A growing number of retailers are looking to appeal to consumers' generous side by turning the traditional notion of a BOGO (buy one, get one) on its head. Companies such as Whitten Grey's Project Little Grey Dress, Happy Blankie, TOMS and others are offering to give one item away to a needy child for every item purchased.
According to a report on the Springwise website, consumers who buy an eco-friendly dress at Whitten Grey's Project Little Grey Dress are given a unique code with the purchase. They then go online and choose between Guatemala, Liberia, Malawi and Zimbabwe as the destination for the dress. Kids choose the color of the dress they would like to send and get to include a personal note.
Happie Blankie offers a line of four plush fabric and satin animal blankets -- puppy, pig, frog and teddy bear -- that range in size from 18-by-18-inch ($29) to 48-by-56-inch ($99). When one is purchased, the company donates another to a small child in a hospital or orphanage. Here, too, the buyer of the first blanket gets to choose where the second will go.
Sites such as Whitten Grey and Happy Blankie appeal to consumers trendwatching.com calls Generation G. "For many, sharing a passion and receiving recognition have replaced 'taking' as the new status symbol. Businesses should follow this societal/behavioral shift, however much it may oppose their decades-old devotion to me, myself and I."
Discussion Questions: Is the new BOGO (Buy One, Give One) a sustainable marketing strategy for companies such as Whitten Grey and Happie Blankie? Do you see the new BOGOs as a promotional tactic that traditional retailers can use to generate interest and sales for their businesses?