Blending Corporate Strategy and Philanthropy: The Growing Importance of Cause Marketing
Give Money to Make Money:
It won’t come as a surprise that profit is a primary motivation for corporate giving. Despite the economic downturn, many companies have continued or even increased their corporate giving efforts. According to the Cone Benchmark Survey, 52% of American feel companies should maintain their level of financial support for social and environmental causes and nonprofit organizations regardless of economic conditions, and 25% expect companies to give even more.
A majority of consumers are more likely to buy a product that’s associated with a cause they care about even if the product costs more. Increasingly, consumers are listing corporate responsibility alongside price and quality as a key factor in their purchasing decisions.
Socially-Responsible Purchases:
Throughout the month of October, consumers are urged to “Think Pink” and to purchase Pink Ribbon products in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Since its introduction in the early 90s, the Brand Awareness of the Pink Ribbon has skyrocketed. (Brand awarenesss is measured as the proportion of target customers who have prior knowledge of a brand, and the measurement is based on both brand recognition- also referred to as aided awareness- and brand recall- also referred to as unaided awareness.)
The Affiliate Marketing industry recognizes the importance of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in seasonal promotions. By publishing special offer guides, affiliate networks such as Linkshare make it easy for affiliates (publishers) to find Pink Ribbon products from merchants (advertisers). DollarDays.com, a JAR Group client, has a wide-variety of breast-cancer awareness products for consumers as well as business owners. These products help a good cause and generate revenue.
Cause Marketing and Consumer Loyalty:
According to the Cone Benchmark Study, 79% of Americans would be likely to switch from one brand to another brand if the other brand is associated with a good cause. Amongst Millennials ages 18-24, the percentage jumps to 88%, making cause marketing one of the most effective ways of reaching this group.
Innovative affiliate sites such as iGive.com, OneCause.com, GoodSearch.com, We-Care.com, Escrip.com, and BoxTops4Education.com enable consumers to donate a percentage of their purchases to the charity of their choice. These sites make giving easy since consumers can support their favorite causes through everyday purchases, and they are among the fastest growing affiliate segments.
When discussing recruitment strategy with your affiliate manager, you may hear them refer to these sites as “loyalty” sites rather than cause marketing or charitable sites. Upromise.com, Ebates.com, and FatWallet.com are among the most prominent loyalty sites. These sites give consumers cash-back on purchases, and a prominent placement on the site or mention in an email to their loyal members can dramatically increase sales. Similarly, people who shop through iGive or OneCause.com feel a strong affinity for these sites, and obtaining placement on these sites should be a key part of any recruitment plan.
Employee Retention:
Just as consumers show a preference for brands and online sites which give back, supporting charitable efforts can increase employee retention, build skills and even improve physical and mental health.
Staffing conference booths can be tedious—especially when it requires working through the weekend. But The JAR Group’s CEO motivated employees by pledging a dollar for every zombie killed by booth visitors. The xBox 360 and staff enthusiasm generated a steady stream of booth visitors. The result: a lot of new leads and a $1500 donation to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer!
The JAR Group partners with non-profit organizations to increase online donations through pay-per-click search engine marketing campaigns. We manage pay-per-click accounts for non-profits without upfront management fees utilizing a free budget provided through Google Grants to non-profit organizations. Working for a good cause such as Epilepsy research is great motivator and an opportunity for employees to build new skills.
