[Ailist] Re: Free Hugs Campaign - Spreading FAST !

[Malcolm Odell]

Dear Kathryn,
You ask what more such good news is out there... well this 'Free 
Hugs' campaign itself seems to be taking off... on ABC, too, no 
less... and still spreading fast...  See postings below from 
UpliftNetwork.
Maybe you can start something where you are?
"Free Hugs" 'T-Shirts' ??
Mac
----------------------------------------
>On 9/27/06, Geraldine Weis-Corbley 
><<mailto:corbley at comcast.net>corbley at comcast.net> wrote:
>
>A friend sent me this... it looks like it is spreading outward faster
>than we thought:
>
>"There was a short bit on Good Morning America this morning, about free
>hugs.  It showed several different people holding up a big sign board
>that said Free Hugs! and people hugging them.
>
>    They opened the story by asking what you'd think if you saw someone
>standing on a street corner advertising for free hugs. "
>
>Wild....
--------------------------------------------
>Date: Wed, 27 Sep 2006 14:19:16 -0700
>From: "Tom Munnecke" <munnecke at gmail.com>
>To: UpliftNetwork at googlegroups.com

>I'd really like to track how all this plays out... are there any 
>media tools for tracking what "hot spots" trigger what reaction?
>
>Some initial thoughts:
>
>1.  the attention is firmly focused on the activity, not the guy 
>doing it... I think this builds credibility
>2.  there is no fundraising pitch (or even a web site) - also builds 
>credibility.
>3.  this is a great example of "show me don't tell me" - no spoken 
>words at all
>4.  Its a simple story, quickly told, and quite repeatable, along 
>with a "you gotta see this" quality to it
>5.  It is self-evidently a good thing - this doesn't require any 
>political or religious belief to adopt it.  the absense of any 
>information beyond the free hug activity I think emphasizes their 
>story and makes it more viral... folks don't feel that they are 
>advertising for some other organization when they pass the link on.
>6.  It has the viral quality to it... others are now hugging each 
>other; viewers are encouraged to do it themselves - necessary part 
>of a viral message.
>7.  It doesn't require any "center" to propagate... folks can go out 
>with their own sign and continue on their own with no further advice.
>8.  It "gives people permission" to do this.. someone who is not as 
>brave as they guy in the film can point to the film, saying "he 
>started it."
>-------------------------------------------------
>On Sep 27, 2006, at 1:50 PM, Tom Munnecke wrote:
>
>I'm setting up a special web page for the Free Hugs Liberation Front
><http://upliftacademy.org/freehugs>http://upliftacademy.org/freehugs 
>to track this and the general viral
>spread of the idea. I could use a little verbiage for the page beyond,
>"Huggers of the world, unite"... a little rusty on my revolutionary
>manifestos.. if anyone would like to contribute some language, I'd
>appreciate it...
-------------------------------------------------
From: Proteus Communications <proteus at shawbiz.ca>

Dear Malcolm.

What a touching video.  Thanks for sending it along. I would love to see it
aired on major networks around the world.  What other news is out there that
celebrates the incredible courage of compassion, the breathtaking risks of
loving, the gut wrenching heroism of forgiveness....

Love,
Kathryn

Kathryn Thomson
--------------------------
Proteus Communications
proteus at shawbiz.ca
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-- 
Malcolm J. Odell, Jr., MS, PhD
Appreciative Inquiry Consulting, LLC
4 Whitehall Rd., South Hampton, NH 03827
603-394-7890; 770-6006
<macodell at adelphia.net>
<www.macodell.com>