Two-hundred-and-fifteen million hours each day are spent on online gaming, but what if every day the leisurely hours spent in front of a simple computer screen had the potential to spark positive change throughout the world? Kelowna’s own Hoopla.com is turning this exciting, revolutionary concept into a reality.
What began in 2010 in the Okanagan Valley as a small gaming start-up has grown into an influential, powerhouse of a project, one which has generated a celebrity-worthy buzz by attracting the attention of NHL and NFL athletes, and Hollywood A-listers.
With celebrity affiliations and world-class charities at its helm, Hoopla.com’s mission is to use online gaming to raise both awareness and essential funds for notable charities.
By redefining the draw of online gaming, Hoopla has created a format that will increase the social responsibility of the Internet’s existing 1.1 billion casual gaming users. In exchange, users will have the ability to win substantial prizes, including cars and vacation experiences, which are not offered by other gaming sites.
The minds behind Hoopla are combining entertainment with philanthropy to establish an online community atmosphere. The hours spent gaming for fun will no longer be wasted. Rather, the free entertainment site will play an active role in using these hours to promote positive social change, interaction and social networking.
To start, Hoopla has committed to donating a percentage of its advertising revenues to established charities, which its own team has researched, with the hope that as the community of users increases, the charitable percentage will increase as well.
The site carefully selects its charitable partners, and has already established relationships with Chiropractic for the World and the Starkey Hearing Foundation, which has garnered the support of notable figures including Miley Cyrus, Bill Clinton and Elton John. Celebrities have recognized that Hoopla will serve as an avenue to gain widespread attention for their charitable organizations through a team of people they can trust.
Before the site has even launched, it has already taken an active role in assisting the Starkey Hearing Foundation’s ongoing efforts. Hoopla is using social media to spread the word about the foundation by launching the “50k for 100k” campaign on Facebook, where Hoopla.com will donate $50,000 to the Starkey Hearing Foundation once the page hits 100,000 likes.
This February the site also co-sponsored an ice-fishing contest with Minnesota Viking Adrian Peterson, at Lake Waconia in Minnesota. The event raised awareness and funds for necessary devices to be provided to hearing-impaired children around the world.
Hoopla is made up of a diverse, passionate team of individuals and corporations with the knowledgeable business expertise and philanthropic purpose needed to become a leader in the multi-billion dollar gaming and social networking industry.
To remain fresh in the world of ever changing technological advances, the Hoopla team has partnered with the world-class digital agency Tribal DDB, along with local digital consultants, Artistech Newmedia Inc., to develop its website and ad campaign.
Hoopla intends to continue to incorporate international charities to its site that complement one another. The Hoopla goal is all encompassing in that the company would like to eventually address charity efforts in all areas of health and wellness, leaving no facet untouched.
Hoopla is making substantial efforts to spread the word about its potential before it launches in the summer of 2012. The company has conducted careful studies to pinpoint a target demographic of users who will benefit from the site’s use and take pride in the online community it has created.
Hoopla’s process of engagement and promotion has been complemented by social media efforts, but its notable achievements and celebrity endorsements have caused the Hoopla name to become recognized by word of mouth.
With over 145 million active gamers in North America alone, and 29 per cent of Internet time currently being spent on gaming, Hoopla has a genuine opportunity to make a revolutionary impact on the online gaming world. User by user, the site will have the ability to impact change in the world by encouraging its community to simply play their favourite games.
Hoopla’s vision will allow the public’s perception of online gaming to shift into an activity with the potential to contribute positively to the world, essentially an ability to game for good. Please visit them at www.Hoopla.com.
