Charity: Water

Charity Water

Ryan Ramirez

Charity Water is a non-profitable organization, whose objective is tobring clean and safe drinking water to developing nations across the globe. Through their use of the social exchange theory, Charity Water establishes a great public relationship within their partners, consumers and countries involved. According to A Theoretical Basis for Public Relations, the social exchange theory uses the economic metaphor of costs and benefits to predict behavior. It assumes that individuals and groups choose strategies based on perceived rewards and costs.

Charity Water posted on their Facebook page, December 6^th, that they have created a new t-shirt with their new slogan that states, “The Craziest Thing We Can Do is Nothing.” One can find these shirts at http://charitywater.org/store where all the money used buying these shirts will go to their individual water projects, establishing cleaner and safer water. These t-shirts are an example of the social exchange theory because the general mission is to have a lost cost yet high reward scenario with the general public and Charity Water. Creating t-shirts are a low cost for Charity Water; nonetheless their simple and positive slogan generates a high reward as it creates optimism and willingness to contribute towards providing cleaner and safer water. “The Craziest Thing We Can Do is Nothing,” creates an encouraging message to their consumers, which results in greater support and donations towards future water projects. These shirts exemplify public relations because these t-shirts are a subtle way of communicating their overall mindset towards the public and do a great job persuading the public’s view of Charity Water’s people first decisions.

 

Although Charity Water is relatively new, beginning in 2006, they have quickly become a global icon as they have produced over 9,000 water projects, both domestically and internationally, providing better water to over 3 million people in 20 different countries. However, they want to continue to expand and generate numerous projects to end this water crisis in our world. “The future is bright,” spokesman and founder Scott Harrison claimed, as they want to have transported clean water to 100 million people by 2022 and 3 million people in 2015. Charity Water implements a remote monitoring system that tells them how much water is flowing through their water points at any given time, anywhere in the world. For more information regarding these monitors you can check out their blog http://www.charitywater.org/blog/google-impact-award/. These monitors and overall water projects are examples of the social exchange theory because they are low cost sensors that provide an unmatchable reward of “transmitting real-time data to [Charity Water] and [their] partners and advancing transparency and sustainability in the water sector.” As stated previously regarding Charity Water’s t-shirts, the monitor and various projects exemplify public relations because they do an excellent job persuading the public’s view of Charity Water’s people first decisions along with establishing an easier way communicating their overall outline goals publicly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:

“A Theoretical Basis for Public Relations.” The Profession. 52-68. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. <http://highered.mcgraw

hill.com/sites/dl/free/Chapter_3.pdf>.

 

Riewer, Tyler. “Charity: Water.” Web log post. New Technology Supported by Google. N.p., 4 Dec. 2012. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. <http://www.charitywater.org/blog/google-impact-award/>.

 

“How It Works.” Water Projects. 01 Dec. 2013. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. <http://www.charitywater.org/projects/>.

 

Harrison, Scott. “Charity Water.” Facebook. Sept. 2006. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. <https://www.facebook.com/charitywater>.