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Cause Marketing Archives
August 25, 2008
Creative Capitalism and Bill Gates
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Cause Marketing
The August 11 issue of Time magazine had a great article by Bill Gates titled "How to Fix Capitalism." He makes a case for "creative capitalism" by mashing the economic system in which a free market distributes goods with the power and imagination to create brand-new markets. The result can be life-changing opportunities for the billions of people who have not benefited from Capitalism 1.0.
This idea of creative capitalism and it's not-so-distant cousin, cause marketing, have been a part of Personality conversations for years. We've argued that it should be—and for the most part is—in the DNA of organizations to want to do well by doing good. It's a part of who we are as people and, in turn, what we should be about as organizations of people.
The article also included a sidebar by Barbara Kiviat titled "A Brief History of Creative Capitalism." I could not find this anywhere online to link to, but it does a great job of tracing the roots. She spans from 1799 with Robert Owen and his cotton mill that sets up a fund for sick workers and does not employ children under 10, to American Express creating the term "cause-related marketing" in 1983 for its campaign to help restore the Statue of Liberty.
Continue reading "Creative Capitalism and Bill Gates"
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September 17, 2007
Round Up with JC Penney
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Last Thursday I found myself at the mall shopping for clothes for my daughter who seems to outgrow clothes between trying them on and getting home. We were buying a new coat at JC Penney and the clerk asked if I'd like to round up my purchase to the nearest dollar and donate the extra amount to the the JC Penney Afterschool Fund. Turns out it's the Afterschool Round Up program JC Penney has been offering during the back to school shopping season and it ended on Saturday.
Tired and distracted from an evening shopping with a toddler, I mumbled something incoherent which the salesclerk took for a yes, and before I knew it I had donated a whole penny to a cause marketing campaign. I love the idea because it's so simple and easy, but I'm not a fan of their execution for two reasons.
Continue reading "Round Up with JC Penney"
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September 11, 2007
Young People Care About Causes
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
This year's class of college students cares more about social causes than any group in the last five years, according to the Alloy Marketing and Media's College Explorer Survey. 37% prefer brands and companies that are "socially conscious," up 4% from previous years.
Students specifically ranked fair labor practices, environmental policy and philanthropy as the most important components of being socially conscious. In 2006 a different study of the general population found that 76% of people put a company's employee welfare ahead of all other considerations, underlining the importance of fair labor practices.
"There's a lot of research from Alloy, and other sources, showing that particularly among young people the notion of corporate social responsibility is a loyalty driver," said Samantha Skey, Alloy's executive vice president of strategic marketing.
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September 5, 2007
Big Mac and the Environment
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Just saw this story come across the wire:
"Half-price Big Mac to fight global warming proves big hit in Japan."
It appears that cause marketing's really working in Japan when it comes to environmental issues. Or maybe, Japan just really, really loves Big Macs! Either way, interesting news for those interested in cause marketing.
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August 16, 2007
Boston Market's 'Time For Your School' Works
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
The 'Time For Your School' program from fast food chain Boston Market has given $275,000 to local schools this year. It's a good example of cause marketing on two fronts.
1) Employee Involvement:
"As much as (Boston Market) makes money from the community, we have to give back to the community," says Cassandra Edwards, manager of the New City, N.Y. restaurant and leader of fund-raising efforts for the New York City area.
2) The company and the cause fit well together:
"It feels like a very good fit because Boston Market was basically founded on the idea of home-cooked meals," says Paul Kurnit, clinical professor of marketing at Pace University in Manhattan. (link via Selfish Giving)
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August 10, 2007
Sunkist Takes a Stand
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
This summer thousands of kids across the country took part in the great American tradition of opening lemonade stands--and giving to the charity of their choice. It's part of the Take a Stand campaign from Sunkist. Kids ages 7-12 who want to give back can request a free lemonade stand from Sunkist and donate a portion of their earnings to the charity of their choice.
Take a Stand started in 2004 and Sunkist has sent out more than 23,500 lemonade stands and estimates that kids have donated more than $1.5 million.
This year Sunkist took it up a notch by partnering with Hy-Vee grocery stores to put lemonade stands in front of more than 200 stores to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
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August 8, 2007
Cause Marketing Partnerships That Make Sense
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Selfish Giving points us to a cause marketer's dilemma: Should the urban volunteer organization City Year partner with Pepsi? Some argue that an organization helping inner city youth shouldn't align itself with a product partly responsible for obesity in said youth.
This is the line cause marketers must tread--the altruism of the cause shouldn't be in conflict with the product that's supporting the cause. And that's not always easy. That's why Product Red received criticism--expensive T-shirts can seem like a tacky way to fight AIDS in the poorest regions of the world. The difficulty of cause marketing is finding a campaign that avoids the criticism (in this case it works when Product Red emphasizes that people are buying this stuff anyway, so now it helps someone who wasn't helped before).
Continue reading "Cause Marketing Partnerships That Make Sense"
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July 25, 2007
Cause Marketing That's More Than Wallpaper
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Recently we covered the results from a Cone Inc. survey about corporate good. In a nutshell, people like companies that do good (and we argued that it's about being good, not just doing good).
Now Business Week is suggesting that most cause marketing is wallpaper. Ouch. But they have a point. Few people can connect which corporations support which causes. The writer, David Kiley, is arguing that what the Cone survey really shows it that all people want is a vague understanding that companies are helping causes--and that sets the cause marketing bar awfully low.
Continue reading "Cause Marketing That's More Than Wallpaper"
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July 17, 2007
Good is the New Black: Being vs. Doing
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
At least according to Carol Cone of Cone Inc., who says doing good is always in fashion:
No matter what cause a company stands behind, Ms. Cone maintains it's one thing that will never go out of style with consumers. "Good is the new black today," she said.
And while we had less than encouraging numbers about cause marketing earlier this month, it's clear that causes are still important:
- Two-thirds of people consider a company's business practices before deciding to do business with them.
- 87% would switch brands if one was associated with a cause.
- 92% value companies that promote social causes.
- 83% say corporations have a responsibility to support causes.
- 72% of employees wish their employers would include causes in the business plan.
So if good is in, why is cause marketing slipping?
