Giving Back: Incorporating cause marketing
Consumers today expect more from brands than just quality products and customer service, they often want brands to stand for something. As the holiday season approaches, it isn't just the perfect time for giving, but it’s also an opportunity to give back too.
That’s where cause marketing comes in. Cause marketing is a partnership between a brand and a cause or nonprofit. This partnership benefits the brand, the cause, and society as a whole.
Let’s take a look at why cause marketing works and some tips for how to incorporate it into your marketing.
Why it’s important
Cause marketing is important for many reasons, here are just a few.
It can help improve brand loyalty, trust, and your reputation.
It allows consumers to connect with your brand and a cause in a more meaningful way.
It benefits society through supporting a cause.
It can improve employee morale.
Why it works
People feel good when they’re able to give back and support an important cause. When your customers associate that good feeling with the organization/cause they’re supporting, as well as your brand, it helps them connect with your brand.
Consumers are increasingly looking for brands that have the same values as them, so if a brand visibly supports a cause or value that aligns with the customer, it helps build authentic relationships.
Tip: WHO you work with also matters when it comes to your brand and important causes. Here’s an example:
This past summer, the cosmetics brand elf cosmetics launched a campaign featuring comedian Matt Rife. Rife came under fire previously for making misogynistic jokes, including joking about domestic violence. Not only is that just in bad taste, but many of elf’s consumers are women. Of course, the ad resulted in a ton of backlash for the brand with many still boycotting the brand. Domestic violence is a social issue a lot of people care about, so it makes sense that many would distance themselves from the brand.
How to incorporate cause marketing into your strategy and brand
Align with your values
If you’re planning on working with a cause or organization, it’s important to remember that authenticity is key, so their values and mission should align with your brand values.
Choose carefully
This point kind of goes hand in hand with the one above. Choose causes that align with your values but also ones that your customers care about and perhaps already support in some way. This will help you connect with your brand, build credibility, and connect with your audience and community.
Be transparent
It can be important to show the impact of giving, so share the results of your campaigns. If you’ve raised x amount of money/items for donation, say that! Toot your own horn. The proof is in the pudding as they say, so backing up what you’ve said you're supporting with facts helps to show that you’re actually standing behind the cause and helps build credibility.
Stand on what you say
If you say you support a cause, you should be ready to not only talk the talk, but walk the walk too. If you can’t or don’t you may end up damaging your reputation or your brand.
The owners of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream have been very vocal about causes they support over the years, such as their support for BLM. Last month, Jerry Greenfield, one of the founders, announced via Instagram that he would no longer be working with Ben and Jerry’s. He felt that under the owner, Unilever, the brand was silenced, and could no longer speak up about civil rights, the rights of immigrants, women, and the LGBQT, and more. He demonstrated that he stands behind his beliefs, the causes he supports, and drew lots of support from consumers.
So, what do you think, will you try cause marketing this holiday season?