Tide's Loads of Hope program is one part do-goodery, one part marketing genius.

Obviously, getting clean is a basic human need and part of picking yourself up after a disaster. Loads of Hope fills a need. The program is also now recognized in the pragmatic and competitive world of marketing strategists as an example of sheer genius in the category of cause-related marketing.

Note that your desire to help others may cost you more at the register. The suggested retail price of the yellow-capped bottle of Tide is $7.99. Yet two supermarkets I visited priced the Loads of Hope bottle at $8.99. Tide Total Care, the same 50-ounce size, cost $6.81 at both markets. The supermarket brand was $3 for the same amount.

P&G spokeswoman Thaman said she didn't know what portion of the Loads of Hope program was covered by consumer donations. It's doubtful that T-shirt sales and $1 from each bottle could cover even half. She said she couldn't estimate how much the Loads of Hope program cost or how much P&G itself paid for. But surely someone must keep track of how much the good deeds cost. P&G's tax attorney could presumably write off a portion of the expense as either charity or marketing. It works as both.

—Constance

Do you have a real-life do-gooding dilemma? Please send it to ask.my.goodness@gmail.com.

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