Continue reading "Good is the New Black: Being vs. Doing"
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July 11, 2007
Corporate Philanthropy is Good for Business
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
"Simply put, a corporation can increase its bottom line by increasing its philanthropic involvement," says Chris Rosica, author of The Cause Marketing Handbook, in an article about the economics of corporate giving.
It's what we've been saying: Doing well by doing good. (link via Selfish Giving)
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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.
Continue reading "Top 10 Ways to Fail at Cause Marketing"
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July 5, 2007
Solution to Cause Marketing Burnout? Be Authentic
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
From Bono to American Idol everybody wants to support a cause. That recent surge in cause marketing means it's getting harder to stand out from the crowd. It also means customers are getting tired and overwhelmed.
A recent study by industry pioneer Carol Cone of Cone Inc. as reported in Business Week found that cause marketing numbers are dropping:
- Bought a product in the previous 12 months after learning of the maker's commitment to a cause: 36% in 2007, down from 43% in 2004.
- Willingly paid more for a product that supports a cause: 14% in 2007, down from 28% in 2004.
- Told a family member or friend about a product or company committed to a cause: 30% in 2007, down from 43% in 2004.
So is cause marketing on the way out? Not hardly. But as with any marketing, you can't do it half-heartedly and expect great results. We've always said that the only way to do cause marketing is authentically--not because it's the in thing. And it just so happens that authenticity is one of the cornerstones of our Personality Storyguide™ process. (link via Selfish Giving via Marketing for Good)
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June 22, 2007
Toast Raises Money for Charity
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
That's right toast--otherwise known as slightly scorched bread--is raising money for charity. Your Name On Toast, a side project thought up and developed by Atto, a little 3-person design studio in Ireland, has raised over $8,000 for a charity that is yet to be selected.
Here's how it works, you submit a donation of $80 or more (the current rate) and the folks at Your Name On Toast will create a piece of toast with your name--or company name or whatever you want--literally on a piece of toast. Your toast links to a url you give and the higher your donation, the higher the placement of your toast on the site. The higher your toast is on the page, the greater likelihood of it generating traffic to your site. It's reminiscent of the Million Dollar Homepage, but for charity and with a sliding placement and pricing scale. That and the toast.
They're still deciding who to give the money to, but you can help decide by voting.
Sounds like a nice built-in incentive to donate--it rewards you for a higher contribution and a well deserving charity makes a decent little chunk of change from it.
It's a really cool little viral cause marketing effort from some new friends on the Emerald Isle.
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June 20, 2007
Adobe Youth Voices
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Adobe is giving young people in underserved communities the tools and platform to voice their opinions, contribute to solving the world's problems and find their purpose.
Adobe is partnering with five youth media organizations from around the world to provide millions in funding, creative software and volunteer support for training young people in underserved communities in the disciplines of print, web design and video. Their goal is to help these students become digitally literate and inspire them to jump in, not give up and let their voices make a difference.
Continue reading "Adobe Youth Voices"
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June 12, 2007
10 Rules for Corporate Social Responsibility
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Here's a good little article if you were wondering what corporate responsibility is--or if you already know--how you could better do it.
The article was written by Leon Gettler a senior business journalist in Australia who writes about a wide range of management issues, including, corporate governance, ethics and all things Sarbanes-Oxley.
He boils effective corporate responsibility down to 10 rules. The first five cover what corporate responsibility actually is. The last five are how to do it well.
The last five rules have cause marketing written all over them, but will only really work when you pay attention to the first five.
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June 1, 2007
On The Move
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Around here, we really like Bono. We're all members of the One Campaign, which exists to end what Bono calls, "brutal, stupid poverty". Some of us have been to Africa and seen with our own eyes what's happening there. So any chance we get to promote greater awareness about the issues that face the African continent, and what we can do to help, we do.
If you've never heard or read the speech that Bono delivered on this topic to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., last year you should take a sec and watch.
If you haven’t heard about On The Move, which is the book capturing this speech on paper, let us introduce you. It's a cause marketing effort. When you buy the book you support the retailers carrying the book, the One Campaign and the wonderful African people they are fighting for. If you want to see the book online before you pick one up, the One campaign has placed a digital sample online.
Or you could just buy it now by clicking on the cover.
Let's help make poverty history.
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May 25, 2007
Make-A-Wish Foundation's 150,000th Wish
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Who hasn't heard of the Make-A-Wish Foundation? And for that matter who doesn’t love the Make-A-Wish Foundation?
Since 1980 they've been in the business of bringing hope and delight to kids battling life-threatening illnesses by becoming their genie in a bottle. I've been what you could call a passive fan of the organization since I was 12 years old. That's when they arranged for a boy my age to meet who I thought was the coolest person in the world--Hulk Hogan. If they were helping kids and knew Hulk Hogan, I was sold... Make-A-Wish was cool!
Well, I’m all grown up and I no longer think that Hulk Hogan is the coolest person in the world. But I’m still a fan of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. So we wanted to let you in on some exciting cause marketing news that our friends at Cone, Inc. told us about.
Continue reading "Make-A-Wish Foundation's 150,000th Wish"
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May 10, 2007
Spider-Man, Keynote Speaker on Corporate Responsibility
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Spider-Man gets it--do you? If you woke up tomorrow with the ability to crawl up walls, swing through city streets and stop bad guys without breaking a sweat, would you choose to be a hero? That's why we love Spidey. He's our friendly neighborhood super hero.
Spider-Man has great power and with it a great opportunity to do what few can--make a significant difference. That opportunity would never be realized without Peter Parker's commitment to responsibility. In the words of Peter's late great Uncle Ben, "With great power, comes great responsibility."
Your business is a lot like Spider-Man. You have great power and because of that, great responsibility--your public perceives it that way and as the ol' saying goes, perception is reality. Let's face it, responsibility can be heavy at times, but it doesn't have to be all "because we have to's." It can be your business' greatest opportunity to do a lot of good and reap the rewards of a hero--from profit to praise.
Cause marketing is a great way for your corporate responsibility to swing into action. If you'd like to be a hero, do some good and get applauded for it. Drop us a line, we'd love to be your first fan and help you take a step closer to being known as, "Your friendly neighborhood [fill in the blank].
