Giving My Brand New iMac to Charity
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This is the story of why I may be giving my brand new iMac to charity this Christmas.
It all started after my PC crashed and lost 300gig of data last week, I decided to take the plunge and convert to a Mac user.
24 hours, and over $2,000 later, I had ordered a top-spec 24″ iMac direct from Apple.
This news spread amongst my friends, and I was sent messages like:
“Dean, this will change your life”
and
“Dean, great decision, this will be the most important move you make all year”.
In bed that night I thought about all the comments and messages I had received… and it struck me…
We have all gone technology and consumer spending mad!
I mean seriously, this is just a piece of technology, it surely isn’t really going to change my life, make me happy and be the biggest decision of 2008… is it?!?
Afterall, there are millions of people out there who have no access to clean water, and here I am, basking in the glory of a $2,000 piece of technology… being told that an Apple shaped logo will change my life, when there are millions of people out there who haven’t even tasted an actual apple.
Something was wrong here, I felt awkward, and so, I have decided to donate my iMac to my favourite charity HEAL.co.uk
HEAL is a charity I have worked with previously, and I have mentioned them on DeanHunt.com on numerous occasions. In fact, I am doing a cycle ride across India with them to raise money.
They are committed to providing shelter, support, education and health care for needy children.
But let’s be honest, one iMac is going to make no dent in the problem at all.
It is a drop in the ocean.
As all good marketers know, raising awareness is key. The money then follows from the awareness.
So, here is what I have decided to do…
I have been using the micro-blogging platform Twitter.com a lot recently, it is the best way I know of getting a message out there quickly.
To help spread this message, I put up a message on my Twitter account saying that I will donate my brand new iMac to charity providing they pass on my message, and as a result, I get 15,000+ followers BEFORE my iMac arrives (four or five days).
This would generate interest in my story, and as a result, it would gain awareness.
Word started to spread, and people told their friends, but realistically, I am aware that 15,000 followers in such a short space of time is unlikely.
So, I am going to extend the deadline until noon on Christmas day.
If I have 15,000+ followers by noon on Christmas, I will donate a brand new iMac (or the value) direct to HEAL Uk.
Even if I Fail, I WILL Donate $1 Per Follower
A reader rightly has pointed out that there is a chance that I may fail, and thus I get followers and HEAL get nothing. So, here is what I will do. At the time of writing, I have 916 followers. I will donate $1 for every new follower between now and the iMac arriving.
This way, there will be a donation regardless.
Why Not Just Give the iMac Anyway?
Ok, I appreciate I could just give the iMac, do no blog post, no email, no Twitter challenge, and great, $2,000 would be raised.
That would be a drop in the ocean.
Do you think $2,000 is going to make any real difference?
I need the challenge element to get people to spread the message and tell their friends. Thus rasing huge awareness.
Why Not Donate Now and Blog Later?
Yes, this did cross my mind. It would make an OK story, average at best, in a world where charity stories are generally just noise.
At best this story may get mentioned by a few people.
So I had to put a spin on it, and instead of relying on people’s goodwill, I upped the stakes and made people take action now, simply by introducing the challenge element.
How Can You Help?
I need to raise awareness. So please blog, twitter, facebook, call, text or email your friends, contacts, lists, family members, and ask them to follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/deanhunt08
If you don’t use Twitter, then simply tell people about this blog post instead.
Every little could make all the difference.
Thank you.
Dean Hunt
PPS: All the top level marketers I know totally GET this angle, and what I am trying to do. Funnily enough, the non-marketers are struggling to grasp the concept. Some even claim it is a lame buzz attempt.
Let’s be honest, if I wanted to get a boat load of publicity to myself, there are far easier and more effective ways of doing it. And they certainly wouldn’t cost me $2,000 to do.
The charity angle is one of the most overused and least effective methods of generating attention on the planet. It is sad, but it is true. If this was a stunt, it would be the absolute LAST technique I would use.
But I suppose that in hindsight, suspicion, was to be expected.
PPS: Please note that my Twiiter account is /deanhunt08 not /deanhunt
PPPS: Stupid comments won’t be published. However, I am happy to take constructive methods to improve this, and have re-written it slightly to accomodate some feedback.
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15 COMMENTS
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Why don’t you just donate it to charity rather than asking people for something in return and basking in your such generous glory?
Jenny,
Good question.
I do a LOT of charity work, most of which I never tell anyone about.
However, the responses I got ref the iMac were frankly very worrying, so it is more about changing people’s priorities than the iMac donation.
Let’s be honest, $2,000 isn’t going to make a scratch in the surface of the problem, but making 15,000+ people aware of this, could generate millions.
That is why I do it this way.
Dean
I jsut set up a new charity called “The Aaron Fund”…much like the “Human Fund” that George Costanza set-up on Seinfeld but instead of money for people we will focus on stuff for me… lol.
