Week 3 EOC Making Money For Good

     We all have school supplies we use from Kindergarten to High School graduation and even our college educations. Bright colors and a toucan bird are not all that company Yoobi represents. This company represents charity and a bright future for those working towards their education. Their mission is very similar to TOMS which is to donate a product of theirs each time that one is purchased. "Many kids in the U.S. don’t have access to basic school supplies, unless teachers pay for them out of their own pocket. We don’t think that’s right and we bet you don’t either!"-Yoobi.com
     I have actually purchased products from Yoobi and never knew that they were a charitable organization. When I did some research on them I found out some really interesting facts and more importantly more about their mission. Did you know that 99.5% of all teachers buy essential classroom materials out of their own pocket which amounts to $485 as a n average per year? This is $1.6 Billion being spent for K-12 teaching per year.
     For each product purchased, which can range from pens to notebooks, Yoobi donates an item to a Yoobi Class Pack. Yoobi Class Packs are a number of collected products that are necessary in the class room and consist of 12 Yoobi Products. Once the pack is ready to be taken to a school the Kids In Need Foundation partner up with Yoobi and help distribute these supplies in schools across the United States. They exclusively work with Elementary Schools but have products that anyone can use.
     It is really interesting to see how a company that is so simple can accomplish something so great and helpful. School supplies are one of the most important tools a child needs in order to get the education the deserve. There is still much that Yoobi could do to really capitalize on giving back. Their products are only sold on their website and at Target stores. If they moved to other department stores and increased their marketing they would accomplish even more if their consumers were more aware of their mission.
     Marketing and advertising can make all of the difference in the success of a company and what they do. "To create value for customers and to build meaningful relationships with them, marketers must first gain fresh, deep insights into what customers need and want. Companies use such customer insights to develop competitive advantage." (Marketing Information and Customer Insights Page 101) Although companies that do charitable things do not need to necessarily compete for profit they need to compete in making their consumers want to become a part of what they are doing. Charity is important and can really be spread if the right attention and awareness are brought to it through marketing and advertising strategies.