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May 7, 2007
World Red Cross/Red Crescent Day 2007
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
May 8 is a day to say thanks to an organization that has helped and continues to help countless people all around the world. We're all familiar with them and their involvement in jumping to the rescue.
Many times those that jump to help others go unnoticed--so to everyone who has ever given to the Red Cross so that they could help, or to all those who work with the Red Cross or Red Crescent around the world--we just want to say thanks!
When people help people, we're the most like our true selves. And it's beautiful!
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May 3, 2007
Baskin-Robbin's 31-Cent Ice Cream Scoops for Charity
Posted by Brian Zopf | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Earlier this week ice cream scoops at your neighborhood Baskin-Robbins were just 31 cents per scoop! That's right, a 2.5 oz scoop for such a creamy steal! So what's the catch? Cause marketing.
The revenues raised from scoops sold on May 2nd (a reported $100,000) will go to the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation--a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization created by Congress in 1992 to honor America’s fallen fire heroes, assist their families and co-workers, and support research to prevent further in-the-line-of-duty deaths. Headquartered in Emmitsburg, Md., the Foundation receives funding through private donations from caring individuals, organizations, other foundations and corporations--like Baskin-Robbins!
Continue reading "Baskin-Robbin's 31-Cent Ice Cream Scoops for Charity"
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April 30, 2007
4 Hours Volunteering = 1 Free Concert
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Riding the bus from the train station to my office (yes, there is public transit in Los Angeles--and yes, some people actually use it) I spotted a poster that caught my eye. The poster read, "4 Hours 1 Ticket, Boost Mobile RockCorps." When I got into the office I went to the web site and was excited by what I found.
Boost Mobile has put together a literal movement through a cause marketing initiative, that organizes hundreds and soon to be thousands of largely young adults (which by the way, is their business's target market) in order to partner with local non-profits that are serving in their communities. In exchange for signing up and serving for four hours, each person gets one ticket to a major concert with huge headline performers. You can't get into this concert unless you've been one of the volunteers on the street sweating and getting dirty.
Obviously the humanitarian implications for this thing are huge and really exciting. But perhaps the less obvious point is how brilliant this is from a business standpoint. Boost Mobile's customers are media-hungry, music-loving young adults who are hungry to do something more with their lives, to experience more than what they get over their mobile phones. Thus a brilliant cause marketing initiative is born.
This isn't just a cause marketing campaign, this is a brand strategy which infuses cause marketing. It's a look at the future, and it's coming to a neighborhood near you.
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April 26, 2007
American Idol Gives Back
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Just in case you live under a rock or don't like pop culture and missed it, American Idol reportedly raised $30 million dollars over two nights (last night and Tuesday night) for a mix of non-profits here in the states and in Africa.
My wife and I haven't really watched this season of American Idol, but we tuned in last night to watch and was really excited and moved by what I saw. Granted there are a lot of opinions dancing out there--everything from slams to praises.
Continue reading "American Idol Gives Back"
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April 12, 2007
Google Earth Fights Genocide
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
While it's not technically cause marketing, Google's partnership with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum to bring light to the crisis in Darfur is great example of a business and non-profit working together so everybody wins.
Google's satellite imagery software Google Earth is offering an educational feature to show the destruction of villages and displacement of millions in the Darfur region of Sudan.
It's hard to call it cause marketing because no one is selling a product (Google Earth is free), but the idea is still the same. Google gets good publicity and respect in the eyes of the public. The U.S. Holocaust Museum gets plenty of awareness to their cause of fighting genocide and the halo effect of working with a respectable business.
Everybody wins.
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March 16, 2007
Why the (Red) Backlash is Off Color
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Newsweek covers the (Product) Red backlash in Rage Over (Red), but they still don't get it:
Newsweek asks, "And when did shopping become the best way to help poor children in Africa?"
Whoever said shopping was the best way to help poor children in Africa? It's not. It's a way to help, in addition to multiple other efforts, from volunteering to donating to spreading the word.
Continue reading "Why the (Red) Backlash is Off Color"
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Dr. Seuss & the Cat in the Hat Help Kids Read
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
The book The Cat in the Hat by Dr. Seuss celebrates its 50th anniversary this month. Dr. Seuss published the book in 1957 in response to a challenge that children's books were too boring and kids weren't learning how to read. So he wrote a book using only 236 different words--simple enough to help kids learn to read, but enough fun to keep them hooked.
In celebration of 50 years Random House and Dr. Seuss Enterprises are teaming up with First Book, a non-profit that gives children in low-income families a chance to read and own their first book:
- Random House Children's Books will donate one book to First Book for every birthday card the Cat in the Hat receives, up to 1 million books. You can design and submit a card online or send a handmade one. According to the tally online, they've so far received more than 1.2 million cards.
- Random House will also donate one book to First Book for every Dr. Seuss book purchased between January 9 and May 7, 2007, up to 1 million books (a receipt needs to be mailed to Random House to confirm the purchase).
- Build-A-Bear Workshops are also getting in on the celebration, offering a chance to make your own Cat in the Hat stuffed animal (through March 23) and they'll donate a portion of the proceeds to First Book. (link via Selfish Giving)
Update: Random House has upped its pledge. They'll now donate one book for every birthday card received up to two million books.
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March 13, 2007
Social vs. Cause Marketing & $75 Off a Seminar
Posted by Brian Zopf | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Social marketing is defined as: "The use of proven marketing principles to influence social behavior." Instead of selling products or services you're 'selling' ideas and attitudes in hopes of changing the way people think and live. It's more than just marketing for non-profits. An anti-childhood obesity campaign--paid for by the state or an activist group--would be an example of social marketing. The goal is to change behavior, and 'measurables' would be drawn accordingly. There may be a hotline people can call for help, seminars requested at local community centers or a web site monitoring hits. The campaign would obviously require funding to run, but the focus is entirely on the betterment of society through education and the shifting of attitudes.
Continue reading "Social vs. Cause Marketing & $75 Off a Seminar"
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March 6, 2007
Get Married and Do Good
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
In a cause marketing world weddings are about more than two people's love for each other. Weddings are also about two people's love for the rest of the world. The I Do Foundation gives brides and grooms the option of turning components of their wedding into charitable donations:
- The gift registry that gives back: A percentage of each item purchased from the registry through major retailers like Target and Linens & Things can be donated to the charity of the bride and groom's choice.
