Cause Marketing

"Cause Marketing”

More than any single gain, credibility is what you achieve. And credibility is very, very valuable.


“ The term (Cause Marketing) is used... generally to refer to any type of marketing effort for social and other charitable causes.”
What is required from you for this type of marketing is to simply get involved. Get involved in your community, become a partner with a cause or community effort(s) that results in benefit to the greater community. What benefits the greater group almost always translates to a benefit to the business community and often directly to you, the business supporter of that cause.

Here’s what happens... You sponsor or participate in the local event. Members of the community see your support as a commitment to their community, where they live, in their backyard.

You get back:

Recognition... not only are you recognized by the general population you are also recognized by the leaders in the community. Can you think of any other straightforward way you would get the Mayor/City Council etc to know who you are?

Appreciation... you are appreciated by those who may benefit directly (the cause that gets the money) and you will be seen and appreciated by those who also support the same cause.

Credibility... at this point you are not just another business that happens to be located where they live. You are a business that contributes and supports where they live.

Stay local which, could include national/international causes with local efforts. There are just as many needs at a local level as there are nationally or internationally.

Don’t jump into every cause. Choose carefully, primarily because you have limited time.

As with any effort in the advancement of your business there is no one piece of magic. So stay focused on your business marketing/promotion/advertising.

Now, here is the important part!
With any marketing, the return is almost never immediate. You are NOT going to get magical, amazing, unprecedented returns, period! With virtually any marketing plan you may get a 1% or 2% or 3% return... and that won’t be right away.

So, DO NOT:

Set your expectations to the level of miraculous...

accept outrageous rhetoric of a ad/marketing entity that tells you what they offer is the magical solution.

think any one method of marketing/advertising is the complete answer.

If there is one solution that is miraculous, that solution would be used by everyone...

...response from event inquiry

So, if you don’t think “cause marketing” works... Read this.
Recently I encouraged a client of mine to inquire about a national event held on the local level, National Night Out... here is a highlight of the actual response to the client from the group putting the event together...

Hello!

Wow!  That is really exciting to have inquiries about National Night Out!  We have several ways you can be involved: if you have safety-related information to share, we have tables/booths the night of the event, available for $xx... Finally if you are interested in participating in the planning/recruitment, we would love to have you join us at the planning meetings.