SocialVibe

SocialVibe is a social networking website with over 1,750,000 members founded by Joe Marchese, Brandon Mills and David Levy, that aims to reward publishers of social media content through mechanisms such as donations to their charity of choice. After joining SocialVibe, in addition to creating a personal profile, users are asked to select their favorite cause to support and to choose a sponsor. Once they have done so, they can earn points for themselves, which can be redeemed for a variety of different perks and money for their respective charities by posting their "badge" (a kind of advertisement prominently displaying their chosen sponsor) to another social networking site. The more a SocialVibe user's networking site is visited, the more points they are able to earn.

SocialVibe received $4.2 million in Series A funding led by Redpoint Ventures in December 2007. It was launched in February 2008 in public beta, and, as of October 19, 2009, its members have raised a total of more than $700,000 for their respective charities. On August 25, SocialVibe formed a partnership with Interpublic, one of four major advertising holding companies worldwide, and its largest liaison to date.

In spite of recent economic decline, in January 2009, JAFCO Ventures led an initiative along with Redpoint Ventures to raise the total amount invested in the company to $12 million, as the company shifts to a revenue sharing model with the charities it represents (all of the money raised on SocialVibe formerly went to the charity itself)

Badge

A badge is defined as "a distinguishing emblem or mark worn to show membership or achievement."

The SocialVibe badge brings its members together with their favourite brand and charity. The badges are customised to be the member's own, but all consist of their brand sponsor logo, cause logo, member profile picture and a personalised message.

Once the badge has been created, members put them on their social networking sites and/or blog. With the old system, which finished February 2010, each view that a badge received on the site they have chosen to post it on, earned them points. These points contribute to a larger donation to their charity or cause.

The new system implemented in February 2010 now works slightly differently, (no points per view, but varying points per activity) but has the same effect of bringing members more together to help each others cause or charity, as well as their own.

SocialVibe Digital Advertising

In August 2010, SocialVibe launched SocialVibe Ads, a digital advertising solution reaching 200 million consumers every month. The ad network had been operating in beta for months prior to its launch, and by August 2010 it had already powered major ad campaigns for brands such as Microsoft, Visa, Apple, Disney, Coca Cola, Kia, Kraft, Macys, Nestle, Procter & Gamble and Discover. The ad company, which includes owned-and-operated charity site SocialVibe, powers social media engagements that offer incentives for users to interact with brand messaging in a unique value exchange.