Pixhug launches App that turns Facebook likes into corporate donations

LOS ANGELES - Oct. 13, 2016 - PRLog -- With over 4 million Facebook likes generated every minute, a group of engineers and philanthropists came together to add purpose to this daily activity. They created Pixhug - a social change platform that unites people with causes and the companies that support them. On Pixhug, charities create campaigns, users share photos, and companies donate money – together they change the world.

Co-founder Mia Rajkovic stated: "We started Pixhug with a very simple question: Can social media have a social purpose? Can we empower people to become philanthropists by just sharing a photo, and if a photo is "worth a thousand words," can it also be worth a thousand trees, meals or vaccines? The answer is 'yes.'"

The platform brings visibility to corporate donations and successfully builds brand equity in an exceedingly crowded digital advertising space. On Facebook alone there are more than 350 million new photos and 5.7 billion likes every day. If we turned those photos and likes into small donations, together we could make a real difference in the big picture.

Corporate social responsibility today

Social media has become an integral part of most brands' digital presence. At the same time, corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming an increasingly important part of the brands' DNA. CSR has repeatedly been proven to result in increasing sales, market share and customer loyalty, strengthened company image and brand, etc.

Companies in North America donate more than $20 billion to causes each year and spend hundreds of millions of dollars trying to promote these donations to consumers, in order to inform them of their donations and CSR efforts, often with very little result and feedback.

According to experts, traditional marketing is dead and purpose is becoming the new branding. Today, through social media platforms it is consumers that are controlling the flow of marketing information, as they block interruption marketing and use social media to discover and evaluate brands. Brands that find a way to connect emotionally with consumers will get them to engage and spread the word about their brand.

For corporations today Millennials are the key demographic because they are alpha-influencers - they shape behavior and purchasing decisions of larger social circles. Photo sharing is their primary medium for social communication online. Millennials are more altruistic, less materialistic and hard to reach; they are reformers, they understand the pursuit of profit, but believe profits should be aligned with a sense of purpose.

Research shows that 68% of Millennials expect companies and individuals to make a greater social impact. They are buying products from companies that have social or humanitarian goals, and 82% would switch to a brand associated with a social cause. 88% of Millennials expect companies to report on the progress of their CSR efforts. ^{(2015 CONE COMMUNICATIONS/EBIQUITY GLOBAL CSR STUDY)}

Pixhug took into account these findings and launched a platform that brings visibility to corporate donations and builds brand equity with great efficiency and extremely low cost. Every dollar donated guarantees 10 engagements on social media. By using Pixhug, companies are advertising in a way that's more authentic, less intrusive, and it doesn't look or feel like advertising because it's mutually beneficial. Pixhug facilitates a medium with which brands, by advocating the concerns and values of Millennials, can become a part of Millennials' way of life.

How it works

1.  Charities create campaigns to promote their cause and raise money. Their sponsors pledge a donation amount
2.  Users choose campaigns they love and post photos to support them
3.  Every like they receive for that photo on Pixhug or Facebook becomes $0.10 for the supported campaign
4.  The campaign and sponsor are promoted with every photo
5.  Sponsor donates the money to the charity when the campaign has been completed

Pixhug launch and celebrity support

Pixhug (https://www.pixhug.com/) launched at The Power of Young Hollywood event in Los Angeles organized in partnership with Variety magazine. The event celebrated the young generation of Hollywood stars who use their fame and influence to drive positive change.

During the event, actress Ariel Winter and honorees Jaden Smith, Elle Fanning, Bethany Mota, Cameron Dallas and Ansel Elgort talked about causes close to their hearts. With their large social media following, they hope to inspire their followers into philanthropic action. The Pixhug App (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pixhug/id991227622?mt=8) is helping the honorees raise funds for charities they support.

YouTube star Cameron Dallas is a great example of how young stars can engage their audience for social good. He chose to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and Variety magazine sponsored the initiative by pledging $5,000. Just one of his posted photos generated over 40,000 likes in just a few hours, which in turn equaled to over $4,000 donated to Make-A-Wish. It was very encouraging to see Cameron's fans adopting the platform and utilizing it to reach the goal of $5,000.

Pixhug founder and CEO, Mido DeSanti spoke about the way corporations can amplify their CSR efforts through Pixhug: "When the fans of our celebrity ambassadors realized they can be a significant part of the fundraising process thanks to corporate donations, they stopped being just spectators and became fully engaged. We reversed the dynamic from the advertising perspective - instead of a business fighting for their customers' attention, our users voluntarily invite a brand into their space because it's making a meaningful contribution to something they care about. As our users share photos, they also share a positive message about the brand to their Facebook friends. With Pixhug, customers promote your brand for you, while also making a positive impact in the world."