Tweet your way to change the world

Today I found a collection of inspiring stories about a twitter campaign called #NotBuyingIt
Basically what happens is if you see a product or ad that misrepresents or degrades women, use Twitter to post a description or upload a picture of the offensive item. By using the hashtag #notbuyingit the campaign can be followed by the campaign leaders "Miss Representation" - http://www.missrepresentation.org/take-action/notbuyingit/


And for all you male tweeters, you dont have to be female to join the campaign! One male tweeted recently "Really? A woman's body is a billboard or car? My daughter and wife are not commodities #NotBuyingIt"
In an example of the power of your twitter voice, I will tell you one of the success stories of this campaign - one where a few women used Twitter to eliminate a really terrible Hallmark greeting card in a matter of hours.






To the right is the card that caused the controversy.
Stated on this happy birthday card to a 13 year old says "If you had a rich boyfriend he'd give you diamonds and rubies. Well, maybe next year you will, when you've bigger boobies" - Found by a woman in Hallmark who tweeted about it.
What was pointed out was the subliminal message to young and impressionable adolescents that when your "boobies" are bigger you will get a rich boyfriend and he will buy you whatever your heart desires

What was incredible was that the picture was posted on twitter and hastagged and It was soon re-tweeted, blogged about and posted across the Internet. By this afternoon the mainstream press had even picked up the image and the story building on Twitter.
The results came instantly,  with Hallmark apologising and pledging to track down all existing copies of the card still in circulation. 

This is such a success story! The campaign Miss Representation stated that "passionate consumers were able to call-out, organize around and ostensibly eliminate a seriously problematic piece of media from the world’s most recognizable greeting card company (within the span of a single day!) is an awesome reminder of just what we are capable of as a community. And, in particular, the fact that this campaign was sparked, led and won by women is proof that new media is empowering the marginalized in a way that old media never did." From: http://www.missrepresentation.org/notbuyingit/how-twitter-defeated-a-hallmark-greeting-card/

So you can "use your consumer voice" or tweets, to help to
Its really that easy!  A simple message with the hashtag #NotBuyingIt could actually make a real impact!
So... Get Tweeting! 
Love 
Vicky 
xx