Cisco Encourages Americans to “Give the Gift of Green” This Holiday Season
Cisco Encourages Americans to “Give the Gift of Green” This Holiday Season
New On-line Campaign Encourages Holiday Cheer and Environmental Awareness Through Technology
SAN JOSE, Calif. – November 23, 2010
– Cisco today announced expansion of its
One Million Acts of Green® (OMAOG) initiative with a special promotion designed to encourage environmental action through technology. During this
holiday season, people can send an Act of Green to anyone in their Facebook community in an eco-friendly way via Cisco’s newly launched Give the Gift of Green campaign. The new promotion allows users to dedicate their planet-friendly actions to friends by sending e-cards and posting completed acts to their own wall, driving environmental awareness and green living.
Give the Gift of Green is the third One Million Acts of Green promotion in recent months. The winner of the “Three to Green” campaign, Becca Mayernik of Los Angeles, CA, was also announced today.
Facts / Highlights:
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Through Facebook, users can spread the joy of the holiday season and encourage people in their social community to help the environment by pledging and completing Acts of Green, rather than giving traditional holiday gifts like candy or greeting cards. The campaign keeps a tally of which Facebook user has completed the most acts to date.
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Each e-card features one of 10 different Acts of Green, with lighthearted messages like, “I’m going to start turning the lights off to save energy. I’ll try not to do it while you’re still in the room.” Recipients receive a post on their wall letting them know they’ve been sent a Gift of Green and encouraging them to click to see what gift they inspired, as well as to give one of their own.
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“Give the Gift of Green” is the latest in Cisco’s One Million Acts of Green promotional campaigns, aimed at educating individuals on how easy it is to be more environmentally responsible and encouraging their social community to do the same.
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In October 2010, Cisco's introduced the "Three to Green" Sweepstakes asking visitors to pledge, complete and share three acts of green with friends through the One Million Acts of Green website or Facebook application. For every three completed green acts, consumers were entered to win a $5,000 shopping spree on buygreen.com.
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The winner of the "Three to Green" Sweepstakes, Becca Mayernik of Los Angeles California, found more than twenty Acts of Green that she and her household could complete via the OMAOG website.
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Since One Million Acts of Green launched new content in September, more than 20,000 of acts have been completed in the United States.
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Visitors to the site may pledge, complete and share more than 150 Acts of Green in five categories: Community, Home, Low-Cost, School, and Transportation. Through Cisco’s "Green U" program, users can view a list of simple acts that can be done quickly, whether alone or with family, while it educates visitors about the site
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In October 2008, Cisco launched One Million Acts of Green in Canada to show how easy going green can be for individuals, organizations and communities by completing green acts on their own while contributing to the greater good of helping the environment. Success with that project prompted Cisco to extend the One Million Acts Of Green program to the United States
Supporting Quotes:
· “The holiday season is a time when many people are connecting with an extended network of family and friends, making it a great opportunity to spread acts of green and encourage others to do the same,” said Laura Ipsen, co-chair of Cisco's EcoBoard and senior vice president, general manager of Cisco Smart Grid. “At Cisco, we’re committed to developing a network that helps people connect, communicate and collaborate to address the world's environmental challenges, and “Give the Gift of Green” is a great example of that work in action.”
· “I was always terrible about leaving on the computer when I was done checking Facebook,” said Sommer Poquette. “My sister gave me the Gift of Green card that pointed out the importance of it. It made me laugh – but it also got me to turn off the computer.” Poquette continued, “My best friend Alicia inspires me with all the ways she stays green. I sent her a Gift of Green and she really appreciated it – said it meant a lot to her, and sent me a card back.”
· “I'm not a scientist, or an activist, or even trying to 'live off the grid,'”
said “Three to Green” campaign winner Becca Mayernik of Los Angeles, CA. “I just do my best to be green in small ways every day. ! I'm having fun exploring the site, and checking off more things on One Million Acts of Green. I'll keep trying to do my part to make our planet a good place to live!”
Supporting Resources:
Tags / Keywords:
Cisco, One Million Acts of Green, Sustainability, Help the Environment, Eco-friendly, Green Gift Giving, Green Gifts
About Cisco:
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate,
this year celebrates 25 years of technology innovation, operational excellence and corporate social responsibility. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.
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Cisco, the Cisco logo and Cisco Systems are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.
Press Contacts:
Jennifer Greeson Dunn, Cisco