Getting Started: Brands and Cause Marketing

PR and social marketing folks already have brands embracing social media. Non-profits aren’t going away – they will always be there in some form. There’s an association for everything. Brands need to start evaluating if cause marketing is appropriate for their brand and what they can really stand behind.

Cause marketing or cause-related marketing refers to a cooperative effort between a for profit business and a non-profit organization. The term is often used to describe any type of marketing for social and other causes.

Cause marketing differs from corporate giving because the latter involves a specific, tax-deductible donation. Cause marketing isn’t usually donation based.

Edelman’s 2009 Goodpurpose(TM) Consumer Study found that 57% of consumers worldwide say a brand or product earned their business because it was associated with, or supported, a good cause. The chart above demonstrates the levels and types of cause marketing. But how do you get started?

Find a cause your brand can rally behind
Transparency is even more important when it comes to social causes. If the passion isn’t there, it will be apparent – The burn of being found out even more so. Those that work for NPs have passion – So should you. Take the time to survey employees and see what causes they already volunteer for. Think of employee morale before speeding ahead with a campaign. Having a non-profit tied to your product can, in many cases, make the brand more reputable.

Find a charitable cause in line with your vision and products
A great way to get a brand behind cause marketing is to find something relatable. If you are a produce company, why not partner up with a food bank? Something that is in line with your vision will help consumer buy-in and strengthen brand mission. If there isn’t something directly in line, name recognition will also go a long way. You could also go the smaller route and push a non-profit to name recognition with brand aid. Every non-profit can use help. Volunteering your time goes a long way.

Use social networks to advocate
The tools are there. What better way than to engage your community and get them behind the cause as well? Survey and ask what else they think the brand can do for said cause. Drive your passion daily in postings to raise awareness. Some of the best cause marketing campaigns rely on grass roots methods.

How else can brands utilize cause marketing? Do you agree? Disagree? Let’s discuss.

*Diagram copyright and used from http://www.causemarketing.ca/.

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kiramatalishah

The Center for Media Research has released a study by Vertical Response that shows just where many of these ‘Main Street’ players are going with their online dollars. The big winners: e-mail and social media. With only 3.8% of small business folks NOT planning on using e-mail marketing and with social media carrying the perception of being free (which they so rudely discover it is far from free) this should make some in the banner and search crowd a little wary.

www.onlineuniversalwork.com
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JGoldsborough

Nice post, Lauren. Social media has made it so much easier for businesses to build community around causes and for us as individuals to be a part of something bigger. This a topic we all should -- frankly, we all have a responsibility to -- discuss more often.

Thanks for sharing the Edelman study. Good to have a metric we can use to evaluate cause marketing efforts in the back pocket to convince executives. Here's another few I noticed in the study that might raise the eyebrows of a few CEOs:

1. 66 percent of people believe that it's no longer enough for corporations to merely give money away, but that they must integrate good causes into their day-to-day business (Building community > lump donation).
2. 67 percent globally also say they would switch brands if another brand of similar quality supported a good cause (speaks to the competitor in exec-level folks)
3. 63 percent of US respondents would recommend a brand that supports a good cause (this is the one that caught my eye the most, since research also shows consumers trust peer recommendations more than ads, corp leadership, media).

Thanks for the great conversation starter. I've been looking for some info like what you shared here to support cause marketing proposals.

Oh, and @Bryna and @Beth...You rock! Such cool and valuable work you are doing.

Best,
Justin Goldsborough
@JGoldsborough
Beth Oppenheim

Interesting post! I myself am a nonprofit fundraiser, so I am on the other side of the dialogue. I find myself consistently seeking out companies or institutions who may not have entirely developed what their "corporate responsibility" issues are - or maybe are open to new ideas. The more innovation the company is willing to support, the more local, timely, and grassroots the cause.
Great ideas!
laurenfernandez

Thanks, Beth!

I've seen the fundraising side as well - coming from an association, it's almost impossible not to. I like that you seek out companies and help them mold their corporate responsibility - the transition and support will be instilled easily.
Gabe Chesman

Great post. I know of a PR firm that specializes in cause-marketing. Tiller, LLC - you should check them out.
laurenfernandez

Cool, thanks Gabe.
kennethlim

The level to which brands want to leverage cause marketing plays an important role IMO. There are three levels that I would distinguish between:
(1) Emotion/Perception: You want to give customers/consumers a good feeling about your brand.
(2) Attitude: You want to inspire consumers to change their attitude about the cause.
(3) Attitude: You want to inspire consumers to take action related to the cause, e.g. use the car less frequently or consume less electricity.

I have a feeling that, very often, brands and also political movements get stuck at level 1 and that the brand benefits more than the cause.

Instead, it almost seems to make more sense if causes introduced programs that will actually result in true action than if brands introduced programs to get that tick behind the CSR checkbox.
laurenfernandez

I like the level approach - it really pays to see beyond and make sure that you are inspiring the community. That's why its so important to be passionate about the cause. True action > check mark.

Great comment!
Bryna

Great post, Lauren! My background is in non-profit management, and PR, so this is an issue close to my heart. As an individual, I have causes that I support--in particular organizations involved with social justice. I was supposed to be on a plane to Haiti at the end of the month to do two weeks of humanitarian relief work before the earthquake struck.

I'm fortunate that those I work with are also passionate about social good on many levels. We have partnered with World Vision Canada to spread the word about Haiti, and how Canadians can help support relief efforts. I also have friends at CARE Canada, Hero Holiday, and One Day's Wages--we stand behind them all.

On a local level, because my colleagues and I all love food so much, we're looking into creating a partnership with a local food bank. It's in development, but what it highlights is the importance of aligning cause with values. A communications firm might not immediately match with a food bank, but if the passion is there, then run with it. We blog about food every Friday, and use it to build community.

I'm so fortunate to work with people who share my passion for giving back with the work we do. And posting this certainly isn't to boast. Cause marketing is something I believe should come naturally to an organization. We should all embrace it one way or another--not just because it's good for business, but because it's good for the world.
laurenfernandez

Amen, sister. Such a great comment, I don't even know where to begin!

I think that passion and believing in the cause is the first step to cause marketing - take the business model out of it for just one second. Lay that foundation down. If there isn't a direct match, but the passion is there? Go for it. You can rally behind it and find ways to support. Breaking it down for businesses can be a bit different, if only because the approach is different. I've been fortunate to be on both sides - and this is something that I'm extremely passionate about. :)