eBay Unveils “Holiday Jargon Jar,” Turns Retailers’ Overused Holiday Chatter into Charity
All proceeds will benefit SCORE through Giving Tuesday to help small businesses thrive.
Last month, eBay committed to some much needed holiday chill to give shoppers a break from the stress-inducing creep that starts as soon as a hint of fall is in the air.
To strengthen our stand against the holiday creep and madness - which becomes more over the top every year - eBay is introducing the “Holiday Jargon Jar,” which turns incessant chatter into meaningful charity. Last year, there were tens of thousands of mentions of holiday-related words and phrases in October and November alone. From merry and mistletoe to ‘tis and ‘twas, the virtual jar donates a dollar every time a retailer overuses seasonal buzzwords on Twitter.
- How it Works: eBay will scan Twitter for the top 100 holiday buzzwords from 2,000 major brands, using a combination of algorithms and the human eye. Each time a retailer uses one of these predetermined words, $1 will be added to the Jargon Jar (up to $50,000). Consumers can join in, too, by tagging instances of #HolidayJargon IRL, and following @HolidayJargon on Twitter.
- Giving for Good: Running through Giving Tuesday (December 3), Jargon Jar will culminate in eBay donating all of the money in the jar to SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors who help small businesses achieve their goals. The organization drives a range of programming, such as its Startup Success Virtual Conference on Oct. 24 giving entrepreneurs free training and resources. The donated funds will benefit nearly 150 small businesses, a cause that is central to eBay’s purpose to empower entrepreneurs.
- Keeping Chill: Shoppers are already seeing early Black Friday promotions and it’s not even Halloween yet! The Holiday Jargon Jar follows eBay’s commitment to “Holiday Chill” - even if it means keeping ourselves in check and adding dollars to the jar. In the meantime, we’ll help our shoppers and sellers prepare for their busiest season.
Follow the Holiday Jargon Jar on Twitter at @HolidayJargon to see how much chatter we’re turning into cha-ching for charity. For more information, check out ebayinc.com/HolidayJargonJar.
About SCORE
Since 1964, SCORE has helped more than 11 million aspiring entrepreneurs. Each year, SCORE's 11,000 volunteer business experts provide free small business mentoring sessions, workshops and educational services to clients in 300 chapters nationwide. In 2018, SCORE volunteers helped to create 32,387 new businesses and 103,300 non-owner jobs. For more information, visit SCORE at www.score.org.
About eBay for Charity
eBay for Charity enables members of the eBay community to connect with and support their favorite charities when they buy or sell in the U.S. and abroad. Sellers can donate up to 100 percent of the proceeds to a charity of their choice, while buyers can add a donation to their purchase during checkout. To date, nearly $912 million dollars has been raised for charity by the eBay community, and the program is on-track to raise $1 billion by 2020.
By the Numbers
- $102M raised in 2018
- 66,000 charities enrolled
- Nearly $912M raised since 2003
About Retail Revival
eBay’s Retail Revival program helps local business owners to sell their unique inventory in a global marketplace, while strengthening ties within their local business community. The program offers participating businesses a range of trainings, support services and resources to help them grow on eBay. To date, 400+ participating businesses have sold nearly 600K items to buyers in 162 countries to date, generating over $15M in revenue.
