Are Good Ideas Receeding In The Recession?

Because charitable donations have been going down with the economy, people are forming “giving circles” – pooling money to have a bigger impact on a charity. “GAGLE” – Gather and Give, Let’s Eat – is a giving circle in Washington, D.C. It’s a group of about 24, young professionals, giving $75-$200 each. Monthly meetings are social occasions and opportunities to interview representatives from charities they’re considering for their almost $2,000 donation. They also volunteer at charities in which they’re interested in order to check them out. Although there’s a growing need for giving circles, about 600 circle the country now.

The country is also circled by wireless technology. During the last half of 2008 the number of U.S. households using only cell phones outnumbered those using only landlines 20% to 17%. That was an increase of about 3% over the first half of 2008 – the largest, 6-month increase since the government started collecting data in 2003. Those likeliest to live in wireless-only households are people 18-29, the poor, renters, Hispanics, Midwesterners, Southerners and those living with unrelated adults. It costs more for pollsters to call cell phones because of federal laws prohibiting the use of computer calls. That’s another reason to go wireless.

Then there’s stealth advertising. It’s so low-key it doesn’t seem like advertising. For example, Levi Strauss made a Web video showing guys jumping, swinging and back-flipping into jeans. Then Levi Strauss paid Feed Co. to put the video and conversation about it on the Web, resulting in 14 million views and the viewers doing the marketing. The video was featured in the online Wall Street Journal and New York Times, on Letterman, MSNBC and Good Morning America – free. Thirty seconds on network morning shows cost $100,000-$200,000 – which puts the steal in stealth advertising.

The French are experiencing a different type of stealing. Because France is facing its worst economy in 30 years, some French are pawning prized wines. A recent auction of 2,500 bottles at “Credit municipal de Paris” raised $273,000. A bottle of 1982 Chateau Petrus sold for $2,660. A 5-bottle box of 1990 Chateau Margaux sold for $3,270. Six bottles of 2000 Chateau Lafite Rothschild sold for $5,450. An increasing number of French people needing money prefer trading bottles of wine for quick cash than having to pay off interest-bearing loans. Credit municipal pays half-price for wines and sells them at market price or more. C’est la vie.