Social Movement Improvements

One of the main cons about donating to or supporting a social movement is that tracking one's contribution is difficult if not totally impossible.  Many times, after money is donated, its destination is unclear to the doner.  The doner would not like for their contribution to go unacknowledged.  One of the main reasons why people do not donate or contribute their time or effort to social movements is because they are unsure of how their contribution will help.  One way social movements can better establish their movements is by following through with their contributors.  This can be in the form of a thank you tletter detailing where their money is going, a tax write off to ensure that the money went where it was designated to go, or other form of gift.  For example, a common trend social movements set were plastic armbands.  After donating or contributing to a movement, that group would give that person a rubber armband.  It was most likely in neon colors so it was noticeable.   That band screamed to everyone, "Yes, I donated my money for a good cause," and it was looked at a stylish and selfless.  If a cause was popular enough to demand the attention of celebrities, it would become fashionable to wear the band.  One example is the Livestrong yellow plastic wrist band.  Lance Armstrong's movement to spread the word about prostate cancer was effective as he redeemed each $10 donation with a stylish wristband.  Many people began donating to the cause more for the wristband than for the actual cancer research fund. 



Celebrities in support of Lance Armstrong's prostate cancer foundation, Livestrong.  Featured actors, actresses, professional baskeball players, newcasters, and singers like Hilary Duff, Lisa Leslie and Lance Armstrong.

People respond positively to incentives and thus it is a good idea for movments to reward their contributors.  Just for a doner's security, movements could also allow people to track their donations like how FedEx, the United States Postal Servive or other delivery mediums allow customers to track their packages.  After making a contribution doners could receive a receipt with a number that can be tracked online as it went from the foundation to its destination.

"Social Network Activism"

Social networks such as Facebook, Myspace, and Blogger are places in which people (friends, family and strangers) can connect with one another and discuss any and everything.  People use these networks to meet new friends, reunite with old ones, build personal relationships, share music, pictures, videos and other things that reflect our interests and backgrounds, and, recently, advertise.  What is now heavily advertised are social movements.  Social movements are activism for change to benefit a group of underrepresented people.  To benefit them, groups of people inspired to create change come together to discuss the problem and plan possible solutions to these problems.  These solutions are in the form of collective actions.  Today these groups have taken advantage of the new technology and have been able to spread their message via the World Wide Web. 

I have seen "social network activism" online on the activist's webpages, on Facebook and on ads in the columns of websites that I have visited.

Save Darfur Facebook page

I have also seen social network activism on television and via text messaging.  During the aftermath of the Haitian earthquake, foundations like the American Red Cross, Habitats for Humanity, Doctor's without borders and tons others spread awareness through commericals in which they aired a phone number that, if texted, would donate money to the fund.  In the video below, the United State's First Lady Michelle Obama, commanded the help of Americans to benefit the Haitian victims by texting the number 90999 (HAITI) to donate $10 in relief.



I have followed through with many of these forms of activism.  It is a clever way to make a difference in the world without taking too much time out of your scheduele.  Activist on Facebook clevery spread their missions onto large groups of people because it is so easy to share information with a click of a button.

Alicia Keys + Proactiv

Just wanted to provide a screen shot of the Proactiv commercial Alicia Keys featured in.

Positive, Personal, Powerful, Proactiv

Alicia Keys ProActiv

- Watch more Music Videos at Vodpod.

This ad featuring Alicia Keys is effective and positive.  They are also a definite improvement over earlier portrayals of members of minority groups, especially the protrayals of Black women.  Stylish, attractive and bright, Alicia Keys charms audiences with her looks and personality which shines through her dialogue in the commercial.  Speaking eloquently and smiling throughout the commercial, Alicia Keys is perceived as sincere, intelligent and happy.  In contrast to ads published during the pre-civil rights era, Alicia Keys is not man-made, fabricated and her features are not hyperbolized.

Comparing Alicia Keys' ad to Aunt Jemima's, it is evident which ad is more attractive and favorable.  Alicia Keys is presented here attractive and stylish with light makeup.  Aunt Jemima is in a serving uniform without makeup and is certainly unattractive.  Aunt Jemima's ad is poorly lit, and her gender is questionable.  The dialogue in Aunt Jemima's ad screams unintelligent and illiterate.  When choosing products to purchase consumers heed a product's company's reliability.  Consumers are more likely to trust a physically pleasing and eloquent speaker as opposed to an unattractive and illiterate speaker.  Alicia's ad connects to many different ages, genders, and races.  Although Aunt Jemima connects to many different types of people, it is still shunned by many.  Alicia Keys is represented as someone you can trust and want to be like, thus making her ad effective.