LET THE RIVER RUN

In the race for the presidential nominations, issues of healthcare, our economy and the Iraq war have overshadowed the importance of our environment. And while these issues have a significant impact on our lives today, the lives of generations to come will be impacted by the environment like no other.

The resiliency of our planet has survived eons of time without man. Nature saw to that. Our existence on this planet represents but the mere blink of an eye when measured in time. And in that blink, we have managed to upset the natural course of the planet's evolution. Man cannot cleanse the air we breath, replenish the nutrients we rob from our soil, or turn the nurturing sun's rays on and off. We use our oceans as garbage dumps even as we harvest its bounty.

Marketers have begun, in a small but important way, to focus on the benefits of cause marketing, in many cases developing programs that benefit the environment as they generate "feel good" points for their brands. Those efforts often create a loyal marketing base from which CRM programs and brand dreams are made of.

For those marketers that want to extend the reach of their Green initiatives, association with cause campaigns driven by viral marketing can help. One such "extender" that offers a donation to plant a tree for a simple sign-up for a Green Newsletter is www.MyGreenClick.com.

The offering is extended through Datran Media which is, in turn, building a base of consumers with a Green interest.

There is no cost to the consumer.