Northhill Centre in Alberta, Canada is turning 50. To commemorate that milestone, the shopping center is celebrating the families who have grown up in its community, the generations that have all enjoyed Northhill as their mall.

For the main celebration this Saturday, the activities include free family portraits, commemorative family photo albums, a family picnic in the food court, and more. The shopping center also hopes to bring families closer together – the celebration’s grand prize is a $10,000 family reunion package.

The theme recognizes the shopping center’s important place in its community, and in the lives of 50 years of shoppers. What a great thing to celebrate.

Viral Marketing: Also known as Word of Mouth Advertising. Any strategy that encourages individuals to pass on a marketing message to others, thus creating the potential for exponential growth in the message’s exposure and influence. Just like viruses, such strategies take advantage of rapid multiplication to explode the message to thousands, even to millions.

In 2001, 189 UN Members agreed to eight Millennium Goals:
1. Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
2. Achieve universal primary education
3. Promote gender equality and empower women
4. Reduce child mortality
5. Improve maternal health
6. Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria, and other diseases
7. Ensure environmental sustainability
8. Develop a global partnership for development

2015 is the deadline for the goals, and today, at the halfway mark, there is still a long way to go toward meeting them. As current economic woes take attention from the goals, a major viral campaign is being launched to bring that attention back.

In my name is a global call to action encouraging people everywhere to push their governments to meet their Millennium Goal commitments. Headed by celebrity activists like Will.i.am, Mel B and Missy Higgins, the campaign wants you to ask your government to fight to end poverty – in your name.

With its official launch today, the campaign encompasses web, print, and television, involving most of the major social networking and social media platforms.

Cause Marketing: Cause Marketing is the art of combining your commercial brand with a non-profit issue. Cause marketing campaigns have years of history and range from relatively superficial tactical partnerships, to long-term, strategic alliances that penetrate deeply into business and nonprofit organizations.

The pink ribbon is everywhere, and everyone knows what it means. It serves as both an important reminder and a great example of marketing a cause. But is it enough for close-to-home cause marketing?

Botany Town Centre is taking the pink ribbon a step further this weekend, with the Pink 4 HER2 charity event. Organized by Skip For Life, the event aims to raise awareness and funds for New Zealand women that are HER2 (an aggressive form of breast cancer) positive. The Herceptin treatment required to treat HER2 positive patients costs $70,000 to $100,000 for a year, so financial help is often necessary.

Local students initiated the event, which features New Zealand singer and performer Jackie Clarke. With so many local factors, this event is sure to capture the hearts of the shopping center’s community.

Earlier this month, SKHLM reopened after a ten-year refurbishment program. The shopping centre, which originally opened in 1968, is Sweden’s largest, with 1.2 million square feet of leasable retail space.

The shopping center was formally opened by His Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden as part of a four-day opening celebration.

To commemorate the event, SKHLM has started a new marketing campaign, created by UK-based Toolbox Marketing. The rebranding effort brings a bright, modern look to the center’s advertisements, while tying in the shopping center’s 1960′s roots.

“I am indeed rich, since my income is superior to my expense, and my expense is equal to my wishes.”

Kahlil Gibran
(1883-1931)