Office Max is back once again with a cause marketing effort to aid teachers.

A one-day event kicks off today called “A Day Made Better,” in which Office Max reps will deliver classroom supplies valued at $1.3 million to 1,300 needy schools nationwide and in Mexico. In addition, each school will receive teacher discounts and Adopt-A-Classroom startup marketing kits to help schools increase local and virtual sponsorships.

To launch the program, Office Max partnered with Adopt-A-Classroom, a group dedicated to helping teachers with community partners and funds to buy resources for the classroom.

Teachers spend about $4 billion a year supplying their own classrooms with supplies, Office Max said. Through the event, the company hopes the campaign will spark public support for teachers and urge “community influencers” to donate to the program.

“The average teacher makes $30,000 a year and spends an average of $1,200 a year buying stuff she needs,” Bob Thacker, Office Max’s senior vice president of marketing, said. “We think that is wrong. We want to make this a national cause and put the spotlight on teachers.”

Visitors to a dedicated Web site can learn more about the event. Others can become involved by adopting a classroom as a donor and make a contribution for a specific school or teacher.

This is the second year the company has run the campaign. Last year, Office Max reached out to 1,000 teachers nationwide.

“It’s easy to write a check and support a program, but this is hands-on,” Thacker said. “This is direct. This is person-to-person giving.”

To promote the campaign, OfficeMax launched a Facebook site. In addition, the company has recruited celebrities, including Penny Marshal, Mario Lopez and Dennis Quad to help talk up the event. PR and in-store signage also support the cause.

Event Marketing