Marketing For A Cause And Why It’s A Win For Everyone

What is cause marketing and why is it good for your business?  First let’s start with the definition from Wikipedia:  “Cause marketing or cause-related marketing refers to a type of marketing involving the cooperative efforts of a “for profit” business and a non-profit organization for mutual benefit.”

In an article titled “Cause Marketing Matters to Consumers” Kim Gordon of Entrepreneur.com confirms to us that in today’s era consumers have come to expect a company to stand for something and should be using part of their influence and profits to make the world a better place.

I agree with Kim.  I know that when I shop if I see one brand is supporting a good cause I will choose them over another brand even if the other brand is less expensive or has been my favorite brand.  Businesses are catching on to this and so are social networking sites and Bloggers.

You, too, can include your favorite charity or cause in your marketing efforts.  There are creative ways of doing this and Kim goes over a few points to remember.  In short, they are:

• Give From The Heart – The passion that underlies your giving is what will bring you the greatest results.  Choose something you are passionate about and let it come from your heart.  Personally, because I have lost several loved ones to suicide and have been through the emotional upheaval associated with it, I am a devoted supporter of The Kristin Brooks Hope Center.  They are the founders of 1-800-SUICIDE and Youth America Hotline.   Music is another passion, so I enoy working with performing artists to bring together public support via their audience.  We have had guitars raffled off, sponsored booths at music events, and are currently working on a national tour going into college campuses to raise awareness for suicide prevention and depression.
• Choose A Related Cause – When you are considering which charitable organization to partner with look at those that are related to your business somehow. Kim mentions the example of Procter & Gamble’s Olay brand skin-care line who partnered with the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, its campaign goal was to inspire women to protect their skin from the sun.  The campaign received widespread broadcast, print and online coverage, and helped the program attract more than 9,000 people for free skin-cancer screenings.
• Contribute More Than Dollars – You can offer your services or products to help the organization save costs on fees and provide a service they need but can not afford.
• Formalize Your Affiliation – Make your partnership public.  Talk to each other and agree upon how you will cross promote by using logos, newsletters, websites, print materials, radio, or whatever other means of publication and advertisement that can be exchanged.
• Mount A Marketing Campaign – To have the best success in cause marketing the ideal situation would encourage people to take action and become involved in some way.  Your marketing campaign should be targeted to specific audience and encourage them to participate in an event, make a donation, and build a solid following of loyal supporters. The effect will be a raised awareness of your business and it’s commitment to social responsibility.

Cause marketing is much the same as  joint venturing in your business.  The difference is that you could assist in making the world a better place and you will immediately be improving your brand image.  This can be done online and off.  You can check out how Twitter was used to bring Twitterers together to support a cause for what they titled Twestival.

Be creative in your marketing and use cause marketing to build a solid strategy.  What other creative ways can you think of to include your favorite cause in your marketing?  How do you see this as a benefit?

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