Who's Your Angel? Check out JCPenney's Angel Giving Tree Online

When adult-customers find writing a letter to the Santa Claus is too childish, they've got another option at this holiday season: send a gift in need to an angel designated by the Salvation Army through Angel Giving Tree Online presented by JCPenney.

You might say it is just another cause that taps into the giving spirit of holidays, that it is not novel or refreshing... but aren't holidays - Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the New Year - bringing back all age-long traditions of get-together and laughter and warmth every time?


So even if "adopting an angel" sounds a little cheesy, the theme resonates well at least with me - whenever I see it I think of "the Little Match Girl." Isn't she an angel on earth? Why should she be punished by the harshness of winter while we are celebrating new hopes offered by a new year? I wouldn't expect everyone to think the same way. But I'm perfectly sure I am not the only one - who likes the "cheesiness" of holidays, and who would extend love and care and hope to those in need during the special season.



JCPenney, in this sense, is doing a great job at building its brand soul through cause as well as goodwill with customers.

A number of other elements of Angel Giving Tree Online grasped my attention. I want to share with you here and welcome your thoughts and comments:

• Less effort to join the cause. No painstaking reflections. No brain-recking writings. The only thing customers need to do is to log in online, select an angel and purchase a gift.
• Greater freedom. Customers can choose the angel they want to adopt based on age and location. By viewing angel's wishes they can adjust their choices based on the price of the gifts. Everyone loves some level of autonomy, and JCPenney certain realized this.
• Less commercial sense. JCPenney allows donors to buy gifts from any store including JCPenney online and offline. Donors can either mail the gifts or drop them at local Salvation Army. Though I doubt most donors will still buy gifts from JCPenney because it's convenient and quick, the possibility alone builds upon an image of pure philanthropy.

A few disadvantages from my perspective:

• The cause is conducted only online so people who are not into the Internet might not be aware of it.
• Angel Giving Tree surely costs participants more than that of Macy's 2009 Believe campaign. Not everyone who is kind-hearted affords the money.

Suggestion: why not continue with the cause online and offline, and use both traditional and social media to promote it? Hope more angels will be adopted this year.