Readers' Comments

Many are negatively affected by the acts of those using such tactics. I believe the worst thing to happen is that people who do think and conduct business raise families etc. Now tune out all. They have become desensitized to never see or hear a real cause.

In my personal circles of friends and acquaintances many use the term Conspiracy Theory to explain away seems about all.

They in my opinion have become doubters of all. Meaning they no longer stand for anything or anybody besides self and self-interest.

As said in the last sentence--- Democracy depends on an inquisitive and informed public that resists being hoodwinked and that is where the rub comes in. Many have their heads buried so deep in the sand to not see or hear any others in our Democratic Republic. Therefore our free society as thinkers then doers sets on the edge of the abyss.

and the RNC violation is so obvious, where is the indictment and arrests? Who is responsible for enforcing the new law and WHAT are they waiting for?

Come on folks - the whole idea of KFC donating money to breast cancer research is even more absurd than Joe Camel donating money for lung cancer. Yes - everyone has a right to choose whatever they eat - but let's face facts: Eating fried dead animal products is simply not going to be healthy for anyone and for a company that sells this junk to people (including women and children) is very sad and disreputable indeed.

Starting from the top, cause marketing is not synonymous with affinity marketing.

Cause marketing can be a PR strategy, but it's not a subset of PR. Most cause marketing is, well, marketing.

Does marketing using emotion? Without a doubt.

But in an of itself there's nothing illegal or even shady about that. I'd being willing to bet that the CMD uses emotion in its appeals to donors and prospects. Is that exploitative? Well that kinda depends, doesn't it? If the prospect is in full control of their faculties, I'd say no. But if they are, I have a hard time imagining how emotional appeals are more exploitative than non-emotional ones.

As for the claim that it's 'spreading like wildfire' the fact is that for the last decade cause marketing hovered around 10% of the overall sponsorship market according to IEG. And sponsorship as a whole is growing, but hardly at 'wildfire' levels.

Does cause marketing have problems? Sure. Like in the cases where the match between the sponsor and cause is inappropriate or when campaigns or sponsors aren't transparent.

But it's hardly a threat to democracy in general or the Republic in particular.

Encouraging people to eat unhealthy food as a way to help eliminate breast cancer is insane. Please join our group dedicated to ending this terribly misguided partnership that only helps KFC by lending Komen's (once) good name to their unhealthy brand. We are encouraging people to instead donate to Breast Cancer Action.

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=120671484615719

now nucler waste in th most hardes subsenss to dispos because of th raetoiactivate

I'm a carnivore and I wear leather. I own a horse that I purchased. It's a choice. I've also been a very active animal rescue volunteer for over 30 years. I can vouch that dog and cat rescue are much easier than horse rescue. My housepets have always been rescues (my dogs had been puppymill adult breeding stock). I've lived all over the globe and have personally witnessed both humane and inhumane animal treatment. I'm over-qualified by far too many professional certificates and university degrees. These are my sole credentials for my opinion basis.

Humanitarian efforts towards living creatures is as much a polarizing topic as religion or politics or child-rearing. But what we are facing, per Anne's blog here, is commentary on spin-doctoring. CCF has been a spin-doctor tank all its existence, no matter who the target for their attacks. That's their bread and butter. They make great money irking people on behalf of the CCF contributors -- who much prefer staying anonymous.

The US Postal Service is issuing stamps as of the end of April to raise awareness of the millions of pets in shelters. CCF is behind an email campaign sent to all volunteer animal rescue groups to counter this effort. Here's the body of that email:

< A new stamp is coming out the end of April called "Animal Rescue: Adopt A Shelter Pet Stamp" featuring shelter dogs and cats. The purpose of the stamp is to raise awareness to the millions of dogs and cats in shelters across the U.S. To launch the stamp Ellen DeGeneres is giving one million meals to shelters when people buy the stamps. The cost is the same as a regular stamp - 44 cents.

Money from these stamps is going to HSUS. Ellen has not been shy about her support of HSUS. Money given there will not go to animals in shelters. HSUS's 2008 tax returns revealed that less than 1/2 of 1 percent of their budget funds a
traditional (dog/cat) shelter. Money given to HSUS goes instead toward lobbying, anti-animal ownership legislation and attorneys.

