The late Steve Irwin, known to viewers as the Crocodile Hunter, lives on in part because of a new development in cell-phone technology that may soon let users help their favorite causes with the push of a button. Thanks to Broadcaster Media, a mobile marketing technology, donors at a dinner in Irwin’s honor in January 2008 were the first to use a new mobile donation system to make their donations via cell phone to Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, the conservation foundation Irwin founded with his wife, Terri, in 2002. WWW, formerly known as the Steve Irwin Wildlife Conservation Foundation, is deeply involved in international conservation and education efforts, from erecting a wildlife hospital in Australia to offering veterinary care to elephants used in tsunami aid in 2004 to introducing sheepdogs in South Africa to naturally scare endangered cheetahs away from flocks. Since Irwin’s death in 2006, the foundation has begun to operate independently of the television star’s family, although promotion efforts still frequently incorporate Irwin’s daughter, Bindi. The foundation has received numerous national and international awards, and the Deputy Prime Minister of Irwin’s home province of Queensland, Australia, honored Irwin as the original “Wildlife Warrior,” a term he coined, at the January dinner. The donation technology, developed by mobile marketing services company Broadcaster Media, is another product of Queensland—its CEO, Tammy Halter was born and grew up there. “Steve was both a Queensland and Australian icon, and the conservation challenge he started with Wildlife Warriors Worldwide is so very important for global conservation,” Halter explained in a company press release. Broadcaster’s past efforts have focused on providing commercial content to mobile phone users, such as Toyota’s “put the Toyota Fleet on your phone” campaign, the Hertz Christmas ringtones and wallpaper promotion, or letting high schoolers download wait times for theme park attractions in Ohio. Unlike many other such services, Broadcaster’s system is available to clients of any cell phone provider in Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. For Wildlife Warriors Worldwide, Broadcaster permits users to download information and donate by texting the world “wildlife” to 1 734 262 2948. The service, which allows donors to “click to donate”, is also available to the general public. The downloads go well beyond the basic text codes familiar to teens and text addicts. The Wildlife Warriors downloads are rich in graphics and easily forwarded to other users’ phones, allowing for the possibility of a viral charity system. In addition to education and conservation, the foundation advocates conscious consumerism and urges fans of Irwin to become involved with environmental causes. The foundation’s webpage includes hints for eco-friendly shopping, including avoiding products made from endangered species and a charge to protest environmental abuse and unethical practices. Previous fundraising efforts have included everything from wrist bands to a poem written in Irwin’s honor to kid-sized electric cars and Salty the Crocodile stuffed toys. Because of Irwin’s popularity with younger audiences and the system’s use of popular mobile products like wallpaper downloads, mobile marketing opens new avenues to expand the foundation’s impact. “Every dollar counts,” Halter said. Could eco-conscious flash mobs be far behind?
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The late Steve Irwin, known to viewers as the Crocodile Hunter, lives on in part because of a new development in cell-phone technology that may soon let users help their favorite causes with the push of a button.
www.BroadcasterMedia.com by Lily Steiner www.AmericanBusinessGateway.com
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