxury products that women can identify as being associated with the glamorous awards shows.

A longstanding client of ours that has opted for a year round cause marketing presence on eBay is Universal Music Group. They have access to many of the top artists in the music business and have made a commitment to various causes, such as The City of Hope, the TJ Martell Foundation, and VH1 Save The Music to give back. Universal created a branded link at http://www.universalmusicstore.com/ which redirects to http://stores.ebay.com/Universal-Music-Store. Items such as framed gold and platinum records, experiences (who wants to get a new saxophone and get a private lesson on it from David Sanborne?), really keep with their music themes and create wonderful consumer awareness for their artists and brand. The nonprofits help publicize the auctions as well, bringing their core constituents to the eBay page for bidding, all the while driving up the final sales price.

Speaking of extensive cause marketing, we are on our third campaign with The Bonnie Hunt Show, where they have used on air time to highlight their commitment to supporting the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University. By having guests on the show bring with them various items to donate to the eBay auction, the show has inspired their viewers to connect with Bonnie and her cause by going onto the site to bid. Further, we included in many of the auctions video clips of the guest with Bonnie on the show, further branding the show for potential new viewers who came to the auction from eBay or other sites. This is a great way to reach consumers who may not have heard about the Bonnie Hunt Show and let them see the show's commitment to giving back to a worthy cause. Why aren't more shows doing this?

One other one that recently did was Survivor Gabon. Over $85,000 was raised through a series of prop and experience auctions. On December 14, 2008, Jeff Probst, host of Survivor, announced the auction on the finale episode of the show, causing many of the enthusiastic and loyal fans to head to eBay to bid. This made sense on so many levels. The charity chosen was The Serpentine Project, Jeff's own charity which seeks to help youth leaving the foster care system with life skills, coaching and so much more. Fans of Jeff had a personal interest in supporting something near and dear to his heart while at the same time adding to their personal Survivor collections.

I believe that people still want to give to their causes, enjoy entertainment (even during difficult times), and collect their passions, and live out dreams through amazing experiences. People are also noticing which brands, shows, and celebrities are out there doing their best to support worthy nonprofit causes, particularly at a time when so many are hurting from a drop in direct donations. For these reasons, we are optimistic on cause marketing continuing to grow in 2009 on the eBay platform. Please let us know your thoughts or questions based on this post. I can be reached through http://www.auctioncause.com/ or via my Twitter feed - http://twitter.com/ericgazin or join our cause marketing auctions group on Tweetworks - http://www.tweetworks.com/groups/view/ebaycausemarketingauctions.

International Cause Marketing Benefits From Weak U.S. Dollar

A lot of American businesses which export or otherwise rely on selling to buyers outside the U.S. have been happy of late. The weak dollar (I will dispense on the reasoning behind it or this may turn into a economic policy blog!) has resulted in our prices looking mighty attractive to global brethren.

No where have I seen this trend more apparent than via our cause marketing campaigns on eBay Giving Works. Friday night, we just had the end of a very exciting cause marketing campaign with Vanity Fair for a special Madonna package of a signed globe used in her May 2008 cover shoot for the magazine, 2 tickets to a private venue show in NYC, Virgin America airfare, luxury hotel, and dinner. When the dust settled, the winning bid was $24,200, with 22 different bidders producing 82 bids.

100% of the funds went to Madonna's requested charity, Raising Malawi, a special organization that is directly improving the lives of children in impoverished conditions. As great as the auction package and cause, we thought the cost of shipping the globe would severely limit the bidding to a US only audience, as free shipping of the 200 pound boxed globe was only included in this country. We estimated international shipping in the $3000+ range.

Bidding had been creeping up all week, with strong interest worldwide. Still, with 3 hours before the auction close on Friday, bidding was at $16,000. Not a bad sum at all, but we all hoped for some competition at the end.

