Helping People Is Sexy?: Spreading Ideas That Matter In A Distracted World

"Helping People Is Sexy?!"

Seriously. Is this a PETA ad?

The Aunt Bertha pins were the idea of our founder, Erine Gray, and boy are these little critters feisty!

People love to put these pins on their lapels, jackets, and bookbags. We've given them out shamelessly to friends, family members, and supporters... hoping the idea of a sexy software company will stick

Let's be honest, People Magazine isn't exactly interested in the effectiveness of social service delivery! What is the message behind the buttons!?

Helping - Everyone needs help. There will come a time in all of our lives when we need a level of support that perhaps money, education, or even casual friendships can’t buy. Someday, we may caring for a sick child or parent. Someday we may get Cancer. As far fetched as it may sound, we may even be homelessness. Our life experiences have taught us this, which is why we’re taking a different approach. If we remember this, that someday we’re going to need help ourselves then we can be far more empathetic and do far more good. 

People - Everyone has that time of vulnerability in their life. Everyone. If you talk to someone in your life that has experienced tragedy or hard times, it’s likely they say something like: “We all have something we have to overcome someday.” It’s true. We do all have something and we try to remember this when we see others that seem to be more fortunate.

Sexy - Ahh, the word that gets everybody so worked up! Basically, people who help other people are more attractive, generous, and they also live longer. This isn't me just saying this, either, it is science!

• A study by researchers at the University of Michigan suggests altruistic volunteers live longer.
• Being altruistic may increase attractiveness in an University of Nottingham study.
• A UMASS medical school study found a strong correlation with happiness and helping others.

I told 'ya so!

The Problem With Doing Good

There's a common adage for newspaper outlets, "If it bleeds, it leads"!

Negative experiences sticks to our brain much longer than happy experiences. Hence, It is necessary for social good causes to attract attention by presenting ideas with energy and enthusiasm, or supporters, and even employees may end up forgetting about the mission of organizations that are ending hunger, fighting cancer, and helping those without shelter!

If you're in the social good or hope business here's some resources you might to want to look at:

Made to Stick by Chip and Dan Heath. This book explores why some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas? In Made to Stick, accomplished educators and idea collectors Chip and Dan Heath tackle head-on these vexing questions. Inside, the brothers Heath reveal the anatomy of ideas that stick and explain ways to make ideas stickier, such as applying the “human scale principle,” using the “Velcro Theory of Memory,” and creating “curiosity gaps. “Check out their site to read the 1st chapter for free!

Katya's Non-Profit Marketing Blog. Katya Andresen is the chief operating officer and chief strategy officer of Network for Good, author of Robin Hood Marketing, a blogger, a public speaker, an adjunct professor of communications at American University, a board member of NTEN and mom to three.  Her blog provides practical tips and tools for those seeking to scale their message to the masses!

Ideavirus by Seth Godin. Counter to traditional marketing wisdom, which tries to count, measure, and manipulate the spread of information, Seth Godin argues that the information can spread most effectively from person to person, rather than from advertising. Godin calls this powerful person-to- person dialogue the ideavirus, and cheerfully eggs everyone on to create an environment where their ideas can replicate and spread. Godin embodies his own ideas by providing this book for FREE. Download the .PDF version here!

We want to share the "Helping People Is Sexy" buttons with everyone for FREE! If you want a button, shoot an e-mail to our community manager, Mozart, and we'll hook you up as soon as possible!

Here's to great ideas that spread!