- Charity Registry: Ask guests to donate to needy charities instead of the bride and groom.
- Wedding favors for charity: Instead of wedding favors the bride and groom can make a donation to the charity of their choice and put out place cards explaining the donation.
- Charitable invitations: 10% of the invitation purchase can go to charity.
The I Do Foundation has an audacious and inspired goal to change the way weddings are done:
It is our vision that, in time, charitable giving will become an integral part of the culture of weddings and other life events. By incorporating a charitable focus into life celebrations, we help families establish a pattern of giving that will last a lifetime.
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March 5, 2007
Quit Picking on (Red)
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Cause Marketing
It's too easy to pick on (Product) Red for being a marketing gimmick attempting to help a good cause. From Buy (Less) Crap to a recent article by AdAge's Mya Frazier, it's obvious the critics have been waiting to pounce on this one. Not so fast.
I realize that one of the jobs (at least it used to be I think) of the media is to hold society accountable, but I hate it when the media starts an attack with a weak argument. I understand that over $100 million has gone into launching Red, including product development, ads, creative, media buys, etc. And I realize that just $18 million has actually gone to fight the cause that Red is about.
But there is a question the critics are not answering. Would the $18 million given back to the cause have happened without the Red model? I don't think so. Furthermore, what has been the impact in terms of awareness brought to the world of cause marketing, and how many other causes will benefit from Red's mainstream lead in the marketplace?
The other problem with the argument against Red, especially from the Buy (Less) Crap world, is that the next generation of consumers are not giving money unless reciprocity is at play. With increasing personal debt loads and a craving for more crud, consumerism is not going away any time soon. I'm all for fighting consumerism, but let's at least let causes win and trick our selfishness into doing good.
If you're giving money directly to help causes, keep it up. If you're not, please keep buying products and services that do!
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Buy (Less) Crap
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Not everybody likes Bono's (Product) Red campaign where a portion of the proceeds from Apple iPods, Motorola Razrs, Gap T-shirts and more go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS. Buy (Less) Crap is counter-campaign encouraging people to buy less and give more with the slogan, "Shopping is not a solution." Instead they encourage people to donate directly to charities.
"When donations are based on percentages of profit and the accounting methods are not transparent, you can spend $100 on a (RED) product with the notion that you're helping to save lives in Africa--but there is no assurance that any of that $100 will actually reach the cause. Not one (RED) cent," says Ben Davis, founder of Words Pictures Ideas, one of the organizations behind Buy (Less) Crap.
Their criticism of cause marketing showcases an important factor: transparency. Saying you're helping people isn't enough. You need to actually help people and you need to be transparent about how it happens. It's a good lesson for cause marketers.
And while Buy (Less) Crap does have a good message, they forget the concept that cause marketing is about helping everybody win. It's not simply buying something for the sake of buying something. It's helping a charity while still buying the chicken noodle soup you need. Not everybody needs an iPod, but if you're going to buy one anyway, why not help charity while you're at it? That's the goal and the hope of cause marketing.
(link via Selfish Giving)
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February 26, 2007
GQ for Generosity
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
The 50-year-old men's magazine GQ that stands for the epitome of style is about to add generosity to their long-standing tradition of style. The magazine launched the Gentlemen's Fund to celebrate their 50th anniversary. The charitable project will raise money for five different organizations in five different areas (opportunity, health, education, environment and justice).
“It’s cool using the name for more than looking good,” said spokesman and singer John Legend, who agreed to represent the fund for free. “If you want to be a GQ man, you should give.” In addition to donations, the fund will also be raising money through eBay auctions and partner products like a Nautica deck shirt. (link via Selfish Giving)
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February 23, 2007
Donors Don't Trust You
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
The president of Charity Navigator, an organization that evaluates charities, offers a stat that should be scary news for non-profits: 20% of the donations made through Network for Good (a Charity Navigator partner) were made anonymously. These donors chose to give money to a specific charity and then asked to be kept anonymous. The organizations receiving the donation had no idea who gave the money and had no way to respond or thank them.
So why would someone choose to donate this way?
The most likely reason is that these donors have no interest in being contacted by the charity they're donating to. They like the cause, but not the non-profit. They're received one too many pieces of junk mail. And they're cutting you off. Charities have dropped the ball by not courting donors and donors are getting sick of it. The next logical step? No more donations, anonymous or otherwise.
So what's a non-profit to do?
Continue reading "Donors Don't Trust You"
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February 9, 2007
Facebook Gifts & Susan G. Komen for the Cure
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Causes are benefiting from social networking. First there's the MySpace Impact Awards and now Facebook has teamed up with Susan G. Komen for the Cure (formerly the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation) to offer Valentine's Day gifts.
The "gifts" are Valentine's Day themed icons (designed by Susan Kare, who designed the original Mac icons) you can give to another Facebook user to be displayed on their profile (if they so choose). The first gift is free but then gifts are $1 each with at least $0.50 per dollar going to fight breast cancer for the month of February.
Continue reading "Facebook Gifts & Susan G. Komen for the Cure"
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February 6, 2007
Cause Marketing vs. Government Mandate
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
We've talked before about the benefits of compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) and Wal-Mart jumping on the CFL bandwagon, but now it seems the state of California may be joining the club:
The "How Many Legislators Does it Take to Change a Lightbulb Act" would ban incandescent lightbulbs by 2012 in favor of energy-saving compact fluorescent lightbulbs.
Who needs to legislate morality when we can legislate efficiency? It's good to see the government backing more efficient lightbulbs that can save energy and money and be better all the way around, but I wish it weren't a mandatory thing. That's part of the joy of cause marketing. It piggybacks with what people are already doing and works with them, providing incentive rather than punishment.
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February 3, 2007
How Non-Profits Can Cut Clutter and Connect with Audiences
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
The Carnival of Non-Profit Consultants offers a collection of helpful links for causes and the most recent is Nancy Schwartz's collection of entries about How Nonprofit Communicators Can Cut Through the Clutter to Engage Overloaded Audiences. Loads of useful content, but here's the best of the best:
- Faces Make Messages That Stick - The story of Buttons of Hope, an organization that literally puts a face on fundraising.
