Consumers are used to seeing gift registry requests for weddings and child birth. Gift registries are commonly used for friends and families to help us build household items such as cookware, furniture, clothes, and other miscellaneous items that fill all of our homes. We have even seen gift registries for tools and sporting gear. But what about a registry to help with one of life’s most expensive purchases – a car!
Chrysler has redefined the gift registry ritual and now offers the “The Dodge Dart Registry” Web site to let not only engaged couples, but people everywhere to try fund a car for their own use, or for a charity or organization. The Web site helps people design and customize their car, then sets a goal for how much money is needed in order to make the dream a reality. Friends and family members can sponsor parts of the car; Grandma helps with wheels, and Auntie helps buy the seats!
The registry can also be connected to a consumer’s Facebook or Twitter account to help get the word out. Crowd-funding platform RocketHub helps power the site, verifies information, and cuts the final check. Check it out – make your own request tied to college graduation, or help someone in need.
Group Activities and Discussion Questions:
- Discuss the major purchases people make in life (i.e., weddings, houses, cars, children). What are the rituals we use for these purchases? How can these rituals be applied to other uses?
- Bring up the Dodge Dart gift registry Web site: http://www.dodgedartregistry.com/
- Show the video about how the site works (video also on http://youtu.be/BCfxOWLuNwU
- Have students examine the site, paying attention to the different registry requests also, many of which have videos explaining the requests.
- Divide students into groups. Have each group design ways in which other organizations could use a similar site. (Hint – think about non-profit uses also)
Source: Ad Age Daily
