節日慈善：商家的另類公關秀

????“節日季是公司利用奉獻精神，為來年聚集發展動力的絕佳時機。”

????然而，有時候，即使精心策劃的活動也會遇到障礙，比如可口可樂公司（Coca-Cola）的遭遇。2012年，可口可樂公司與極地家園( Arctic Home)合作開展保護北極熊的活動。公司將它標志性的紅色飲料罐改成了白色，承諾只要用戶用手機掃描一件產品，公司便會向極地家園捐款。然而幾周之后，改變飲料罐顏色的做法被迫叫停，因為消費者投訴這樣的包裝讓人摸不著頭腦。

????這家飲料業巨頭承諾，在五年內捐贈200萬美元，用于支持保護北極熊活動。據公司發言人勞倫?湯普森透露，今年的活動將借助公司兩升裝飲料瓶和個別飲料的包裝來展開。她表示，到目前為止，可口可樂公司已經為北極熊募集了300萬美元捐款，公司的活動計劃將持續到2月15日。

????雖然向慈善基金捐款是出于公司戰略考慮，但美國許多《財富》500強公司（Fortune 500）在這方面的投入卻越來越少，而且這種趨勢已經持續了多年。據《慈善紀事報》（Chronicle of Philanthropy）一年一度的“捐贈美國”（Giving USA）調查發現，大多數公司今年僅計劃小幅增加向慈善機構捐款的金額。

????2012年，參加捐贈美國調查（去年夏天公布）的106家公司，捐款金額增加到53億美元，但僅有16%表示，他們在2013年會增加捐款金額，盡管股市正在上漲，經濟也在逐漸恢復。這些公司中，有超過70%計劃捐款金額不變，6%表示會減少捐款金額。

????除了捐款，越來越多的公司選擇捐贈產品。去年，制藥業巨頭輝瑞公司（Pfizer）捐贈的現金和商品總價值共計達到31億美元，連續第四年位居榜首。

????用來宣傳公司慈善事業的產品可以作為對消費者最顯而易見的提醒。據營銷調查顯示，大多數消費者會忠實于支持慈善事業的品牌。據2008年Edelman Good Purpose 研究顯示，約80%的消費者會選擇支持與慈善事業有關的產品。

????綜合計算現金、商品和服務，2013年，公司捐贈總體某種程度上呈增加趨勢。許多公司傾向于將品牌產品放到消費者面前，因為他們相信這將提高產品的客戶認知度。但更多公司會考慮如何使員工將更多時間投入到他們自己選擇的慈善活動當中。

????賈非說：“公司可以用他們自己選擇的、有意義的方式，來調動員工積極性。”（財富中文網）

????譯者：劉進龍/汪皓???

????"The holidays are a great time for companies to harness their giving spirit and then build on that momentum for the rest of the year."

????Sometimes, even carefully planned giving can run into speed bumps, something Coca-Cola (KO) encountered during its 2012 campaign to support its Arctic Home commitment to preserve polar bears. The company changed the color of its iconic red cans to white and pledged to donate when customers used their cell phones to scan a product. But the change in can color was jettisoned after a few weeks when customers complained that the packaging was confusing.

????The drinks giant committed to support the polar bear campaign with $2 million over five years, and this season rolled out a campaign on its two-liter soda bottles and certain drink packs, according to Lauren Thompson, a company spokesperson. So far, the company has raised $3 million in donations for polar bears, and it plans to continue the effort until Feb. 15, she says.

????Despite efforts to strategically target charitable funds, many of the country's Fortune 500 companies are actually giving less to such causes, a trend that has continued for several years. An annual survey called Giving USA, by the Chronicle of Philanthropy, found that most companies planned only modest increases in cash gifts to charities this year.

????In 2012, donations were up, to $5.3 billion, for the 106 companies that responded to the Giving USA survey, which was released last summer, but only 16% said they would give more in 2013 even though the stock market is soaring and the economy is recovering. The bulk of companies, more than 70%, planned to give about the same, and 6% said they would donate lesser sums.

????Instead of cash, companies are increasingly donating products. Last year, pharmaceutical giant Pfizer (PFE) was the top company for the fourth year in a row in giving, which reached $3.1 billion when cash and goods were combined.

????Products that tout a company's charitable efforts serve as a visible reminder to consumers, the majority of which remain loyal to a brand that supports a cause, according to marketing studies. Almost 80% of consumers are likely to switch to a product associated with a good cause, according to a 2008 Edelman Good Purpose study.

????When cash, goods, and services are combined, overall company giving grew somewhat in 2013 with many companies favoring branded products in front of consumers based on the belief that it translates into broader customer awareness. But more companies are also taking into consideration how they can enable their employees to donate more of their time to charities of their choice.

????"This helps companies to engaging their employees in meaningful ways and ways they choose," says Jaffee.