By
Darren Gilbert
Woolworths
is well known for it through their MyPlanet in the MySchool programme. As is Pick n Pay with their
Smart Shopper card. And these are just two examples of many companies who know
about its importance.
What is cause-related marketing?
The two examples above show that cause-related marketing
has been picked up by significant companies. By inference, you could also say
that it would work for small businesses as well. This is because it’s something
that any business can do. And it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to
spend extravagantly. But what is cause-related marketing?
Glenn Ebersole, chief executive of J.G. Associates explains:
“Cause-related marketing is an activity where
businesses and charities form a partnership with each other to market an image, product or service for mutual benefit.” So, for example, brand B will
endorse charity X through a sticker on one of their products.
It sounds very similar to corporate responsibility
and in some sense it is. However, as Sheila McGillivray of One Lady and A Tribe points out - referencing the Centrum Guardians – its more:
“This is true cause marketing – doing good and doing good business and not just
CSI.”
Why do you need it?
Having read
the above, not much needs to be said to persuade you as to why you need this. This
approach allows you to show your audience that you are not only looking to take
their money but that you have a heart too.
It’s also
strategic. Ebersole continues: “Cause-related marketing has the power to be a
very positive differentiator from competitors and to realize many benefits.”
Add to that the fact that it provides an emotional engagement with your target
market and you see its importance. Any strategy or plan that allows for that
personal attachment should be embraced wholeheartedly.
Jill
Ritchie, CEO of Papilon Press & Consultancy agrees. In a piece for The Marketing Site, she writes, “A 1996 Cone Communications/Roper Starch
Worldwide survey indicated that three out of four consumers said that, price
and quality being on a par, they would switch brands to buy a product which
supported a cause they cared about.”
How do you go about implementing it?
According to
social media marketing strategist, Laura de Meo, there are three steps to take: establish goals; seek local
support; and invest in PR and marketing. As with any marketing strategy, the
first step is obvious enough – you need to know what you want to achieve.
After that,
you need to get buy-in from your market. You need to get them interested and
willing to get involved. De Meo says, “Reach out to your customers, potential
customers and local businesses to get on the bandwagon. Ask for donations and
in-kind contributions such [as] promotional flyers donated by the local
printer.”
Following
that, if you have a budget, invest it in PR and marketing. If you don’t have a
big budget, that’s not a problem. There is no harm in asking the charity to get
involved and use their connections. This partnership can only be considered a
success if both parties benefit equally from the arrangement.
What are your thoughts on cause-related
marketing? Have you used it as part of your marketing plan? Tell us about it
below.