Matthew Warner
Published by: Psytext
Altruism, or altruistic behavior can be annotated by comparing them to empathic knowledge. Empathy is the emotional understanding of those around you, this can mean plants, animals and humans. Only some creatures can experience empathy. Human beings, along with other primates can experience this feeling, but some lower forms of life can also have empathic results in their recorded dialogue. This can be said of the vole, which is the only rodent that experiences emotional empathic attachment. Altruistic behaviors have positive benefits.
The benefits can be for those who have decided to use or focus on positive altruistic behavior, and of course those who are receiving it. This creates a balance, and provides a level of sustainability to grow upon. Essentially, what it means is the connection to other humans and animals alike, with an understanding of their emotional availability. This results in an harmonious interaction with both flora and fauna. This positive attribute is a traditional virtue, and of course; has been integrated into many religious contexts. One of the main elements of altruism is that of selflessness, as opposed to selfishness, or being selfish. After understanding what it means to bolster the general positivity for helping others in the public, I have decided to study the marketing, and social aspects behind educating and supporting growing forms of altruism. This means knowing the fundamental aspects behind what drives others to be more socially responsible. Altruistic behavior can also be connected to our emotional state, and certain drugs and or medications have been known to generate more, and or both of the same effects in individuals (Marsh, 2015). Understanding what makes the subtle changes, helps provide more marketing opportunities to support the idea. There are many different types of altruistic behavior. One easy to recognize example would be related to volunteer work. Charity, and or the overall donation of one's work and or time to the benefit of others is an example of altruism. Donating one's own blood or plasma is very important for medical services to deliver health care to patients. In some cases, receiving the correct blood at the correct time can mean the difference between life and death. Understanding that one's blood can be important is a form of altruism. Blood donation can be something people are not always willing to do. Companies that understand the necessity of receiving quality blood from donors, have found ways to integrate incentives to steer the public's interest.
Blood donors can be categorized in four different sub sections. There are active donors, there are first time and one time blood donors, there are eligible donors who do not donate, and those who donate apheresis. Studies have shown that those who donate for their first time, and those who are regular donors, have taken this step based on convenience. This can mean several things. Convenience could also mean how the idea is marketed to them, and how it is presented to others (Goden, 2012). Making it easy and convenient to gestate altruistic behavior in the community is exactly what they have used to achieve their goal. Finding ways to coax, and or educate others on the benefit of donating blood or plasma, is the general goal of those two organized these types of programs. The best way that I would suggest to implement these positive ideas in society, would be to strategically place the various elements attached. This could mean a sign in the correct location, conjoined with donated ergonomically friendly food. This could mean running a campaign that alerts others to the benefit of their own plasma or blood, or providing prizes or discounts.
There are also specific areas that will generate more positive effects. Finding locations that are full of healthy, young, and or eligible patrons, would be in my best interest when implementing this strategy. Increasing altruistic behavior can be something that is not only designated to the medical field. Understanding that we all need each other to survive, and providing supportive measures that benefit multiple parties will help others understand the importance of altruism. My marketing strategy will include the strategic placement of literature associated with blood donation. It will also relate to its overall social benefits with images and or other examples that are hard to ignore. The final step will be an incentive plan with a clear reward. This will come in the form of raffles, tickets, and or other sustenance that the public will be able to form a connection to. Like the majority of life lessons in skills we know as an adult, instilling the values of altruistic behavior in the developing youth is the best way to ensure that it finds its way.
There are many challenges that may occur when implementing this plan. The first, is the social understanding of the very members of the public. Because of where we live, Canada has many different religious values, language barriers, and basic delegation of resources based on outside influences. Understanding that this is unique to our nation will also allow you to find ways around this issue. Taking the time to generalize altruism, then drawing comparison to major social, political and religious ideals is one way I would combat this problem. The second problem that is more unique to this time period, would be that of generational financial dependence. Because of the educational limitations combined with the preceding generations income and life span, there are many gaps and areas now open for fallacy. Some of the eligible blood donors who may have been able to demonstrate altruistic behavior, may not be in the financial position to do so. Providing incentives such as meal options, and or discounts is one way to take hold of this segment.
References
"Handbook of the Economics of Giving, Altruism and Reciprocity"
Volume 1, Chapter 3 Altruistic Behavior and Altruistic Motivations Jon Elster (2006)
"Efficacy of Interventions Promoting Blood Donation:
A Systematic Review" Gaston Godin, Lydi-Anne Vézina-Im, Ariane Bélanger-Gravel, and Steve Amireault (2012)
The neuropeptide oxytocin induces social altruism bias
Nina Marsh, Dirk Scheele, Holger Gerhardt, Sabrina Strang, Laura Enax, Bernd Weber, Wolfgang Maier, René Hurlemann Journal of Neuroscience 35 (47), 15696-15701, (2015)
Images by:
https://www.communitydirectors.com.au/articles/money-makes-altruism-affordable-study
https://www.tehrantimes.com/news/461970/Let-s-keep-the-world-beating-by-donating-blood
