As I ripped open the packaging of my latest purchase from Amazon.com, The Power of Unreasonable People, I saw a thin plastic envelope, emblazoned with red, white and blue graphics of a soldier on his cell phone.
Stick your old cell phone in the sleeve and send, postage free, to a cell phone recycling center in Michigan.
www.cellphonesforsoldiers.com partnered with Amazon to include these envelopes in its shipments. There’s no mention of Amazon.com on the envelope so the retailer isn’t scoring advertising or sponsorship privileges. What does Amazon get? A cost-free way to show support for American soldiers and engender customer good will.
I was certainly impressed. The message stuck with me more than if Amazon had been plugging library book donations. Because my mind doesn’t easily associate the behemoth book seller with cell phones and soldiers, I gave pause for thought–and still am. What a symbiotic, simple partnership.
Next: How to get Amazon to do away with the superfluous cardboard and shrink-wrap packaging.
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I'm Olivia Khalili. I created Cause Capitalism to show you how to grow your business by incorporating a social mission. 
