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- April 2021 - Cause Marketing
April 2021 - Cause Marketing
Cause Marketing - Not Just For Non-Profits
Hi Friends,
This month we are bringing you a mix of interesting and useful content, with a focus on Cause Marketing.
In a world of increasing social awareness and responsibility, cause marketing can positively impact the world and your bottom line. It’s not just for non-profits and we hope some stuff in here inspires you like it did us. Because while there is a lot we can’t do, the good news is that there is some that we can. Onward and upward - and happy spring!
Be Well, Nicole, Jane, Patti, Ben, Owen, Sam, and Matt
Cause Marketing: Doing Business for Good
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.”- Mahatma Ghandi
Products with Purpose
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become more important to consumers over recent years, and being a company doing business for good can be a deciding factor in customer purchases.
A company’s purpose is increasingly as important as their product.
Cause marketing is one form that CSR is taking, involving partnership between a for-profit business and non-profit organization, and/or social or charitable campaigns put on by a for-profit business.
A popular time this happens is around the winter holidays (AKA Giving Tuesday and other end of year efforts) but that doesn’t mean it can’t be a year round idea.
Why Consider Cause Marketing?
Increasing environmental and social awareness has brought more focus to a company’s impact. When shopping for products or services, this is information that consumers look for.
CSR is not just good for the community and environment, it’s also good business. It increases brand loyalty, improves employee morale, and can also bring in new customers who would have otherwise overlooked your brand entirely. Studies show that companies who actively support social or environmental efforts see a positive impact on their bottom line.
91% of global consumers are likely to switch brands to one that supports a good cause, given similar price and quality.
92% would buy a product with a social and/or environmental benefit if given the opportunity, and more than two-thirds (67%) have done so in the past 12 months.(Source)
Customers are more likely to feel positively about their purchases when their money contributes to a cause they believe in. They will also like that you are making it easier for them to participate in social action.
What Does Cause Marketing Look Like?
Companies have taken various routes that work for their business and situation to make their own impact on social and environmental issues.
working with vendors and supply chains that have ethical and sustainable practices
working with foundations and programs that do work that is in alignment with the company’s goals and values
donating products to organizations and communities to help people in need (some examples: Toms, Bombas, and YourSuper.com)
starting their own foundations dedicated to their specific causes
donating a percentage of profuts from a product or campaign to a related cause
holding events in partnership wiht a non-profit to collect donations (you see a lot of this during the Christmas season with boxes to collect toys, warm pajamas, or non-perishable food items at various local businesses)
promote matching campaigns, where companies will match donations for a cause.
Quick Guide to Cause Marketing
There are some key factors to take into consideration when looking at your cause, how you intend to contribute, and the impact you’d like to make.
What is important to you and your audience?What are your company’s values? In which issues do your employees and customers invest their time and energy? Knowing what is important to your business, to your employees, and your target audience is where you’ll find a cause that both your employees and your audience can get behind.
How is your cause related to your business?How can you connect your product or service to the cause you most enthusiastically want to support? Are you an adventure travel company like G Adventures that supports the local community of where you travel to? Are you an outdoor equipment retailer who wants to support environmental change? Connect your cause to your business.
What are you able to contribute?A lot of times non-profits or charitable organizations don’t have the budget for marketing, events, or programs they wish to build. Contributing expertise for their marketing campaign or feeding their crew on an event day is just as important as donating money.
Work in collaboration with the non-profit organizationIn order to really know how you can best support a cause, work directly with the organization you plan to affiliate with. You may find that what they need most are volunteers. Or materials that you can supply at a lower cost (or donate) through some of your vendors.
Market your campaign or partnershipWork with your affiliate to use their branding with your marketing and vice versa. You’ll not only grow your audience, but you’ll also be bringing awareness to the organization and the cause that you are supporting. That’s a win-win.
You can learn more about cause marketing from these sources: Brandwatch, Entrepreneur, Mailchimp.
Goings On At Breaking Even
From The BEC Blog
If you think of singing ‘Kumbaya’ around a campfire or walking across hot coals when you think of company retreats, think again. You can mix business and fun, even if you have a small team by getting everyone together in a ‘room’.
Creating Your Business’s Brand (Upcoming Workshop Series)
Nicole is partnering with Maine SBDC to provide 50 businesses with guidance on how to develop online and offline branding for their company. This interactive workshop series takes place in two parts.
Celebrating Client Victories
SAGE Scholars, Philadelphia PA - SAGE Scholars, a program that helps students afford private colleges, wanted to move their college fair event online. Breaking Even Communications helped at all stages of planning from setting up the Zoom sessions, creating the agenda, working on content with the speakers, to setting up the virtual platform VisitDays. Over 700 people registered for the virtual event and participants engaging in over 1500 total sessions. All in all, students and their parents got to learn about college admissions and what college has been like during COVID, while colleges got to network with interested students. SAGE Scholars was so happy with the success of this event, they're already talking about the next one!
Have an idea for your business that feels out of reach? Talk to us about what you’d like to do and we might be able to help!
Did You Know?
Did you know that if you find a lost wallet, you can drop it in a USPS Mailbox and they will return it for free?
For Your Entertainment
Who doesn’t love Groot? Disney Imagineers created a lifelike Groot that looks like he walked straight out of a movie.
And… he’s got some moves. Read more about his journey here.
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