Cause Marketing/ Community Programs

Dollar General will honor veterans and their families with a special 11% discount on all qualifying purchases, in-store and online, on Tuesday, November 11, 2014.

New website BeautyKind.us will enable consumers to give back just by making purchases.  Whether it’s shopping for makeup, skincare, fragrances, hair or nail products, 5% of the purchase price of every product will be donated to the charity of the consumer's choice. The unique shopping platform “We-Commerce” was created to integrate cause within commerce and bring the beauty community together for the greater good.

Shopko has launched an exclusive online optical line, Asher & Ivy, which the company says combines hipster attitude with a bit of “geek chic.”

“The Asher & Ivy exclusive eyewear collection is trend-forward, fresh and fun,” said Don Bye, vp of Shopko Optical Services.  “We are thrilled to introduce this new brand on our enhanced website.”  

Asher & Ivy Eyewear is available exclusively online, however, the eyeglasses can also be shipped to any local Shopko Eyecare Center.  

San Francisco -- Eight in ten Americans are likely to shop at local businesses during the upcoming holiday season, according to a 2014 nationwide Nielsen survey commissioned by Yelp. Nearly half (47%) plan to spend more than $100 at local businesses.  

American Eagle Oufitters has turned an April Fool’s joke into a business opportunity by launching its first-ever clothing line for “dogs and their owners,” American Beagle Outfitters, for a limited-edition Holiday 2014 release.

Responding to the Ebola virus that has ravaged West Africa, RetailROI has launched a major campaign to help fight the disease in Liberia. Working with its partner charities operating in Liberia, including More Than Me and Love In Action, the #RetailFightsEbola campaign is rallying retailers, manufacturers and individuals to provide much-needed medical and hygienic supplies to Liberia.

RetailROI’s goals are two-fold:

Los Angeles -- Lifestyle brand Paul Frank is launching a pop-up shop at the Paramount Hotel in New York City, now through Jan. 30, 2015, with omnichannel features. Customers can participate in two digital activations featuring the face of Paul Frank, Julius the monkey.

The younger generation appears to be more brick-and-mortar than anyone expected.  They may live and breathe online, but come the holidays, they are going to the mall, says the new “2014 Holiday Shopping Behavior Survey” from Simon, a global retail real estate leader. 

89% of respondents between the ages of 18 and 33 who plan to buy one or more gifts said that they intended to shop at the mall this holiday season.

A powerful alliance formed by News American Marketing, Acosta Sales & Marketing and dozens of leading brands and retailers have stepped up again this veterans day to remind Americans to Believe in Heroes.

Believe in Heroes is an innovative cause marketing campaign created by Acosta Sales & Marketing in 2010 to generate awareness of the Wounded Warrior Project and raise funds for the critical services the group provides to veterans. News America, publisher of the SmartSource Magazine coupon insert, signed on to the Believe in Heroes program in 2011.

San Francisco -- Ben & Jerry’s has opened its largest flagship to date, a 3,000-sq.-ft., two-story location in São Paulo, Brazil.     Designed by Tesser, a San Francisco strategic branding and design firm, the property showcases the company's social mission along with its iconic ice cream treats.