- Getting Attention for a Bargain - The Houtlust offers more than a dozen visual examples of non-profit ad campaigns carried out with little cash but still have a huge impact.
- The Death of B.S. and the Rise of Authenticity - Out of the box ideas on how to inspire donors and reconnect them with the passion of your organization.
- Not-for-Profits Have the Gift of Stories - Steve Bridger recommends non-profits tell stories, something we highly recommend and can teach you how to do. As an example, he points to something we covered before, the water buffalo video.
- Cutting Through - Two inspiring examples of how non-profits can connect with donors and accomplish their mission while also raising money.
- 5 Steps to Cutting Through the Communications Flash, Floam and Fluff - Leave the wristbands to Lance, keep it simple, connect with a star, seize the open-minded moment, and take risks and fail. Good stuff.
- Greatest Givers - A chart comparing philanthropic heavyweights like Rockefeller and Carnegie with recent big givers like Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
- Donor Disenchantment - Only one in 10 Americans think charities are "honest and ethical" in the way they use donated funds.
- Why We Give - Exploring the reasons Americans donate, including a history of the charitable tax write-off.
- Grant Away - Why venture philanthropy is important, even if it sounds ridiculous.
- Market Magic - A stock market of sorts for the non-profit world that could turn donors into investors and reap more cash for cash-strapped non-profits.
- How to Give Away a Million Dollars - Lots of smart people speculate on how they would give away $1 million.
- Online donors are young--averaging 39-40 years old--compared to 60+ for offline donors.
- Online donors tend to donate more on average than offline donors.
- Online giving is the method of choice for times of disaster. One-third of the 2004 tsunami donations were made online, more than twice the proportion of gifts following 9/11. Half of the donations made in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were made online.
- 96% of online donors have given offline in the past, so online donors aren't new to giving.
- 66% of college freshmen said it is essential or very important to help those in need, the highest response in 25 years, according to USA Today. 83% said they volunteered at least occasionally during their senior year, another record, and 67% said they'd keep the volunteer trend up in college, also a record.
- 34% of high school seniors performed community service in 2001, up from 24% in 1980, according to the New York Times. 10% of high school students volunteer on a weekly basis.
- An animation depicting the epidemic in Africa
- A slide show about one man's life with HIV
- World AIDS Day
- UN AIDS
- MSF
- World Vision
- D.A.T.A.
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January 25, 2007
Putting the Fun in Fundraising
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
A mustache-growing contest in Washington, D.C., dubbed the 'Sweet 'Stache ManPageant' raised more than $3,000 for a local non-profit that helps kids with cancer ("Lip hair is because we care," said Mr. Sweet 'Stache 2006 Steve Weldon). The dating auction Babes for Boobs raised over $5,000 last year by auctioning singles and allowing its organizer to participate in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. Another fundraising plan for the same event raised $1,000 with an online match-making service. The Couch Potato Party bar crawl (organized by the same folks who did the mustache contest) raised $500 for the Homeless Children's Playtime Project, but in the process also signed up 80 people for an upcoming walk for the homeless.
It's the new face of fundraising and charity: Young people who want to help a cause and have fun doing it.
Continue reading "Putting the Fun in Fundraising"
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Giving Leads to More Sales
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Research
For every $1 a company donates they can expect sales to go up by as much as $6, according to a new research report mentioned in The Chronicle of Philanthropy.
"Contributions have this advertising effect to them, this image-enhancing effect to them. What we see is giving goes up first and then we see the sales go up," said Christine Petrovits, an assistant professor of accounting at New York University Stern School of Business and a co-author of the report.
Companies that sell directly to consumers like retailers, finanical institutions and electronics manufacturers saw the most direct econcomic benefit from giving, but other companies also saw tangible benefits that had a less-direct economic component. The report advises businesses publicize their philanthropy to see the biggest return.
(link via Selfish Giving)
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January 19, 2007
What is Cause Marketing?
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Whitepapers
At the most basic cause marketing is about making a living while making life worth living. It's doing something good and making money at the same time. It's helping a local charity and selling widgets.
What is Cause Marketing? (PDF, 96 KB, 2 pages)
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January 17, 2007
Donating a Real Water Buffalo
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
So Philip Greenspun wanted to donate a water buffalo to a family in Asia. Seems like a practical way to make a donation.
However, the Heifer International web site where Greenspun hoped to make his donation said it was just a symbolic contribution and would go to Heifer International's general fund to help struggling families. So Greenspun wouldn't be buying a water buffalo that would go to a needy family. He'd be buying into a not quite honest marketing campagin.
Enter the Internet.
Continue reading "Donating a Real Water Buffalo"
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January 16, 2007
Invisible Children and Guess
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
If you've got your Product (Red) sneakers and hoodies, perhaps it's time to expand your cause-supporting wardrobe. The Guess apparel retailer and the non-profit Invisible Children have teamed up to offer an Invisible Children T-shirt and DVD pack. You get a copy of the Invisible Children rough cut DVD and a specially designed Invisible Children T-shirt.
It's the brainchild of 14-year-old Olivia and 16-year-old Caroline, daughters of Maurice Marciano, the founder and co-ceo of Guess?. They saw the Invisible Children story on Oprah and were inspired to do something. Their father loved the idea, but insisted that they do all the work to make the project happen.
The shirts and DVD should be in stores now.
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December 21, 2006
Good Magazine
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
If you don't think cause is in, think again. There's even a magazine covering the topic, Good magazine. When you subscribe, they even donate 100% of the profits to the charity of your choice. Why? It's smart cause marketing. Rather than spend boatloads of money trying to lure subscribers, they can let subscribers support a cause. Subscriptions don't pay for magazines anyway. So far they have over 10,000 subscribers and have raised more than $200,000 towards their goal of $1 million.
You can check out the most of the latest issue or their blog online for more from Good.
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YouthNoise Promotes Causes and Joins Causes
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
YouthNoise is a social networking site for teens interested in causes. It connects teens, rallies them around various causes and gives them a platform to debate and showcase their favorite cause. It's MySpace with a point.
Not only that, but YouthNoise is doing cause marketing, joining up with Virgin Mobile and Stand Up for Kids to fight teen homelessness.
