How should we market aid?

This article by NYT columnist Nicholas Kristof caught my eye, based on his experiences trying to bring Darfur into the public consciousness. How could he get people past the "collective shrug?"

In this article, Kristof looks at social psychology findings and asks how we can improve the way we market aid. He focuses on two key findings:

1. "We intervene not because of stories of desperate circumstances but when we can be cheered up with positive stories of success and transformation."

2. People are not moved by the stories of millions; they are moved by the stories of individuals. "As we all vaguely know, one death is a tragedy, a million deaths is a statistic."

I won't elaborate, as the article isn't long and can speak for itself. Kristof argues that if we market aid with the same savvy that corporations do, we could make it far more effective.