Campaign for Financial Protection..Thanks..and.......
...well done to all who have made contact and expressed support for the Campaign - very encouraging.
I tried to set up a secure payment method for donations to the Campaign, but PayPal rejected the application as the Campaign didn't fit their client profile. Well, apart from being a tad inconvenient, their unwillingness to allow the Campaign to use their system is short-sighted, petty, and displays a distinct lack of awareness of anything that happens outside their own backyard. Indeed, it's a mystery where exactly PayPal's backyard is, as the replies to my emails seemed to come from Luxembourg in Europe.
Whatever - any organisation that sets itself against assisting an initiative of this nature, needs to examine its principles. its culture, and its reason for being in existence.
So thanks PayPal - for nothing!
I also tried to set up a Google Wallet facility - but as I don't have a PhD in Computer Science, I'm afraid this proved too complex for the Laird.
Undaunted, the website now contains bank account details for those who wish to contribute.
But what are you being asked to contribute to?
Good question - so here's a heads-up on the Plan of Action.
1. Gather sufficient funds to invite a professional media marketing organisation to develop a strategy to engage targeted stakeholders in support of the Campaign at Government, Industry, and Educational Institution level.
2. Develop a distinct identity for the Campaign by the design and dissemination of branded online Newsletter easily identified by recipients of all descriptions.
3. Keep the website live and interesting - and to spread the message via all possible social media marketing platforms.
Without some financial support to promote these objectives, the Campaign will struggle to gain momentum, so if you believe that awareness of the need for financial protection should be delivered to more people, put your money where your mouth is and take a practical step towards addressing the issue. Any amount is acceptable - $10 sounds like a nice round number, but please feel free to donate what you want.
Among the responses - for which again grateful thanks - an email arrived from Dr Mike Naylor, who you will recall as the author of the research report from Massey University commissioned by the Financial Services Council. I'm very pleased to receive an offer of support from Mike, and I have no doubt the Campaign will call for his input shortly.
Grateful thanks to Phil Macalister and Susan Edmunds from Good Returns and Asset Magazine - great articles and great support.
There are other platforms for expressing the views of the Campaign, and other organisations from which support will be sought, but if anyone out there has any ideas, suggestions, or thoughts on raising awareness of the Campaign's existence, then I'd be happy to receive same.
In the meantime, I'll be looking out for more opportunities to promote the cause this week.
Slainthe
The Laird