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« Solution to Cause Marketing Burnout? Be Authentic | Corporate Philanthropy is Good for Business »
July 9, 2007
Top 10 Ways to Fail at Cause Marketing
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Last week we blogged about cause marketing numbers falling. It seems as more and more companies are trying cause marketing, customers are getting burned out. The problem is cause marketing has to be done right--authentically.
So we present our top 10 ways to fail at cause marketing, a list we sent out to our monthly Cause Marketing Minute e-mail newsletter--subscribe now.
1) Do it because everybody else is.
If every other company jumped off the Brooklyn Bridge, would you? Just like any marketing approach, you have to do what works for your organization, not simply what everybody else is doing.
2) Pick a cause with no connection to your company.
There needs to be a clear connection between your company and the cause you're supporting. A bookstore supporting literacy, a home improvement store supporting low income housing, a health food product supporting fitness. (Some exceptions exist like Product Red. The very nature of its hip and energetic persona attracts a ton of star power so that the connection between clothing, cell phones, iPods and shoes and HIV/AIDs, malaria and tuberculosis can work together in concert.)
3) Forget to tell the story of your cause.
The best part of cause marketing is that it does something good. If you're not telling the story of the good your customers are enabling, then you're failing. This could come in blog entries, press releases, photos, videos, whatever. But you need to tell that story and clearly connect how purchasing your widgets equals a life saved across the world (see #2) then get that story out there. Our Personality Storyguide™ is just the thing!
4) Be fake.
Your company needs to have an authentic concern for your cause and be on the path to genuine corporate responsibility. Otherwise it's fake--and your customers can tell. If you don't have passion for what you're supporting, don't do it. Imagine if the evening news covered your cause marketing effort and you had to fake your way through an on-camera interview--you'll crash and burn.
5) Be somebody you're not.
Not only can being fake (see #4) get in the way, being somebody you're not can be just as ridiculous. Being someone you're not is like switching personalities altogether, but you still have the same DNA. KFC tried this back when they tried to re-brand themselves as "Kitchen Fresh Chicken" to appeal to more health-savvy consumers. It blew up in their face and they went back to being who they were--good 'ol fried chicken. The second step in our Storyguide process, the Personality Profile™, can help get this straight.
6) Do it just for the money.
If you're just doing it for the money, you don't get it. Your greed will be apparent (see #4) and it won't work. Cause marketing isn't the golden ticket to instant riches, it's a smart and generous strategy that helps you do well while doing good.
7) Leave employees out in the cold.
Your employees are often your best advertisers. Are you letting them in on your cause marketing initiative and letting them spread the word? Keep employees in the loop and watch cause marketing inspire and motivate them. This is just the sort of thing our Personality Storytelling Workshop™ can help with.
8) Give your customers vague or lacking information.
You need to be transparent about how much good your cause marketing initiative does. Simply saying 'proceeds benefit X' isn't good enough. How much of the proceeds? All? Half? And what do you mean by 'proceeds'? Do you mean gross profit? Net profit? It should be clear how much money from each transaction goes to the nonprofit. And it needs to be clear who that nonprofit is--you need to tell that story (see #4).
9) Give up if you don't immediately see results.
If you don't know what works, how can you do what works? Like most marketing initiatives, cause marketing requires time. It's most effective if you're committed over the long haul. You can't give up after six months. Imagine the benefit if your cause marketing partnership had a 25-year history--that's a powerful story.
10) A crappy product or service.
That's harsh, but if the reason you think you need cause marketing is to make up for some defect in your product or positioning--cause marketing can't fix that. Sure, it'll capture people's attention, but the second they try your goods or services, what will they find? Significant value? Or someone trying to compensate?
Well, those are our top 10. There are of course, others. If you'd like to talk about any of these or how you can position your organization to benefit from the good that cause marketing can do, give us a call. Cause marketing really works, but only when it's done right.
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