…Participating in social media is a great thing for some organizations. However, if your website is out-of-date, stagnant and doesn’t engage the community you want to connect with—social media might not be of much support to your efforts. There are many organizations that jump on the social media bandwagon before they make sure that the foundation of their online outreach—their website—works.
There is an excellent post on Mashable on The Science of Building Trust With Social Media. The content in this post provides an interesting perspective on what can be achieved through social media and what some of the challenges might be. It is also worth reading the comments below this post to see what others are thinking.
One of the great things about the widespread acceptance of social media is that good organizations, the ones that want to develop and provide good products and services for their customers, have a real opportunity to build trust.
I had a discussion with a client yesterday about the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. She is based in L.A. and the only coverage they get of the games is from NBC. NBC, for some reason, has chosen not to provide live coverage of the games. My client is in the same time zone as the games, she has a television in her office, she would have the competitions on if she could—but they aren’t live.
Jay Baer has a good blog post that outlines 39 social media tools that he uses and that would be of value to most communicators.
For Immediate Release – February 22, 2010
The Obakki Foundation Collection is now available for purchase
Vancouver, B.C. – The recently launched Obakki Foundation hit the ground running and has already begun funding several important projects in Cameroon, Africa. Founded in 2009 by Treana Peake – entrepreneur, mom and wife of Nickelback guitarist Ryan Peake – the foundation has released a limited series of fashion pieces inspired by the words and drawings of 150 orphans living in Africa. Items include men’s and women’s tees, scarves, bags and children’s clothing, and are available at www.obakkifoundation.org. Supporters can also purchase first aid kits and other basic needs that will be shipped to Africa – and hand-delivered when Treana returns in May 2010 – with 100% of proceeds going directly to the orphanages.
While in Africa this past December, the Peakes visited the orphans to show them the pieces that were inspired by their words and drawings. “It was incredibly gratifying and emotional to show the children the power of their words,” said Treana. “They’re seeing that because of their answers, proper food, education and health care will soon be available. They’re giving themselves a future.”
In addition the Peakes checked on current projects and met with village leaders to fully comprehend the needs of the communities, working with them to determine new initiatives that will focus on education, health and water treatment projects. Peake explains, “In Cameroon, everyone must pay for school and health care, so many go without. Our projects range from $25.00 to send a child to school for a year, to $80,000 for a new medical center that will service several villages. Every donation, regardless of the amount, has an immediate and direct impact on these people.”
Their adventures, such as using machetes to access remote jungle locations, sleeping in isolated villages and meeting extraordinary people along the way, are recounted in heartbreaking, exhilarating detail on the Obakki Foundation’s blog and Facebook page (search: Obakki Foundation).
Founded by Treana Peake in 2009, the Obakki Foundation is committed to offering hope, empowerment and the chance for people to learn and grow around the world. The Obakki Foundation provides opportunities to use ideas, art and fashion to assist others in standing up and participating in improving their own lives – and the lives of those around them. All proceeds go directly into the projects. Not just a percentage of the profits, not just some of the money – every penny goes back to the community.
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For more information on the Obakki Foundation, please contact Paul Holman of AHA Creative Strategies at (604) 303-1052 or email paul@ahacreative.com.