For this year's World AIDS Day campaign, Apple ran several (Product) RED promotions, providing a (RED) section in the App Store and donating a portion of all retail and online sales from Friday, November 28 and Monday, December 1.
According to an email Apple CEO Tim Cook sent out to Apple employees (via Re/code), the campaign was a huge success, earning more than $20 million for the (Product) RED charity, which uses its funds to fight AIDS in Africa.
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"I'm thrilled to announce that our total donation for this quarter will be more than $20 million -- our biggest ever -- bringing the total amount Apple has raised for (PRODUCT) RED to over $100 million," Cook wrote. "The money we've raised is saving lives and bringing hope to people in need. It's a cause we can all be proud to support."
During the campaign, Apple partnered with 25 app developers to offer a variety of (RED) themed apps in the App Store, with purchase proceeds going towards the charity. Apple's annual Black Friday event was also (RED) themed, and customers who purchased an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or qualifying Apple accessory received a (RED) iTunes gift card.
According to Cook, Apple's $20 million quarterly donation to the charity is its biggest ever, but over the course of the company's long partnership with Product (RED), it has contributed more than $95 million. As of June, Apple had contributed $75 million to the charity, which is joined by this quarter's $20 million.
Throughout its partnership with (RED), Apple has released a number of (RED) devices including iPod nanos and shuffles, iPad Smart Covers, iPhone Bumpers, and iPhone cases. With every (RED) product bought, Apple continues to donate a portion of the purchase price to the Global Fund to fight AIDs.
Top Rated Comments
Absolutely, positively. Anonymous charity is the ONLY true charity. Otherwise, it's just a PR move and a tax write off. Plus, the percentages are also to comical. With all of the tax evasion and funny accounting Apple does, the amount they gave to SIDS is literally pocket change when scaled down to what the average persons income is.
So, this is just simply a "hey, look at us caring about people with AIDS" maneuver during the holidays.
Big effing deal. :rolleyes:
Kudos to Apple for donating to what they consider a worthy cause. It's more than a lot of other people and/or companies have done.
See, there's this thing called organizational structure. They have different departments which work on different things. No campaign or program they participate in has any effect whatsoever on the people designing and building products. This isn't a mom-and-pop shop where they have to quit stocking shelves to go help you at the cash register.
Here's an idea Apple. Donate to whatever cause you want but shut the hell up and concentrate on innovation and customer satisfaction which has been losing ground as of late.