In short, this is a neat, well thought-out campaign that utilizes Facebook as a ‘hub’ in its truest sense: real-time figures and numbers instil confidence in the donator; Facebook’s page functions and features give access to a wealth of knowledge in an interactive and engaging way; and the social aspect of liking and sharing helps to spread awareness of the cause.

The Welsh are good at a lot of things. Cakes for example. And rugby. Also not getting too irate when their entire country is ‘edited out’ of a prestigious EU reference book. But what this relatively small country is really good at is bandying together in the spirit of patriotism, for a common good

These aren’t the usual inane ramblings of someone trying to decide what to have for dinner, or complaining of a cold; Lala’s updates give a distressing snapshot into a harsh, unforgiving reality that many individuals face every day in London: ‘My family probably think I am dead’…

Of course, crowd-sourcing in this manner will bring to Walmart’s attention any number of worthy cases that might otherwise go unnoticed – after all, users have to do very little in order to nominate their cause. It is interesting to note, however, that in the promotional video the individuals approached for their take on the spirit of giving are not necessarily a likely target demographic for an online campaign

Despite launching nine months ago, and with the clout of mega brands like Marks & Spencer, IBM, Virgin Money and British Gas, sustainability campaign Start Today did not make the impact anticipated in its ‘One Day’ event yesterday.

Social injustice now faces another formidable foe as the Salvation Army, award-winning mobile marketers DIDMO and GetJar, the world’s largest open app store, have joined forces to inform, educate and engage a global audience about social issues facing teens and young adults.

A new game – one that allows players to take control of the destiny of an online environment – has launched, which has a direct and positive benefit to the real world. Trash Tycoon, a green-themed game for Facebook from social gaming startup Guerillapps, lets users manage and upcycle a town’s waste, while raising money for real-world projects that reduce carbon emissions.

Once upon a time, charities looking to raise colossal sums of money quickly would turn to fundraising kingpins like Elton John or Bob Geldof, who would round up their rich and famous musical pals and encourage the general populous to congregate in a city park, get drunk and wave at the cameras beaming the event live into millions of homes around the country. But what about now?

If a tree falls in the forest and there’s no-one around to hear it, does it make a sound? Indeed, does it make any tangible difference to the way we lead our lives? Not really. What about the announcement of hugely ambitious environmental targets by a multi-billion dollar corporation? If there’s no-one around to hear that, does it make any difference to, well… anything?

As the drought situation in the Horn of Africa escalates, humanitarian agencies are desperate for financial aid. They’ve got the social media tools, but are they using them effectively?