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December 20, 2006
Be of Good Cheer, Snoopy
Posted by Brian Zopf | Filed under: Cause Marketing
What are some simple, everyday things you can do to help others that won't cost a dime?
The answers are out there all around us, but too often we're victims of 'all-or-nothing' thinking. We figure we have to sell everything we own, give it all to the poor, and move to the deepest heart of Africa in order to do any good. Nonsense. If you want to sell the family farm and give the proceeds to the poor I'll be the first to admire and acknowledge you for sainthood. Heck, I loved the story of Robin Hood as a kid. Still do. But as great a sacrifice as that would be, the real tragedy is the number of opportunities all around us everyday that are missed. Now those are powerful smelling salts that would make Maid Marion blush!
Have you ever seen someone less fortunate--either on the street, on TV, or elsewhere--and been really moved? Maybe you prayed that God would send help? Well, guess what? He just did.
One of my favorite Peanuts cartoons by the late artist Charles Schulz is a simple 4-frame comic that has stuck with me since my youth. In the 1st frame Snoopy stands shivering next to his doghouse in the snow. In the second frame Charlie and Linus come by, all bundled in their winter faire. Upon seeing Snoopy freezing, Linus leans down to pat his head and says: “Be of good cheer, Snoopy.” To which Charlie responds: “Yes. Be of good cheer.” They walk on together and the final frame shows Snoopy, still freezing, outside in the cold.
The message is quiet, but clear--powerful, and convicting. The tragedy wasn't their lack of compassion, but their lack of action. They didn't do anything. Well-wishers are one thing; but actions speak louder than words.
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December 12, 2006
St. Jude Holiday Cards
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
With the days until Christmas ticking away, I needed Christmas cards. And I needed to get them in the mail. But why send any card when I can send a card that does more than just offer holiday greetings?
St. Jude Children's Research Hospital teamed up with Yahoo! Photos and Target to offer holiday cards. You upload your picture to Yahoo! Photos, select one of four cards designed by St. Jude patients, and pick up the finished cards at Target. 100% of the net profits go to St. Jude. My friends and family get a cute picture of my daughter. And the cards were ready in a few hours.
I'm loving this cause marketing thing. I can support a charity and get what I need anyway. Everybody wins.
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December 7, 2006
Year End Giving
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
With the end of the year rapidly approaching many people are thinking about making an end of the year charitable donation. Money magazine explores how to be smart about how you give so you can be sure your donation does the most good possible.
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December 6, 2006
iTunes and Killers offer (Product) Red Song
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
If you're like me and love the concept of (Product) Red but can't bring yourself to pay $60 for a hoodie at the Gap--even if it does fight AIDS--you might rejoice in the news that iTunes and the Killers have teamed off to offer a (Product) Red single. The song, "A Great Big Sled", is available on iTunes for 99 cents and 100% of the proceeds go to (Product) Red.
"It's our attempt at a Christmas song, and to be honest, it just sort of came to me out of the air," lead singer Brandon Flowers told MTV. " Plus, it was just nice to have it go to the (RED) campaign. We wanted to help out, and instead of us doing a Gap ad, we wrote a song."
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December 4, 2006
Making Dreams Come True with Disney, Alaska Airlines and the Make-A-Wish Foundation
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Last month Alaska Airlines debuted the "Spirit of Make-A-Wish" aircraft, which featured the Genie from Disney's Aladdin painted on the side. The plane celebrates the partnership between Alaska Airlines, Disney and the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. For the plane's inaugural flight the passengers were six Make-A-Wish children and their families flying to Disneyland to have their wishes granted.
Alaska Airlines has partnered with the Make-A-Wish Foundation for 20 years and provides air travel for approximately 100 children to have their wishes granted each year.
It's a fun example of businesses coming together to help a non-profit, and ultimately help a good cause.
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December 1, 2006
World Aids Day, Product Red Day?
Posted by Brad Abare | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Today is World Aids Day, and thanks to Bono and (Product) Red a lot more of us actually know this.
It's astonishing (and encouraging) how many mainstream message makers are getting behind this. Google did the thing they rarely ever do and created a link on their home page for today's occasion. London's Independent went all red in print and online today. Armani is turning their stores red today to celebrate the arrival of their new RED collection. Read more examples on the (Product) Red news page.
We've talked about (Product) Red so many times before. It is certainly one of the hottest and most wide spread examples of what cause marketing is all about.
Go Red.
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November 30, 2006
Oil for Peace in the Middle East
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
You probably thought the title of this entry was crazy--oil, peace, the Middle East?! Not so fast we're not crazy--this oil, doesn't come out the ground, it isn't black, and it's much more likely to be used in your kitchen than in your car. Allow us to introduce you to Peace Oil, the only extra virgin olive oil produced in the Carmel Mountains of Northern Israel by Jews, Arabs, Druze and Bedouin for the mutual benefit of their shared communities.
The idea is a great one; encourage commerce through joint participation in the development and manufacturing of a region specific product, the hopeful success of the product brings financial reward and in-turn inspires others to do likewise. Peace Oil is the initiative of The Charities Advisory Trust in the UK. The initiative is committed to helping build peace and reconciliation in the Middle East.
We recommend picking up a bottle, and we also recommend hummus to go with it. Mmm... good! (link via idUnited)
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November 28, 2006
Cause Marketing Raises Consciousness
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
CNN reports on cause marketing and gift giving in the video "Spend without guilt," which features Product Red and Cook for the Cure, a partnership between KitchenAid and the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. Last year the Susan Komen Foundation raised more than $35 million from corporate partnerships.
"The best cause marketing campaigns are not just about raising money, they're about raising consciousness," says Tom Watson of Changing Our World, Inc. "So the really good ones get people excited about a cause." (link via Selfish Giving)
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November 27, 2006
MSNBC on Giving
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Charity is a hot topic as MSNBC has followed the example of the New York Times and Slate in offering a special section devoted to causes and philanthropy: Give and Take. Some of the interesting articles include:
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November 22, 2006
The Philanthropy and Entrepreneurial Mashup
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
These days billionaires aren't hording their money and protecting their status on the lists of the world's richest people. Instead they're giving their money away, often applying strict business ideals to their donation--making it more venture philanthropy or social investment than pure charity.
