7 Ways to Make a Difference

By Courtney Carey

We have all been watching the news in horror as Friday’s unimaginable tragedy in Japan unfolds. As of this morning, the official death toll had reached just over 1,500, but many are expecting that number to rise above 10,000 people. While the initial earthquake and tsunami have passed, the aftershock, mourning and recovery efforts have just begun.

If you’re like me, you feel a sense of helplessness when watching the news about this devastating tragedy. I find myself wondering what I can do to help and make a difference. Technology has made it possible for anyone to make a difference, no matter how big or small the contribution. Every little bit counts.

An article from Mashable details seven simple ways that anyone can make a difference and contribute in the relief efforts:

1. Text to Donate: The American Red Cross has launched another Text Campaign to aid in the relief efforts in Japan. All you have to do is text REDCROSS to 90999 and $10 will be contributed to their efforts.
2. Donate Through Facebook: By logging in to your personal Facebook page you can donate $10-$500 through the American Red Cross’ Causes page: http://www.causes.com/campaigns/154523/
3. Play Virtual Games: Through playing the popular online games FarmVille, CityVille and FrontierVille you can help make a difference in the Japan relief efforts.
4. Embed a Code: By embedding a simple code on your website or blog, you can encourage others to get involved and help spread the word about relief efforts.
5. “Like” a Facebook Page: $1 of every “like” on the Dog Bless You Facebook Page (up to $100,000) will be donated to relief efforts. This page has reached the $100,000 goal.
6. Support through Twitter: There are several hashtags on Twitter that allow you to help with relief efforts and stay up-to-date with the latest news.
7. Donate on iTunes: Apple has created a donation page on iTunes on which you can choose to donate $5 to $200 towards the cause.
   

These seven ways to help are just a few of many options out there. For more detailed information on the relief efforts mentioned above, visit the Mashable article, “Japan Earthquake & Tsunami: 7 Simple Ways to Help.”

Courtney Carey is Manager of Social Media at Maroon PR. Contact her at Courtney@Maroon PR.com

“We Really Messed Up”

By Pete DeLuca

“We really messed up.” Those are the words of Andrew Mason, Founder and CEO of Groupon, an email service that sends daily local deals to over 50 million customers worldwide.

Since its inception in 2008, Groupon has grown to include over 150 cities in 35 different countries. At just over 2-years old, Mason’s company was named “The Fastest Growing Company Ever” according to Forbes Magazine, which projected that Groupon would reach $1 billion dollars in sales faster than any other business, ever.

With this success came rapid global expansion – which, in this case, triggered Mason’s dilemma. According to the Associated Press, just a few weeks ago Groupon Japan featured a New Year’s deal with Bird Café – a local food delivery business in Tokyo. The result was a flood of orders to the Café, which caused late deliveries and meals arriving in “terrible condition”. Angry customers began a smear campaign against Groupon, posting pictures of their meals and writing awful reviews on online message boards.

Groupon acted quickly – apologizing profusely and refunded each purchase of 10,500 yen ($127). After the refund, the company subsequently offered each of the 500-plus customers a 5,000 yen ($61) voucher as a sign of good will. In addition, Groupon began implementing “capacity planning” formulas to help overseas businesses determine how many customers they can handle for future promotions.

Even after all that, Mason – the owner of a multi-million dollar organization, fired up his webcam for a direct message to his Japanese customers.



Mistakes happen. But the way in which a person responds to that mistake shows the individual’s true character. I think Mason’s actions are a perfect example of how a business owner should genuinely apologize to his customers. His company messed up and, although he was not directly involved, he took responsibly and went above and beyond to patch things up.

It is refreshing to see that a business owner, worth hundreds of millions of dollars, still takes the time to recognize the customers that helped make his company a success.

Pete DeLuca is Manager of Creative Services at Maroon PR. Contact him at Pete@MaroonPR.com