ANCHOR INTRO: A cash mob is like a flash mob only it exercises consumer power rather than dance moves. KPBS arts and culture reporter Beth Accomando reports on San Diego's first Cash Mob. CASHMOB 1 (ba) 1:15 Cash mobs use social media to organize people to "mob" a small business with the intent of spending $20 each. Clues are given out on Facebook and Twitter but the location is kept secret until just before the event. Lauren Way is organizing San Diego's first cash mob. Way, whom I've known for a decade, says it's a means for people to show activism in their community without the risks posed by joining the Occupy movement. CASHMOB 1A LAUREN WAY: Yeah this is it's really about realizing that making an immediate tangible difference in your community is easy and fun. And that's my favorite thing about cash mobs, that it's silly and it's fun inherently. (:16) Way was inspired to organize San Diego's Cash Mob by her friend Andrew Samtoy, an El Cajon native who now lives in Cleveland. He was one of the first to execute a cash mob. He says the simplicity appeals to people. CASHMOB 1B ANDREW SAMTOY: People feel like they themselves individually can have a small impact on a business and collectively can have a big impact. People want to make a difference and I also think that part of it is that people want to take back their local economies. (:13) San Diego's first Cash Mob is set for tonight at 6:30 in South Park. You can follow its progress on Twitter at CMSanDiego or on Facebook. Beth Accomando, KPBS News.
A cash mob is like a flash mob, only it exercises consumer power rather than dance moves. Cash mobs use social media to organize people to "mob" a small business with the intent of spending $20 each. Clues are given out on Facebook and Twitter but the location is kept secret until just before the event.
Lauren Way is organizing San Diego's first cash mob. Way, whom I've known for a decade, says it's a means for people to show activism in their community without the risks posed by joining the Occupy movement.
"Yeah, this is - it's really about realizing that making an immediate tangible difference in your community is easy and fun," said Way. "And that's my favorite thing about cash mobs, that it's silly and it's fun inherently."
Way was inspired to organize San Diego's first cash mob by her friend Andrew Samtoy, an El Cajon native who now lives in Cleveland. He was one of the first people to execute a cash mob. He says the simplicity appeals to people.
"People feel like they themselves individually can have a small impact on a business and collectively can have a big impact. People want to make a difference and I also think that part of it is that people want to take back their local economies," said Samtoy.
San Diego's first cash mob is set for tonight at 6:30 in South Park. You can follow its progress on Twitter @CMSanDiego or on Facebook.
We'll have a followup feature Wednesday mornig about the event.