Ten years ago the online magazine Slate started their own list--this time tracking the biggest charitable contributions. They recently gathered those big givers together at the Slate 60 Conference on Innovative Philanthropy, and it was clear that causes are more willing than ever to follow business ideals in order to make a difference. To celebrate the ten year mark, Slate has published a slew of articles on giving (much like the recent New York Times section):
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November 14, 2006
Retailers Embracing Causes
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
A Kenneth Cole jacket at Saks Fifth Avenue that supports the homeless. An Elton John candle at Bath & Body Works that fights AIDS. Baskets at Macy's hand-woven by survivors of the Rwandan genocide. And of course the Red campaign with Red branded products from Apple, Gap and more, all fighting AIDS. All examples from a New York Times article exploring the rash of philanthropic consumerism. Bottom line? Causes and corporations are joining together like never before.
As a result, retail executives and philanthropy experts said, charity is no longer an option--it is a requirement for stores. "It is a cost of doing business today," said John Morris, a stock analyst at Wachovia Securities who tracks retailers.
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November 3, 2006
Youth with a Cause
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
The youth have spoken and they have a cause. A recent study surveyed 1,800 people between the ages of 13 and 25 and found that causes matter for young people.
Especially when it comes to where they shop and how they spend their money:
89% are likely or very likely to switch from one brand to another (price and quality being equal) if the second brand is associated with a good cause.
83% will trust a company more if it is socially/environmentally responsible.
74% are more likely to pay attention to a company's message when they see that the company has a deep commitment to a cause.
69% consider a company's social/environmental commitment when deciding where to shop.
66% will consider a company’s social/environmental commitment when deciding whether to recommend its products and services.
Continue reading "Youth with a Cause"
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October 24, 2006
Think Before You Pink: Will Pink Ribbons Solve Breast Cancer?
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
October is breast cancer awareness month--in case you haven't noticed the pink ribbons on everything from breath mints to bagels, from soup to Serta mattresses. But not everyone is as excited about the cavalcade of pink products offering undisclosed percentages of the purchase price as a donation to fight breast cancer.
"If you think you're going to solve the problem by buying Yoplait, you've got another thing coming," says Barbara Brenner of Breast Cancer Action, an organization that started Think Before You Pink, an online campaign to educate consumers. The campaign points out that few products divulge how much of each purchase is going to fight breast cancer, and often the cause "to fight breast cancer" is vague and doesn't cite specific organizations.
The charge is that the partnerships aren't always as favorable as they seem, sometimes with only a penny on the dollar going to charity. So in the end companies are getting boatloads of goodwill for supporting the cause against breast cancer, but the support doesn't match the hype. Instead of supporting causes, companies can be seen as leaching causes.
It's the danger of doing cause marketing wrong and consumers will have to decide whether or not buying pink will make a difference, . While the ideal for cause marketing is that everybody wins, in the end the cause is king. The cause has to win. Otherwise it's just selling out.
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October 19, 2006
Is Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty the Real Deal?
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
We've talked about the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty before, but it gets especially interesting with the release of a new time-lapse video showing the make-up and Photoshop process that creates a "beautiful" billboard model (also available on YouTube).
Dove is going all out to change perceptions, including the Dove Self Esteem Fund and a global study that found that 67% of women withdraw from life because of how they feel about their looks and 90% of women want to change at least one aspect of their physical appearance.
As great as it is to see honesty in the marketing of beauty products, you have to wonder how deep it goes. Is this the real deal?
Continue reading "Is Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty the Real Deal?"
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October 17, 2006
Michael Medved Questions Red Campaign
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
While Apple has joined the Red bandwagon and released a red iPod Nano with $10 of each purchase going to fight AIDS--not everyone is so thrilled with the Red Campaign. In case you missed our earlier entry, the Red Campaign is a collection of product offerings from major companies including Apple, the Gap and Converse, where a portion of the profits go to the Global Fund to fight AIDS. It's doing well while doing good.
Radio talk show host Michael Medved apparently dismissed the idea behind the Red Campaign (we're going on blogger reports here, since Medved doesn't offer show archives online), saying that it serves to distract people from the real problems in Africa and simply encourages consumerism.
It's a valid criticism against any cause marketing endeavor. Non-profits and businesses need to be sure that any partnership is going to make sense. There's a certain irony to throwing a black tie dinner at a swanky restaurant to raise money for a soup kitchen. That's a distraction.
But I think Red works for four reasons:
Continue reading "Michael Medved Questions Red Campaign"
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Online Giving Report
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Network for Good, an online donation portal for non-profits, has released The Young and the Generous Study, a free PDF report detailing online donation habits. The report is limited to giving through Network for Good, so it's not necessarily reflective of the entire industry, though it does cover $100 million in online donations to 23,000 charities.
A few highlights:
(link via Nonprofit Blog Exchange)
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October 5, 2006
Buy Stuff. Fight AIDS.
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
That's the basic premise of Red. A number of companies including Motorola, Gap, Converse and American Express have joined Red to sell branded products with a percentage of the profit going to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. The idea is that people are buying this stuff anyway, so why not buy stuff that will help fight AIDS? It's the brainchild of U2's Bono and the Kennedy family's Bobby Shriver, the same folks who have been involved in other idealistic ventures like One and DATA. Only this time around there's money to be made.
"Gap in the beginning couldn't understand how they were going to make money," Shriver said. "They wanted to do a T-shirt and give us all the money. But, we want them to make money. We don't want anyone to be thinking, 'I'm not making money on this thing,' because then we failed. We want people buying houses in the Hamptons based on this because, if that happens, this thing is sustainable."
And that's the deal. It needs to be a sustainable venture. It's doing well while doing good.
"I could go with my begging bowl every year to a major corporation and say 'give me some money,' and they might give me a one-off contribution, but it wouldn't be large and it wouldn't be sustainable," Global Fund Executive Director Dr. Richard Feachem said. "Red is intrinsically sustainable because Red is good for the companies."
