The True Stripes Of Cause-Related Marketing.

Can a 2.125-ounce box of Barnum’s Animals Crackers help save an endangered 500-pound tiger?

That’s what Kraft Foods and Lilly Pulitzer are hoping for. Pulitzer’s company has invited Kraft to be its exclusive retail partner in raising awareness for endangered Asian tigers.

Makes sense. Kraft Foods is already contributing to World Wildlife Federation’s tiger conservation program in Sumatra. Plus, Kraft just happens to sell Barnum’s Animals crackers – a biscuity jungle family of rhinos, hippos, giraffes, elephants and, you guessed it -- tigers.

Lilly Pulitzer gets to flex its fashion prowess by designing a limited-edition Barnum’s Animals Crackers box in signature pastels. Kraft kicks in a $100,000 contribution to WWF. And social media, special events and retail-outlet distribution combine to do the rest.

Will all these efforts help take the Asian tiger off the endangered species list? The answer is a hopeful yes, but of course nobody knows to what extent.

Will they boost cracker-box sales? The answer is a definite yes. A Kraft spokesperson says they are already seeing “great business results,” adding that the brand looks “fresher and more fashionable.”

Let’s hope that after the cute cracker boxes are sold (or have made their way to eBay) that consumers remember the cause.

After all, Asian tigers are the real limited edition.

Be Mother Nature For A Day.

Earth Day should be celebrated every day, but for whatever reason, April 22 has been selected as the 24-hour timeframe to observe our planet’s “birthday.”

Some businesses see it as a pure marketing opportunity to grow profits. Others are more earnest and involve themselves in environmental initiatives that have integrity.

It’s the difference between arranging plastic-wrapped, store-bought flowers in a vase, and planting seeds in rich, fertile soil.

Brown petals. Or new life that pushes through the coldest of seasons.

Ask people who understand – in this case, the teachers and young students at http://realschoolgardens.org.

And why not make a donation while you’re there?

Being Mother Nature for a day could grow on you.

That's The Spirit, Spirit Airlines.

Dear Spirit Airlines:

It’s not so much that you’ll be charging fees for carry-on bags.

After all, no one likes standing in the aisle waiting for a passenger to stuff a mattress in an overhead bin. Flight attendants shouldn’t have to rip off a set of hammer curls just to get bags loaded, and passengers shouldn’t be busy calculating gym-bag trajectories.

No doubt your new fees will reduce injuries, pay for rising fuel costs and help empty planes faster. (It’s also nice to see you’re lowering your basic fares to mitigate the new charges.)

But Spirit, you’re leaving money on the table. Consider what your CEO Ben Baldanza said: “Nobody brings their package to FedEx or UPS and expects them to ship it for free.”

Both FedEx and UPS charge by weight (FedEx rates, for example, increase for items weighing more than 150 pounds).

You’ve applied weight criteria to bags. Why not humans?

Bet you a case of Fancy Feast you’ve at least thought about it.

Maybe I should wager a can instead of a case.

Sincerely yours,

HQ Cat, 11.5 pounds