That’s the concept behind DoGood Headquarters, a company that’s still measuring its existence in weeks but is racking up accolades in the local startup community and generating buzz amongst bloggers and the mainstream media.
Its free DoGooder browser plugin hides banner advertisements on websites and shows ads promoting environmental initiatives, philanthropic “calls for action” and health and wellness ideas.
DoGood donates half its profits to charitable causes such as the David Suzuki Foundation and The Humane Society. With the company’s revenue based on the number of “impressions,” or ad loads, web users are raising funds as they surf.
“It allows anyone to do good on a daily basis without affecting their lifestyle or bank account,” says Mr. Sethi, who co-founded the company with his wife, Meika Campeau.
Along with pioneering new forms of corporate social responsibility, DoGood is forging new online advertising models by focusing on the end user, rather than the destination site.
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Traditional online advertisers post unsolicited ads and hope web users will surf and see their message. DoGooder, by contrast, allows advertisers to bring their products and messages directly to interested end users, without the privacy concerns of browser tracking.
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“We’re seeing much higher engagement rates because people are actually opting-in to see things they enjoy,” says Mr. Sethi, noting his click-through rates are typically two to five times higher than traditional banner ad campaigns.
Fresh from winning three OCRI/Exploriem Bootstrap Awards earlier this month – one a bronze for best new business with revenues of $100,000 or less – DoGood has been nominated for a SXSW technical achievement award. The winner will be announced at the multiday music, film and technology festival in Austin, Texas, next month.
Mr. Sethi says DoGood has not run into conflicts with mainstream publishers whose ads are suddenly hidden from view. He says his product is not an ad blocker because the original advertisement is technically still shown and users have the option of seeing it. This means the original publisher is still collecting impressions – and revenue.
“It’s a fundamental paradox shift in advertising ... If you give the end user control, they will take it, enjoy it and use it.” - Co-founder Faisal Sethi
But as Mr. Sethi sees it, he’s not taking anything away from traditional advertisers.
“A regular ad is completely irrelevant to a do-gooder end user. Their eyeballs are completely invaluable,” he says.
“They wouldn’t be clicking on it or, likely, even noticing it.”
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Year founded: 2009
Local head count: Fluctuates between 5 and 9
Funding to date: None.
Product: Browser plugin that replaces ads with environmental and philanthropic messages