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October 4, 2006
Groceries for Breast Cancer
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
October is breast cancer awareness month and Kroger grocery stores are planning to donate $3 million as part of a "pink tag" event. Select products throughout the store will have pink tags and purchasing these products will help support breast cancer research and awareness. Campbell's Soup has also shed their familiar red and white label for a pink and white label on 7 million cans of chicken noodle and tomato soup, exclusively in Kroger stores. Campbell's will be selling twice the amount of soup they normally do in Kroger stores and will be donating $250,000 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation.
Campbell's donation amounts to 3.5 cents per can, and considering that they'll sell twice as much soup as normal, it's a win for everybody. Advertising Age points out the benefit of these kind of partnerships:
According to a 2004 survey on cause marketing done by Boston brand-strategy firm Cone, 91% of 1,033 consumers say they have a more positive image of a company or product when it supports a cause and 90% will consider switching to another company if it's aligned with a cause.
(link via Selfish Giving)
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September 25, 2006
Participant: Making Movies with a Cause
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Who says Hollywood is self-absorbed and soulless? That image may be changing thanks to Jeff Skoll and Participant Productions and their string of movies with a cause: North Country (sexual harassment), Syriana (tackling the oil industry), Good Night, and Good Luck (McCarthyism and freedom of the press), Murderball (disabilities), Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth (the environment) and the upcoming Fast Food Nation (taking on the fast food industry).
"Ultimately, the goal here is to build a brand around social relevance in media," says Skoll, former eBay president and rich guy looking to make the world a better place. Every movie Participant produces has to be commercially viable and promote awareness about one of six key issues: the environment, health, human rights, institutional responsibility, peace and tolerance, and social and economic equity. They also pair each movie with an action campaign to make that social relevance happen.
"It can't be good-for-you spinach, or it's not going to work," says Ricky Strauss, Participant's president. "The more mainstream the story, the more opportunity to make an impact." In other words this isn't just do-gooder stuff. It's making money while changing the world.
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September 22, 2006
Stephon Marbury's $15 Basketball Shoes
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
NBA star Stephon Marbury has created his own line of athletic apparel, but you won't see the sky high prices like $150 Air Jordans. Marbury's shoes will sell for $14.98. In fact, everything in his line--including high quality leather jackets, hoodies, hats, jeans and shoes--will sell for under $15 exclusively at Steve & Barry's, a national apparel retailer.
Marbury grew up in the projects of Brooklyn, N.Y. and could never afford the ultra-expensive shoes and apparel that were marketed to urban children like him. So he started his line--dubbed Starbury--to offer something affordable. And also big on style and quality. His shoes and clothes are made from the same stuff as the more expensive lines.
"This is not about basketball," Marbury told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "Everything we're doing is motivated by us, just being a group of people who feel it's time for change."
So far the change is working: Starbury shoes are selling out. Proof positive that a cause can still be good for business.
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September 21, 2006
Strive to Stand for Something
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Forget the dotcom boom when young workers wanted cash and ridiculous perks. Today's teens care about something more. 78% of teens said personal fulfillment ranked higher than cash, according to Business Week. It fits with the increase in volunteerism and will impact all kinds of decisions, from what kind of clothes to buy to what companies to work for.
"One study by Energy BBDO, a Chicago ad agency affiliated with BBDO Worldwide, concluded that to succeed with this group, brands can't just strive to stand out, they 'must strive to stand for something.'"
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September 18, 2006
Wash for Life: Give Teens a Cause or They'll Start One
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
On Saturday, September 16, 2006 teens in 41 states across the country washed cars to support crisis pregnancy centers. It's part of Wash for Life, a student-led organization rallying pro-life teens to do something more than protest abortion.
It's just one example of how young people are volunteering like never before:
Students today believe in causes and want to work with those causes. And if they can't find a cause to work with, they'll start their own, like Wash for Life.
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September 15, 2006
Pale is the New Tan: Fight Skin Cancer
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Neutrogena has teamed up with the American Cancer Society to fight skin cancer caused by sun damange. Part of the partnership includes an awareness campaign to promote the dangers of tanning, whether it's on the beach or at a tanning salon. The plan includes a special "Pale is the New Tan" T-shirt, available only at Amazon.com, with $3 from every purchase going to the American Cancer Society. Neutrogena also pitched in 15 cents from every sun care product sold in May 2006, a minimum donation of $400,000.
It's a classic example of cause marketing. The American Cancer Society gets exposure, donations and increased awareness about skin cancer. Win, win, win. Neutrogena gets positive buzz for supporting a good cause and style points for the T-shirt. Win and win. What does the public get? Hopefully not skin cancer. That's a win.
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September 9, 2006
Wal-Mart: Changing the World with Lightbulbs
Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks | Filed under: Cause Marketing
Wal-Mart isn't exactly a corporate role model with its reputation for crushing small businesses, paying low wages and encouraging outsourcing so it can slash prices. But the giant retailer is working on that reputation by focusing on causes. They beat the government in passing out relief supplies after Hurricane Katrina and now they're turning their attention to the lightbulb.
The compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFLs for short) to be more specific, which uses 75-80% less electricity than conventional bulbs—a savings on your electric bill which covers the premium price in about five months—and can last up to a decade. Wal-Mart is pushing the bulbs in a partnership with manufacturer GE in an effort to save customers money, use less energy and create less trash in our landfills.
Wal-Mart jumped on the idea when someone did the math and realized Wal-Mart would save $6 million per year just by putting CFLs in their ceiling fan displays. You can read more about it in the Fast Company article, "How Many Lightbulbs Does it Take to Change the World?"
It's a simple example of how cause marketing isn't always about volunteers and donations. Businesses can support causes and support the bottom line. Everybody wins.
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December 1, 2005
Think AIDS Relief
Posted by Shawn Stewart | Filed under: Cause Marketing
As you may or may not know, today is World AIDS Day. Here is one fact for consideration: Today while we meet deadlines, work deals, sell product, enjoy good food and laugh about the latest movie around the water cooler, 6,500 Africans (alone) will die of AIDS.
Around here we're considering that permission to take a few moments out of our day today to do what we honestly don't do enough of--allow ourselves to feel and actually think about what is happening to countless people around the world who suffer from this disease. This isn't a guilt trip, just an urge--first to ourselves, and then to you--to slow down and think about it.
As someone who has been to Africa and has seen the immense needs, I urge you to get informed and see where you might be able to help. There are many places on the web to go for information, here are just a few:
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