Cause-related marketing is nothing new. Purchase a product, and the product’s manufacturer will donate a portion of the proceeds to a worthwhile cause. I remember some years ago working with Mastercard on its “Choose to Make a Difference” program wherein a user of the credit card could earmark a portion of his or her expenditures to one of four designated charities. The promotion was designed to spur greater use of the credit card during the busy holiday shopping period.
Lance Armstrong is a legend. Everyone knows his yellow wristbands. (47 million have been sold for goodness sake!) As HP seeks to regain some of its lost luster, the company has astutely aligned itself with the six-time Tour de France winner. Fifty bucks from the purchase of an HP-AMD Livestrong notebook will go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation to fight cancer.
Smart (and certainly a less expensive celebrity “get” given the philanthropic tie-in).