With the humanitarian crisis of both Haiti and now Chile so fresh in our minds, and the mad rush of companies aligning themselves with charitable organizations to ensure that the public knows they to care, and care deeply, I have started to wonder about cause marketing and whether it is now another “channel” that we should be considering when we put together plan recommendations for our clients.
Is cause marketing the new social media? And if so, is it going to be the next agency service we are all scrambling to offer?
Think about it. Cause marketing has the dual benefit of making your brand look compassionate and relevant while also getting you, well, you guessed it, PR. And cause marketing quickly goes viral, so it has the ability to exponentially stir up brand awareness and involvement.
If done right.
Too many brands will jump on the bandwagon of cause marketing the same way they rushed into social media – because it’s cool, because their competitors are doing it, because someone they admire was successful.
But as with any new channel, any foray into cause marketing needs to be assessed for how it aligns with your brand positioning and values. Look, it’s great if you want to use your brand to support relief efforts in Haiti and Chile. But don’t expect to get some major lift in awareness or brand perception – you’re on a crowded stage with a whole lot of other folks that realize in this instance it’s more about avoiding the negative of not supporting the popular cause than getting the shine for being behind it.
But I go back to this question – should we be considering causes as another channel?
Truth is, we’ve been suggesting aligned partnerships for a long time. Who hasn’t been in a meeting when someone has said “wouldn’t it be perfect if X brand teamed up with Y brand – the synergy is so great.” Granted we’re usually talking about pairing a beverage brand with a snack brand, or a beauty brand with an entertainment brand.
But there are agencies out there whose sole purpose is to match companies with a social raison d’être and then manage the partnership to be mutually beneficial to said cause and said brand. The question I have is why causes aren’t in our consideration set from the outset, just like every other channel we consider.
Now, some companies come with a cause already built-in. McDonald’s has Ronald McDonald House Charities. Microsoft has the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (which pretty much means they can support every charity under the sun and still have some left over). But what about the many companies that do not come preset with a particular social cause?
As keepers of our clients’ brands, and often as the group that sets the brand strategy, aren’t we well-suited to help them find a cause that aligns to their target audience and stays true to their brand? So why aren’t we thinking about that too?
The answer is simple – cause marketing tends to be an afterthought. We jump on the bandwagon when it’s convenient or because it’s situationally correct (i.e. after a serious PR snafu). But proactively go after a cause-based partnership? Who has the time or money, especially when these are efforts that don’t have a short-term sales effect?
But here’s the argument for why causes should be a channel for consideration on every plan. Although budgets are tighter and tighter every day we are constantly balancing the need for short-term sales effect with longer term branding to create loyalty and repeat purchase. Just like any other partnership, alignment with a cause that complements your brand strategy and identity can have a long-term positive effect for brand perception, which in turn can affect purchase behavior and loyalty.
Now look, I’m not suggesting brands run out and jump on the cause bandwagon without some serious thought. Insincerity in this realm will completely undermine your credibility – think of the backlash that would ensue if a cigarette brand all of a sudden decided to try and partner with the American Cancer Society. But if you can find a cause that reflects the truth of your brand and the will of your target audience – Trojan condoms and Planned Parenthood perhaps – then maybe it’s worth some consideration.
But do it because it’s right, because it’s something you believe in, because it’s something your customers believe in. Don’t do it because everyone else is. Or because you think you have to. Because we’ll all know. And we won’t buy it. Or you.
As always, that’s just my two pennies. Which I’ll be donating to a good cause.