What happened I believe was this auction looking financially attractive to our international bidders. A bidder from Monaco started duking it out with a bidder from Kuwait. These were heavily prequalified/screened bidders too. They were huge Madonna fans and loved the ideal of Vanity Fair listing this package to benefit a cause near and dear to her heart. Did the weak dollar play a role in this as well as other recent auctions which Auction Cause has managed on eBay? "You betcha" as Margie might say as she investigates from Fargo.

So, I was quite surprised when some new money showed up in the last minute to steal the thunder. A successful California businessman pounced and strutted off victorious, much to the chagrin of his competition. Though we cannot yet identify him publicly yet, he was thrilled to have come out on top, and considered himself fortunate to have weathered the bid raising from our international bidders.

What made this so successful as a cause marketing campaign? All the traditional elements that create cause marketing sizzle:

• Cause that pulls at the heart strings
• Blue chip brand
• A list celebrity
• "Money can't buy" experience package
• Top level PR)

Yet, all these crucial elements did not override the economic reality - "U.S. products are cheap at the moment and create some "fun money" opportunities for our friends around the world.

Other similar auction results from our campaigns:

• Kristin Davis Sex In The City Premiere - Japanese winner
• Dinner with Shakira - Canadian winner
• Dinner with Gene Simmons - British Winner

This trend should continue throughout 2008, with savvy U.S. based companies and charities marketing & tailoring their eBay offerings to the global fan base like never before.

Obvservations on Cause Marketing Auctions on eBay

I admit I am not a natural blogger. I run Auction Cause, www.auctioncause.com, and my time is spent managing a large number of high profile events on the platform. Still, I love reading others' blogs, and do believe I have some personal insights which might be useful and at least interesting, so after not posting much here, let me get back on track.

First, cause marketing has met social networking with a great new blog site called "What Gives?!", www.whatgives.com. I know a few of the people who contribute content there, and they really connect pop culture, causes, and what makes us all tick. Check it out, it really is a step above some of the general rants or just boring content that is out there.

So, back to my subject line here, finally! Recently charities and brands have come to me with some great auction experiences, but they were lacking some "sizzle" to put them over the top. One charity had a meet and greet with a fairly classic and popular musician, but nothing else. In speaking with them, they casually mentioned they had some relationships with a hotel chain and restaurant group. They were quickly were able to make a compelling ask and get 2 nights hotel and a great dinner donated to the auction experience. With some great brand exposure and thousands of page views, it was a big win for all, especially the cause, as the raised thousands extra from their corporate relationships.

More observations on cause marketing - some brands run auctions that over the top promotional about themselves with little authenticity connecting to the cause the auction will benefit. Does this seem perhaps like the business really does not care about the cause and is only interested in how much exposure they can generate? It sometimes does to me.

Like cause marketing in stores or at events, consumers are sophisticated and even a but jaded, but they want to see the company truly care about who and what they are fundraising for. It is like the messaging on a product's retail packaging where it says something like "50 cents for every box sold will benefit charity X", and then in the small print it says "up to Y number of dollars". Even if that number is met in the first month of the campaign, they can still continue to advertise the same way. If you as a consumer knew that zero of your purchase was going to charity X, would you still make that purchase if that charity was important to you? Perhaps not!

So, speaking of authentic cause marketing campaigns, I am very excited to announce the launch of a very cool Vanity Fair auction tied in with their May 2008 issue. Madonna is on the cover in front of a huge globe. It is a great cover shot, and that globe is up for auction on eBay Giving Works right now. 100% of the money raised will benefit "Raising Malawi", a charity dedicated to alleviating the extreme poverty and hardship endured by Malawi's one million orphans. More on them here.

Vanity fair of course is getting great exposure, with the auction featured on Access Hollywood, and on Pop Tarts, the Fox News celebrity happenings column penned by Hollie Mckay, it is drawing great traffic to the auction. The authenticity comes from Vanity Fair asking Madonna to pick her favorite charity to donate the proceeds to. Additionally, Madonna donated access to her small, yet to be announced concert taking place later this month in New York. With hotel, air, and restaurants coming on board as well to make this package even more special, someone is going to win a once in a lifetime auction. On the other side, Raising Malawi is promoting the auction to their supporters on their website. Seems like common sense to me, but I am surprised how often a charity does not prominently promote an eBay charity auction from which they stand to benefit.