Please DO NOT BUY these stamps and advise your friends to do the same. The agenda of the HSUS is ANTI-ANIMAL OWNERSHIP!!! >>

First, test the assumption made here. A celebrity is sending one million meals of food to shelters (she co-owns a pet food company) to launch these stamps. What's the problem with that? It's her money; she can do whatever she wants with it.

That same celebrity endorses the non-profit HSUS. She can do that too. It's her choice.

"Money given there will not go to animals in shelters" Now there's a real logical gap here. The celebrity is giving meals( pet food) to animal shelters. So, I ask, WHAT MONEY? The donation is in the form of pet food.

Neither the celebrity nor HSUS are garnering any cash from the USPS issued stamps.

Ah, yes, spin-doctoring...it's actually an example of required discretionary reading and hearing skills, isn't it? It's word play for the penultimate goal of getting an emotional reaction to trigger behaviors. Suddenly, donated pet food is magically being transmuted to monetary funds going to HSUS. Did you notice that transition? It's like one of those visual perception puzzles. What did you REALLY see and comprehend?

But after broadcasting this CCF originated email, the small (a couple hundred members) rescue group to which I belong had our group website deluged with responses from members pledging not to buy the stamps. However, we actually have some members who have a strong nose for propaganda. One such posted:

<

Here's a link to the USPS and you can see all the sponsors, none of whom get any money from the sale of the stamps. This goes back several years when the HSUS bought rights to post their advertising on stamps from a company who works with the Post Office. I don't know all the details of how it worked, but this particular campaign will not put any money into the HSUS's pockets.

http://stampstotherescue.com/ thecampaign. asp>>

Ah, the joys of critical reading skills and the ever-questioning mind.

Absolutely incredible that anyone in this country could possibly believe that the cost of administering any single health insurance plan could possibly be more expensive than the cost of administering hundreds of different plans. It is as if no-one is capable of remembering that cost is the, repeat, THE reason for healthcare legislation in the first place. Also, it is absolutely incredible that anyone in this country could possibly believe that the medical outcomes of any single transparent, comprehensive health insurance plan could possibly, repeat, possibly be worse than the outcomes produced from hundreds of in-network-claim-denied-you're-not-covered-pre-existing-co-pay-annual-out-of-pocket-hide-and-seek-your-call-is-important-to-us-chiseling-blasphemy that is private health insurance.
All of which makes it all the more disturbing that PBS and Frontline have chosen to join the legion of media who have chosen to forsake the public trust so vital to the country that it's guarantee was the subject of the very first amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

I don't see how having an unelected body whose decisions cannot be appealed, is in any way compatible with the basic principles of democracy. In any democratic form of government, supreme power is vested in the hands of the people, not in the hands of a supreme deity, supreme tyrant, supreme monarch, or supreme court. The framers weren't ignorant men--they were oligarchs who knew the precise meaning of the word supreme.

Radical libs ain't got nothin' better to do than offer negative criticism of everyone but themselves. Jeez, Louise, get a friggin' life!

I CANT REALLY TELL IF ITS THE RIGHT ONE OR NOT BUT I CAN SAY IF IT IS THAN THE GOVERNMENT NEED A REALITY CHECK WHY KEEP BRINGING UP RACE IF YOU DONT KNOW BY NOW WE ARE THE HUMAN RACE WE ALL BLEED THE SAME HELP THE COMMUNITY BY ASKING QUESTION LIKE WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO BETTER YOUR AREA NOT WHAT RACE WHAT ARE WE LACKING IN AND NEED MORE OF BUT JUST IN CASE HE DONT GET MY MESSAGE FLY YOUR BEHIND AROUND AMERICA AND YOU WILL SEE FOR YOURSELF WHAT WE NEED A START OF MORE SCHOOLS BETTER EDUCATION MORE POLICE OFFICERS MORE CHURCHES INSTEAD OF A LIQUER STORE ON EVERYCORNER AND TO CONSTANLEY BE REMINDED WE ARE ALL THE SAME RACE THE HUMAN RACE MORE FUNDING FOR HOMES MORE JOBS AND TO UNDERSTAND THAT COMMING UP SOME TIMES IS DIFFRENT FROM MOST SO YOU COMMIT A CRIME YOU DO DESERVE A SECOND CHANCE WHAT I MEAN BY THAT TO MAKE MONEY ON A REAL JOB WITHOUT GIVING YOU A FAIR CHANCE

There are better ways they could help, like a reduction in advertising or perhaps just closing shop.