How to Start Your Cause-Related Marketing Campaign

Supporting a charitable cause can speak volumes for your brand. More businesses are beginning to realize the significance of cause-related marketing. Consumers don’t just care about your product, but also the heart & soul of people behind it.

According to Cause Good, “nearly nine in ten U.S. shoppers said given equivalent price and quality, they would be likely to switch brands to one that supported a cause.â€

Some brands donate proceeds to causes, while others dedicate their entire brand to bettering the world. If either of those sound like your brand, you’re on the right track. If not, keep reading to learn why, (beyond the obvious value in giving back), that your company should start.

Here’s why you need to incorporate cause-related marketing and branding into your business strategy:

What is cause-related marketing?

Cause-related marketing is when brands take stance on particular health, social or environmental issues to raise money and awareness. There’s no right way to collaborate for cause-related marketing — there are several. Whether it’s incorporating charity into an event or donating a percentage from purchases, you can both help your business and the world.

Here are a few methods to help causes near and dear to your brand:

• Donations with purchase: This can include a percentage from each purchase, collecting donations in addition to purchases and offering to match donations.

• Volunteering: Hands-on involvement with you, your employees, your customers and the community you serve in collecting donations, building homes for the homeless, to cleaning up parks to running a 5K.

• Buy one, give one: Like the well-known TOMS shoes business model.

• Being a ‘proud supporter’: dedicating your business to one or more specific causes through various measures.

• Dual incentive: Make a donation and receive a gift or special offer.

• Dedicated philanthropy: Beyond cause-related marketing, this model is the DNA of the brand. Newman’s Own is an example where, from day one, 100% of the company’s profits have benefited charity.

So why should you adopt these methods? Here’s why:

Cause-related marketing gains peoples’ trust

Deloitte conducted a study and found “businesses that do engage in issues of concern to millennials are more likely to gain their trust and loyalty.†It’s easier for people to connect with your company when you are publicly making a lasting, positive change. Cause-related marketing differs from digital marketing because it humanizes your brand. As a business, you have the time and resources to make a social impact — so people expect to you. One example of this is TOMS, a shoe company that gives a pair of shoes to kids in less developed countries with every purchase (buy one, give one.) Because of this, people trust the brand that’s given away over 86 million pairs of shoes more than the one that hasn’t.

Besides earning consumers’ trust, cause-related marketing can also increase employee morale. Another Deloitte study found “millenials who frequently participate in workplace volunteer activities are more likely to be proud, loyal and satisfied employees.†So clearly, everyone benefits from cause-related marketing.

Cause-related marketing can boost sales and awareness for your business

Supporting a cause almost always helps your business (depending what cause you support.) In 1983, American Express ran a campaign to fundraise the Statue of Liberty’s restoration and conservation. Every time somebody used a charge card, they donated one cent to the restoration fund and totaled at around $1.7 million. American Express rose its card use by 27 percent, according to Grantspace. By participating in cause-related marketing, even major corporations can expand their reach.

A more modern and well-known example of cause-related marketing is MasterCard’s Stand Up To Cancer. The annual campaign donates one cent for every $10 spent on qualifying meals during a certain time period and garners up to $4 million each year. MasterCard is responsible for donating millions of dollars to cancer research and treatment, which is a remarkable thing. What’s also remarkable is how much positive branding MasterCard earns as a result.

Takeaway: Cause-related marketing is beneficial for your brand, employees and above all else — your community.

How to start your cause-related marketing campaign

Some campaigns are straightforward and simple, and others elaborate and creative. For example, compare TOMS’ buy-one-give-one to the ALS Associations’ Ice Bucket Challenge. Both accomplished what they set out to do — which was provide shoes and fund research, respectively.

 

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Part two!! Please be sure to donate to this great cause and thank you!! www.als.net #alsicebucketchallenge

A post shared by Anne Hathaway (@annehathaway) on Aug 21, 2014 at 6:34am PDT

Cause-related marketing campaigns may seem intimidating because of the saturation. At Into the Blue we’ve ran numerous long-lasting partnerships with numerous organizations in support of breast cancer organizations, Crohn’s Disease & Colitis research, the Big Heart Brigade and more.

Here’s what we’ve learned:

• Be authentic. Choose your partnership carefully. Seek out an organization that doesn’t have any past blemishes or scandals, and is known for directing a large portion of donations to their purpose, (not salaries). Partnerships are usually effective when your brand is personally connected to a cause.

• Be consistent. For branding purposes, stay consistent with your cause(s). Create promotions and strategies that make an impact on charity, as well as being beneficial to your company’s awareness and growth.

• Be invested. Continually speak to your consumers online and remind them of the charitable work your brand does. If you’re a small brand, personally show your commitment by helping out at your volunteering events.

• Be transparent. In order to be authentic, you need to be real with consumers. Disclose exactly how much money goes to your chosen organization, and other essential details about your partnership. Consumers want to know the impact they helped to make.

Cause-related marketing is your chance to give your business a deeper dimension. It can be a refreshing change from traditional marketing methods. Wherever your business is, there is always multiple charities and philanthropic organizations around you to partner with. If not, there are always organizations on the national level. To learn about the number of causes that Into the Blue has backed and how to create the greatest mutual benefit out of your next cause-related marketing campaign, email [email protected] today.