AIDS battling organization (RED) is teaming up with Foursquare to launch the largest non-profit check-in campaign to date – and to harness the power of social media for social good. The effort is meant to raise social awareness for (RED)’s larger campaign RUSH TO ZERO, which seeks to “help deliver an AIDS-free generation by 2015” using in-person and digital events, and experiences involving social media, brands, celebrities, gamers, music fans, and consumers around the world.
Starbucks is the flagship partner for the current check-in campaign, which runs from June 1st to June 10th. For every Foursquare check-in at a Starbucks location in the U.S. and Canada, the company will donate $1 to The Global Fund (which receives (RED) money), up to $250K. Additional partners Penfolds and Bugaboo are also making donations: Penfolds will donate $1 for every check-in at Bonefish Grill locations in the U.S., and Bugaboo will donate $1 (or € 1, £1) for check-ins at participating third-party retailers in the U.S., UK, Spain and Australia.
The goal is to provide new opportunities for consumers to engage with (RED) and to “generate vital funding just by doing everyday things, like checking in on foursquare,” said Deborah Dugan, CEO of (RED), in the press release.
This type of campaign gives also big brands like Starbucks some “socially-conscious brownie points,” according to TechCrunch, and is a “great example of donation by action.” And this isn’t the first time Starbucks is working with (RED): “Since launching our partnership with (RED)™ in December 2008, Starbucks has contributed nearly $10 million to the Global Fund,” said Vivek Varma, executive vice president of Public Affairs at Starbucks.
Finally, Foursquare CEO Dennis Crowley was excited to provide the platform for this large-scale effort at social awareness: “At foursquare, we love to see the ways that technology can be used to improve the world, and we are excited to see our community get involved in the effort to fight AIDS and raise awareness.”
