Irvine-based Toshiba America Business Solutions Inc. has issued a call for entries in its second annual Helping the Helpers contest this month and will award five nonprofit organizations with $226,000 in technology products and services.
About 150 U.S. nonprofit charities entered the contest last year, said Bill Melo, vice president of marketing, services and solutions at Toshiba America Business Solutions.
“It is our mission to makeover five worthy organizations to help them become more successful and effective in their cause,” Melo said.
To enter the contest, nonprofits must submit a two-minute video to Toshiba through Facebook describing why they deserve to win. Toshiba will pick five finalists to each be awarded a prize package worth $31,000.
A grand prize winner will be selected by the Facebook community to receive an additional $71,000, which equals more than $100,000 total in products and services to the winner. Finalists will receive Toshiba-donated products and services, including printers, desktop computers, laptops, HDTVs, camcorders, tablets and a new telephone system, among other prizes.
Toshiba America Business Solutions is a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Toshiba Corp. and has 225 employees in Orange County.
Brides FB Promo
The St. Regis Monarch Beach resort in Dana Point was chosen as the destination for a $1 million-plus spring wedding organized by Brides magazine, part of New York-based publishing group Condé Nast.
Engaged couples can submit videos via Facebook through January. The Facebook community will choose the couple and each element of the wedding, from the cake to the color scheme, and for each “like” Brides magazine will donate $1 to the couple’s charity of choice.
Products and services will be donated by various companies, including David’s Bridal for the dress, Target for the wedding registry and hairstyles by Tresemmé.
Voting results will be unveiled during the wedding in April, which will be live-streamed on brides.com and Facebook. Other involved social media include Pinterest and Twitter.
The resort is “tremendously honored” to be chosen as the host venue, said Brad Doell, director of sales and marketing at the St. Regis Monarch Beach.
Doell said the resort is planning to provide guest rooms for the couple, wedding party and some family members. St. Regis Monarch Beach has 400 rooms and 800 employees.
Horse Show Sponsorship
Newport Beach-based car-rental service Go Rentals announced it will sponsor horse shows in Palm Springs and Tucson, Ariz., for Saugerties, N.Y.-based horse show producer Horses in the Sun.
The circuits begin in January and run six weeks each. Go Rentals will provide rental vehicles to spectators, riders, trainers and staff for the events.
Many of the company’s clients are participants and spectators of equine sports, said Mike Morris, vice president of Go Rentals, so the partnership “made sense.”
The company has 20 OC employees.
Social Strategies
Among recent promotions involving social media:
n Irvine-based action-sports retailer Tilly’s Inc. hosted a treasure hunt in two cities to celebrate store openings. Tilly’s posted clues on its Facebook, Twitter and Instagram profiles with cubes containing a voucher for a $50 gift card, redeemable at Tilly’s once the recipient posted a picture of the voucher using the hashtag #TillysTHT.
n Irvine-based Mazda North American Operations promotes Flashback Fridays by asking fans if they have memories of growing up in a Mazda and to post a picture of the car on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #FlashbackFriday.
Bits and Pieces
Irvine-based PR firm Citizen Relations was recognized as the Global Consumer Agency of the Year at the Holmes Report 2012 Global PR Summit. … Huntington Beach-based Hispanic advertising agency Grupo Gallegos announced a new partnership with Oakland-based The Clorox Co., focusing on Spanish digital and social media content for divisions that include Pine-Sol, Kingsford charcoal, Hidden Valley dressings, KC Master-piece sauces, and Glad bags/containers.