Seriously, cool idea man.
Yup…If you are going to do something for charity, just do it.
You can still have another 15,000 people twitter project to generate awareness.
You are getting people to use a technology that you say they don’t need to confirm that you will get rid of that same technology. It’s all very illogical.
Give your Mac away (if that’s what you plan to do) and then promote the charity.
Good luck either way.
J
John,
Thanks.
I am trying to raise awareness… as I already mentioned. The $2,000 isn’t going to make any difference in the grand scheme of things.
That is why at Live8 they don’t charge you to watch… awareness must come first, then the money follows.
Maybe you have to be a marketing type to get it, or maybe I explained it properly. But your solution would be a drop in the ocean.
Dean
Loving the constructive feedback. My first attempt at writing this came across a little salesy. Which was not my goal at all.
So have re-written slightly.
BTW, I have said since day one that I am not a big fan of Twitter. If this was a promo piece, you can be assured it would be to anywhere BUT Twitter.
That said, Twitter is the fastest way of spreading a message. So that is why I chose it.
Dean
To the commentors I ask, What have you all done today to help someone in need?
Yes, clearly Dean is using publicity to get interest in this. Guess what people? He is a marketer, of course he is going to get people to talk about it.
All your suggestions were lame and boring, they would make zero money for charities. thank the lord that people like Dean actually know what they are doing.
Stop complaining and start helping.
Chris
Good luck and I hope this helps –> http://georgelouris.com/blog/
Hi Dean,
I am a MASSIVE twitter fan, and I’m a HUGE Dean Hunt fan, but this makes me somewhat uneasy.
I have no problems with ethical bribes and do it myself at Twitter. I offer daily Creativity Tips for Writers under the user name WritingSpirit, and have gotten almost 3,000 followers that way.
My problem with your offer is not the bribe or the buzz, it’s the “if” factor. “If” you get 15,000 followers, you’ll donate the computer. That implies that “if” you don’t get 15,000 followers, you don’t have to donate the computer.
If that were true, you could end up with publicity, twitter followers, and not have to give anything to charity.
Because of this, I don’t feel comfortable promoting your promotion. What would make me comfortable would be something along the lines of “I’ll donate a dime for every new twitter user, and if I reach 15,000 followers, I’ll add an extra $500 and donate $2,000. That would mean that every follower you got actually added to the donation, rather than if I don’t reach this outrageous goal, I don’t have to give anything.
I suspect that you’ll donate something, no matter what, because that’s the kind of guy you are, but because you’re not stating that from the beginning, it makes me uncomfortable about participating in this challenge.
** BRILLIANT IDEA ALERT **
You could add a “ps.” that says, if I don’t reach 15,000 followers, I’ll donate $.00 per follower.
The other reason to state “donate $.00 per follower” is to really get people invested in the idea that “if I do this, you’ll donate that” which is a much stronger motivator than, “If I do this, MAYBE you’ll donate that.”
After all, most bike rides for charity get pledges from people to donate $x.xx per mile that you ride. They don’t say, I’ll donate $25 if you complete the ride, but $0 if you don’t.
Still a big fan. Still love you.
Julie Isaac
http://www.twitter.com/WritingSpirit
Julie,
Great idea!!!
Leave it with me… I will find a way of ensuring that no matter what, I will donate something.
(planned to do this anyway, but didn’t want to ruin the challenge.)
Julie,
I added this based on your feedback:
Even if I Fail, I WILL Donate $1 Per Follower
A reader rightly has pointed out that there is a chance that I may fail, and thus I get followers and HEAL get nothing. So, here is what I will do. At the time of writing, I have 916 followers. I will donate $1 for every new follower between now and the iMac arriving.
This way, there will be a donation regardless.
Novel idea! I just followed you and cool blog. Feel free to submit to the directory free if you wish.
Thank you, Dean. Now you’ve got me on board!
Good Luck,
Julie
Hi Dean
The fact that you are making an effort to raise awareness about Heal.uk and are prepared to make a donation should be applauded. Perhaps putting a ‘growth meter’ on your site could help, so that all your new and potential followers could monitor the progress of your quest (or doing something similar to what Dr Mani did with his Tweetathon).
I support you, go for it and good luck.
Cheers
Viv
“I mean seriously, this is just a piece of technology, it surely isn’t really going to change my life, make me happy and be the biggest decision of 2008… is it?!?”
I totally agree with you. Technology never did any good in this world. It never gave people clean water, better farming or good medical care.
Idiot.
And to top it off, you’ll give some poor unfortunate people an iMac to play with, all in the name of self promotion. This is terrible. Its not the technology they need, and I guarantee you, this is not the ‘promotion’ you hoped for.
Send the iMac back to apple, get your money back, send them to people who need them. Regardless of who gives a shit how nice you are.