Innovation and Imagination

Biting ideals

Ideal Bite - www.idealbite.com - is a new web company aimed at helping consumers make a positive impact on their world. The key philosophy is that small changes, done en masse, can add up to big results. The website structure gives corporations direct communication with environmentally-conscious consumers to effect product development and purchase decisions.

Two-thirds of consumers want companies to go beyond their historical goal of making profit, contributing to broader societal goals as well, according to a Price Waterhouse Coopers poll. Ideal Bite's user surveys and advertising offers will allow companies direct access to this coveted eco-conscious market.

And by giving consumers a chance to air and share their eco-views through blogging, Ideal Bite provides a virtual focus group for environmentally-minded product and promotional message development.

"We recognize that YOU, the consumer, are the key to developing better, greener products and services," the site states. "By joining The Ideal Bite, you will be joining an elite tribe of sorts. Your opinions will be sought from top companies, and therefore you will be playing a pivotal role in developing a more sustainable economy.

iKarmic solutions

Another interesting idea is iKarma - www.iKarma.com - which allows customers to award karma-points to individuals or businesses they have dealt with. iKarma describes itself as a "a trusted third-party service for collecting, managing and promoting your reputation among your customers and contacts." Anyone from realtors and doctors to plumbers and babysitters can be included.

Online reputation is seen as a growing trend: with eBay, Amazon and Shopping.com all using seller feedback. iKarma's aim is to give businesses a further incentive to treat their customers well, as they can then benefit from customer goodwill.

"Given the choice, people prefer doing business with someone with a good reputation", is the company's philosophy.

Flowers of peace

Flowers and battlefields already have a history together: poppy badges are used to raise money for war veterans in many countries. But an innovative twist on the idea is a new partnership between Organic Bouquet, billed as the world's first organic online florist, and the Adopt-A-Minefield campaign.

Adopt-A-Minefield will promote Organic Bouquet flowers on its website - www.landmines.org - and to its membership through online ads, newsletters and e-mail. Organic Bouquet will then donate 15 percent of its sales made through these channels to the charity. The two will also work together to create various fundraising campaigns.

Organic Bouquet also has a "charitable bouquets" page, where proceeds from the sale of each flower goes to different charities, such as the WWF, Project Hope and the American Humane Foundation. During the 2004 holiday season, Organic Bouquet introduced a "Peace Wreath", a peace sign made from wild-crafted Long Needle Pine. It plans to repeat the wreath this winter, donating a portion of sales to Adopt-A-Minefield.

Organic Bouquet and Adopt-A-Minefield are both committed to enabling land to be put to productive, sustainable use: and this is the key to successful CSR partnerships. Using common links and synergies, a CSR initiative is firstly made easier, as the interest and skill-sets are already in place, and secondly it will added, relevant benefits to both parties.