As always, drop me an email about anything cause marketing or eBay related. I can be reached at eric [at] auctioncause [dotcom].

Auction Cause is now on Facebook!

The social networking and cause marketing fields continue to intertwine. The cross promotion and marketing opportunities become richer it seems weekly. We particularly like the fundraising groups on Facebook and how one can engage their friends easily to champion causes.

Visit us at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=631971341

Diamonds Give Charity Auction on eBay Giving Works

We love helping good causes, and when the items and experiences are amazing, even better. A special cause marketing campaign that we are producing the auction portion of is The "Diamonds Give" campaign where Russell Simmons and Simmons Jewelry have spearheaded a really sharp charity auction project on eBay Giving Works, http://members.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewUserPage&userid=diamond-empowerment-fund .

As the December 2007 holiday shopping season is reaching a fever pitch, The Diamond Empowerment Fund™ (D.E.F.) launches its inaugural on-line fundraising event, DIAMONDS GIVE, with an exclusive auction of dazzling diamond jewelry and unique celebrity photo experiences hosted on eBay Giving Works.

The auction will feature approximately 15 lots of donated fine diamond pieces, including an extraordinary Ohm Watch from the Simmons Jewelry Co., designed and worn by D.E.F. Chairman Russell Simmons, and a replica of the Monaco Grand Prix Racing Trophy created by Steinmetz. Celebrity photo experience packages add to the excitement of supporting D.E.F.’s efforts to help Africans Help Africa through education. Bid on the chance to have your picture taken with a celebrity who is an advocate for D.E.F.’s mission. Successful bidders will also receive the Simmons Jewelry Co.’s Green Bracelet of malachite and rough diamond, with the bracelet box autographed by the celebrity. The recipient will receive a copy of the photo, and all of the photos will be published together on the D.E.F. website and possibly in a national publication. Photos will be arranged at the convenience of the participating celebrity in a New York or Los Angeles as specified by the celebrity.

DIAMOND CONTRIBUTORS:
Phyllis Bergman
Calhoun Jewelers
Jeri Cohen Fine Jewelry
Michelle Farmer Fine Jewelry
Fortunoff
Kwiat
Neil Lane
Leo Schachter
Macy’s
Lorraine Schwartz
Securityjewelers.com and celticjewelry.com
Simmons Jewelry Co.
Steinmetz
Jack Vartanian
William Goldberg Company

CELEBRITY PHOTO EXPERIENCE CONTRIBUTORS:
Naomi Campbell
Cedric the Entertainer
LL Cool J
Petra Nemcova
Holly Robinson Peete
Brett Ratner
Justine and Joseph “Rev Run” Simmons of Run’s House
Russell Simmons
A memorabilia package from New York Yankees Captain Derek Jeter

International Child Art Foundation Hosts Global Leader Art Auction on eBay

Some exciting news on the charity auction front. Too often, kids are not sought after to solutions for global crisises. A special project of the Child Art Foundation addresses this, having brought together amazing child artists from around the world to Washington, D.C. to paint masterpieces of some of the most recognizable people from the arts, politics, heads of state, business & industry, and more. Online at http://www.ebay.com/childart for a few more days, these incredible works showcase the message of peace that only children can bring to the table. Here is the entire release:

