Letter To The Editor
Advertising Age
To whom it may concern,
I am writing to you to express my disappointment and surprise about an article which appeared in Ad Age on March 4th by Mya Frazier titled "Costly RED Campaign Reaps Meager $18 million".
Firstly, I would like to correct the repeated misquote of my comments regarding the expectations of funds raised from (PRODUCT) RED. Of course I did not say that (RED) would raise $100 million for the Global Fund last year. This would be absurd, given that (RED) only launched in the US in October.
Secondly, I would like to challenge the questions raised regarding (RED)'s business model. (RED) is a revolutionary concept and represents a real breakthrough in the way that businesses contribute to the Global Fund and the fight against AIDS:
- As the world's largest funder of AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria programs, the Global Fund cannot depend on traditional fundraising and ad hoc philanthropic contributions. We need our partners to make significant, sustainable commitments, and (RED) enables businesses to do just that.
- By tapping into marketing budgets and consumer spending, as opposed to cannibalizing finite philanthropic budgets, (RED) is expanding the amount of resources channeled to the fight against AIDS.
- Businesses are investing their own resources and expertise into marketing (RED), enabling the Global Fund to focus on our core business of financing and managing AIDS, TB and malaria programs and maintaining our lean organizational structure, ensuring that 99 percent of funds raised go directly to life saving programs around the world.
Much more is needed, from all sectors, to ensure that we do not allow another 8,000 lives to be lost to AIDS each day. (RED) has boldly paved the way for the world's leading brands and millions of consumers to join this fight and it deserves our full support.
With best regards.
Professor Sir Richard G A Feachem KBE FREng DSc(Med)
Executive Director
The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria
