Spread the good cheer

Starbucks has launched a viral marketing campaign to spread good cheer this festive season.

They're handing out half a million Cheer Pass cards along with little gifts like movie tickets and subway passes on condition that the recipent should do a random good deed for someone else, and then pass along the card.

Each Cheer Pass is numbered, so people can track just how far a good deed can go by visiting the Cheer Pass Central website with their numbered card. There they can share their story, or read about how other people are passing on the cheer. The stories range from taxi drivers giving free rides to telling jokes to people in hospital.

Very nice: reinforcing the brand by helping your customers do good.