Dangling a Carrot

Carrotmob, a San Francisco-based activist group that organizes consumers to make purchases that give financial rewards to those companies who agree to make environmentally friendly choices, recently held their first campaign at K&D convenience store.

Organizer Brent Schulkin went to all the liquor stores in his neighborhood and asked what percentage of the day's spending the store would be willing to dedicate to making environmentally friendly improvements. K&D had the highest bid with 22%.

Using social tools like Myspace and Facebook, Carrotmob got several hundred people to show up on March 29th, the designated day. A line stretched around the block and bouncers had to be used to regulate the crowd. The mob spent over $9000, five times K&D's normal daily total, generating enough money for the store to redo its lighting system and its refrigeration gaskets.

Many of the participants purchased extra food (366 pounds!) for the San Francisco Food Bank.

Carrotmob organizers held an after party with live music in an adjacent park.