Cause marketing, on the other hand, involves the sale of a product or service. If that same anti-childhood obesity campaign were paid for by Lean Cuisine as part of a new "fat-free" line of microwavable meals, well, now it has morphed into something quite different. The message--proper nutrition for increased energy and reduced health risks--is still the same; but now the sale of a product is involved. The ultimate success of the campaign will undoubtedly be judged according to how many "fat-free" meals are sold--as an indicator of the larger message received and according to the primary interest of the sponsoring party (i.e. Lean Cuisine, a business whose primary goal is to make money through the sale of instant meals, regardless of the philosophy, methods, or corporate responsibility efforts they employ along the way in doing so).

See the difference? You can always learn more about cause marketing.

If you're interested in learning more about social marketing, there's an exciting opportunity coming up at the end of this month with one of the experts and founders in the field you won't want to miss.

Nedra Kline Weinreich, author of Hands-On Social Marketing: A Step-by-Step Guide and founder of Weinreich Communications will be hosting her annual "Social Marketing University" at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., from March 28-30.

Details can be found online, or you can e-mail Weinreich for more information.

There's even a special discount for readers of the Personality™ blog. (Thank you, Nedra!) Simply type the code "THINK75" to receive $75 off registration.