BoingBoing has been following the exciting development and implementation of the One Laptop Per Child project and they came across another company - AsiaTotal - that wants to give FREE laptops to the developing world (OLPC laptops are $100). However, unlike OLPC, “the [AsiaTotal] machines’ keyboards are lined with hotkeys that take their users to sponsors’ retail websites.” There are also some other major design flaws that limit usability, networking, and expandability.
I was initially incredibly excited, because the headline on the BoingBoing article read Free, ad-supported PCs for the developing world? and that had me thinking that private-sector companies had signed on to sponsor the OLPC project, perhaps realizing the publicity and reputation boost would be unbelievably good for brand image around the world.
But no…of course not. Instead what has happened is another incredibly short-sighted and downright ignorant move by businesses and marketers who just don’t get it. AsiaTotal is basically selling people into commercial/economic slavery, and they are selling this point as a sponsor benefit! From the AsiaTotal webpage:
“For the Sponsor, particularly lead sponsors such as a country’s telecommunications companies, the potential is immense. Not only will Sponsors benefit from a huge new market, but the social responsibility and impact of being involved with iT cannot be underestimated. Not to mention the fact that sole ownership of a hotkey ensures a level of brand loyalty that you could only dream about.” [emphasis added]
This kind of branding practice is absolutely unethical…and yet this business model was so close to being something that would be applauded around the industry. Take the One Laptop Per Child project for example - affordable, well-designed machines that will no doubt help developing countries & people for $100. Combine that with a large, global company (or any company for that matter) like Starbucks (because I’m writing this in one right now). To provide 10,000 computers for developing nations, Starbucks only has to put down $100,000…chump change for a corporation that size. Starbucks, in turn, gets a massive amount of brand currency - good repute - that will no doubt increase the sales of frappuccinos world-wide and ensure a level of brand loyalty that AsiaTotal could only dream about. Stick a Starbucks sticker on each laptop sponsored and there you have it. While a person initially receiving the laptop might not make enough in a year to buy a peppermint mocha, their children or children’s children will likely be better off and remember the investment made in their community.
This business model is similar to the sponsorship system found in international football (read “soccer” for most Americans). Sponsors benefit teams, which in turn benefit their communities and sponsors through reputation. In the OLPC example, the same model applies - sponsors benefit organizations, which benefit communities, and the reputation boost comes from the act of social investment. This is the model that I’ve been working on for disaster response and preparedness as well as open source branding. It’s viable, proven, and jives with the current thinking on branding & globalism. However, based on the AsiaTotal example, it looks like there is still a lot of convincing to do.
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