Starbucks is one of many companies that participate in Project RED, in which they contribute to the reduction of AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria in Africa when customers purchase RED products. These programs not only raise money but also aim to help raise awareness about Africa’s health issues. To achieve that, the programs are complemented with several online and off-line marketing and promotional campaigns. For example, the promotion of (STARBUCKS)RED is supported by the creation and maintenance of several online social networking communities in websites such as facebook.com, twitter.com, youtube.com, bebo.com, and myspace.com. Through these communities, customers can also become comarketers and promote the campaigns through their own online activities. For example, the facebook.com community has applications that enable users to send Red kisses to their friends (to make them aware of the product), to add the Red logo in their profile picture and website, to become a friend, and to buy Red products online. Many activities are
also coordinated through the online communities and aim to raise awareness and raise funds for supporting these programs. So, (RED)NIGHTS is a concert series that bring together musicians and music fans everywhere to achieve one mission—to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. When customers attend a (RED)NIGHTS concert, they not only get to enjoy live music but also help to buy and distribute antiretroviral AIDS medication to people living with HIV in Africa. The RED Community of customers has also its own community website (www.joinred.com/takeaction) through which it invites people to contribute and offer services to sustainable practices.