Behind the Button

How can you start 21,000 conversations about a missing person?

Seems impossible right....21,000 conversations...

Let's say (God forbid) a friend's child is missing (let's call her Suzy)...what do you do? How do you help?
Maybe you join a search, post fliers, tell your friends, but...you WISH you could do more!

What if as you went about your day people came up to YOU and asked about Suzy?
When you're getting your tires balanced, at the grocery store checkout, at school or work, at the little league game...everywhere you go people are coming up to you asking about Suzy...because

....you're wearing her "personal billboard" a simple button with Suzy's picture. Think about it if you saw someone wearing a button like this wouldn't you ask...Who's on your button? 

OK so what about the 21,000 conversations? Well let's say a 1000 people wear a button and just three people a day ask about it...that's 3,000 conversations a day, 21,000 a week...
21,000 possible leads!

It's a pretty simple, yet powerful idea. At Buttons of Hope we've even come up with a way to use Facebook to order buttons PLUS spread the word. What better way to get the word out than Facebook!

We set up a custom Facebook page for example "Help Find Suzy" - there is never a cost to the family. On the Facebook page people can 1) order a button 2) easily spread the word and even 3) post a picture wearing the button on the wall (pictures like this help spread the word even more)

Buttons are available individually or in bulk. Individual buttons are typically* $5 each ($3 from each button is donated back to the family or search efforts) bulk buttons are reasonably priced based on the event. *you set the price anything over $2 will be donated back (and the family always gets a dozen buttons free)

We hope you consider "personal billboards" as an interactive and powerful tool in the search for missing persons.

For more information please email Mike Gibbons michael@buttonsofhope.com or call my personal cell 704-517-5417.

Missing People | Social Media Mashup with a Twist!

Missing Children and Twitter Beth Kanter's post got me thinking [her posts always do]. I have been meaning to share my thoughts about photo buttons as "personal billboards" in the search for missing children and adults -- Beth & Nate got me to thinking of this as a social media mashup.

Social media Facebook, MySpace, Twitter & the like hold great promise in the search for missing people. After all an outlet like Facebook is perfectly designed to spread news amongst an ever-growing network of friends -- the wall is the town crier on steroids.

So here is the social media mashup idea with a twist & [in action]

Kyle Fleischmann went missing here in Charlotte NC last November - immediately friends set up a HelpFindKyle website but I think more importantly they also set up a Facebook Group that thousands joined  eventually growing to over 65,000 members. Social media at its best - people posted sentiments, leads, and information about searches, events and fundrasiers. One of those fundraisers|tools was photo buttons of Kyle available through Buttons of Hope.

The buttons were "search tools" worn as personal billboards that walk and talk to drive awareness and conversation about Kyle. We figured on average wearing the button might generate five conversations a day, conversations about Kyle that would not have happened without the buttons! The photo buttons are the tangible tool in this intriguing mashup between cutting edge social media & simple pin on buttons that have been around forever.

Alas, Kyle is still missing but I know there are hundreds of buttons out there -- anyone of them could be the one to generate a lead to bring Kyle home. Wear the button|Start a conversation.

Personal Billboards | A New, Powerful tool in Search for Missing People

One of my earliest brainstorms was that photo buttons might be a really effective tool in the search for missing people. According to the US Attorney General there are over 100,000 missing people in the US on any given day! Some are runaways, some the result of parental custody issues and others like Kyle Fleischmann and Justin Gaines simply vanish into thin air -- does it matter...really how or why they disappear -- each one of these souls has a family and friends who love them and are distraught from "not knowing".

Missing Person experts will tell you the most important thing is to get the picture and the story of the missing person out as quickly and broadly as possible. I believe simple photo button are the best way to do this - unlike fliers on telephone poles - buttons are worn by real people who can spread not just the FACE the STORY of a missing person. Strangers will ask you about "the button you're wearing" and that starts a conversation that without the button never would have happened - multiply that by 100s, 1000s of buttons and once can only imagine the impact and leads that can be generated.

Set up the button in a gallery like here on Buttons of Hope and anyone can order a button -- using the internet the buttons can literally follow the missing person across the country - as people wear buttons in other cities! Personal Billboards(photo buttons) are the newest and simply powerful tool in the search for missing children and adults.

There are several extraordinary organizations that support the families and assist with search efforts -- bloodhounds, investigators, billboards and now photo buttons. One such organization is the Kristen Foundation -- founded by Joan Petruski in honor of Kristen Modafferi who vanished 6/23/97 -- please take a minute to read Kristen's story.

Buttons of Hope is elated to be working with this established and well respected search and support foundation -- Joan is a dogged, persistent champion of the often overlooked missing adult group -- some causes are easy --missing adults is not one of them and Joan has committed her life's work to helping comfort and support of these families. Currently we are offering photo buttons of four of Joan's "kids" as she lovingly calls them Kristen, Tim Carney, Travis Lee Baker and April Pitzer -- we will be adding more soon.

We are enthusiastic about the prospects for photo buttons as a search tool. Wearing a photo button is an easy way to show your support and aid in the search. Wear your button today!