The International Child Art Foundation (ICAF), in partnership with eBay and Mission Fish, will hold a charity auction on November 1-10, 2007 of 15 murals to fund art programs for children across the globe. The world’s best child artists, selected through the global Arts Olympiad, created the artworks to pay tribute to their global leaders during the 2007 World Children’s Festival held in June on the National Mall in Washington, DC. The largest celebration of children’s creativity and imagination, the festival showcased international cooperation among children communicating through the language of art. The children saluted leaders in all fields with their collaborative works:• Political Leaders: President George Bush and first lady Laura Bush, former President Bill Clinton and N.Y. Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, Neslon Mandela of South Africa, and Sheikha Mozah of Qatar• Business Leaders: Bill and Melinda Gates, Herbert Hainer, Jeff Immelt, Steve Jobs, Thomas Kristiansen, Pierre Omidyar, Larry Page, Prince Al-Walid bin Talal, and Jerry Yang • Entertainment Leaders: David and Victoria Beckham, and Robert Iger of DisneyEach mural is painted in acrylic on a 3x4-foot primed stretch canvas. A personalized 12x16-inch plaque accompanies each mural, with information on the young artists, their photos and greetings for the leader. The ICAF will ship the murals and plaques to the auction winners on November 15, 2007 and requests the winners to present the mural to the respective leader. “We are delighted that some of the most creative children in the world chose to honor their global leaders in this imaginative fashion,” said the ICAF founder Dr. Ashfaq Ishaq. “Their art represents their aspirations for the future. We are pleased to offer the public a rare opportunity to present their leaders with most meaningful gifts this holiday season. Money raised through the auction will fund our Arts Olympiad and programs like Healing Arts and Peace Through Art.“Since 1997 the ICAF has served domestically and internationally as the leading arts and creativity organization for children. The ICAF integrates art with science, sport and technology for the development of children’s creativity and empathy—preconditions for a just, prosperous and nonviolent world. The event is being managed on eBay by Auction Cause, a premier online auction management agency specializing in high profile design, strategy, and cause marketing for corporations and nonprofits worldwide. For more information, please visit www.auctioncause.com

Concert For Diana and eBay

We have had the pleasure at Auction Cause of working with Clarence House, the official office for Prince William and Harry. As part of the Concert For Diana which took place on July 1st in London, we have been running a series of auctions on eBay Giving Works - www.ebay.com/dianaconcert . It is not often one finds The British Royal Family actively playing a role in an eBay auction, but the 2 princes have extended the reach of the concert theme, honoring the legacy of their mother, by raising funds for 2 worthy charities.The marketing aspect of something like this is quite different than a traditional brand auction. Here, the design and graphics are simple and refined, reflective of royalty as well as low key around the use of Princess Diana's name. In fact, there is no likeness of her in the auctions, just the logo with her signature.I believe there is now an understanding that eBay is the global medium from which to message out numerous concepts. Gibson Guitar company donated 3 of their more exclusive and rare models to be signed by artists and celebrities at the just completed concert. Kudos to Gibson, who for a modest investment by their standards, are doing good in the world of fundraising as well as attracting some attention for their terrific brand.

Cause Marketing Forum

Just back from the Cause Marketing Forum in NYC. It is definitely the most dynamic event in the field. About 500 people there, great mix of those in the nonprofit sector, corporate world, agency field, and independent consultants.

I have been to quite a few conferences and often feel that people just wanted a free trip on the company dime. Not here. There was an overall consensus among those speaking and and attending that we are on to something really big.

My role, along with eBay Giving Works, as sponsors, was to educate on how eBay is an amazing platform from which to run a cause marketing campaign. My blog is full of the reasons why it works so read below for some thoughts on it.

One of the highlights for me was hearing the story of how Newman's Own got started and how doing things differently has led to over $250 million in donations for worthy causes. The VP of Newman's Own was the keynote speaker during lunch, and in an entertaining way, took us all through how the company is now one of the key players in the premium food sector. One of his most important messages was that people were not going to buy their products unless the taste and quality were outstanding. This brings up a key point in cause marketing - you can get someones attention with a celebrity or cause, but there needs to be substance to back it up. All things being equal, a cause attached to a product will come out on top, but the speaker was careful to point out that one should not bank on a charity attachment getting a company sales without a lot more behind it.

I was also surprised to learn how few employees are at Newman's Own (we were sworn to secrecy on this one!). They have a number of food partners who make the products, much like Trader Joe's, but that Paul Newman still does all the taste testing himself.

So this cause marketing stuff is still evolving. This conference was a great showcase for what is taking place, but I believe there is so much more good that can be derived from the relationship of company and causes. Stay tuned, we plan on doing what we can to build this field exponentially.