Wouldn’t it be nice if you could pump up your brand and do something good at the same time? Dream no longer because that’s where cause marketing comes in!
If you want to be successful, you’re going to have to do some form of marketing. After all, a good product with bad marketing will almost always do worse than a bad product with good marketing.
Why Cause Marketing?
Where many marketing tactics have one goal in mind (more leads for example), cause marketing can actually help your brand achieve multiple objectives at once.
Enhance Your Image
Firstly, it can help you achieve your much-need corporate responsibility mandate. Today, 70% of consumers say they want to know how brands are addressing social or environmental issues and 46% say they pay close attention to a brand’s actions.
Build Community
With so many different choices available to the consumer, most (more than most) are choosing brands they feel a deeper connection with. If your brand can show that it cares about a cause they care about, you’ll have a much better chance of creating a long-term relationship.
Boost Morale and Productivity
The benefits of cause marketing aren’t just external, they can actually help your team feel better and more involved about the work they’re doing. When people care about their work, they tend to work that much harder!
Also, if you need ideas for what charity, non-profit, or cause you want to back, asking your team for ideas is another fantastic way to get them more involved.
Stand Out
As we said before, consumers are concerned with this sort of stuff. That means most brands aren’t going to miss this opportunity. However, the real difference lies in what charity you choose and how you augment your marketing efforts with it.
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How To Do It Right
It might seem like a simple proposition, but there is a bit more to it than just donating to a charity and calling it a day.
Select The Right Cause
When deciding a charity or cause to get your brand behind, remember one of the golden rules of marketing: you are not your target audience. The one you care about most, might not be the one your audience will care about.
There are few charities undeserving of your support, but always remember that you want to get as much out of this as they do! That isn’t selfish either, after all you could just as easily spend that money on some ads.
Timing Is Key
The nature of the cause might dictate when you can actually run the campaign, however, you should pick a time that works best for your brand. If you choose something like the MS Walk, just be aware that you will likely have to limit your actions to quarter one of the year.
Also, don’t try to throw a cause marketing campaign into the works when you have a lot of other work to do. If people are busy, your team won’t have the time they need to really focus and make it amazing.
Get Creative
While you can certainly make a donation or volunteer time and then push the fact that you did it, don’t think that’s the only way forward. If possible, try to work in your brand’s unique offering.