CAUSE-RELATED MARKETING by Steven Van Yoder
Altruism. Corporate responsibility. Philanthropy. These are often used to
describe cause-related marketing, an activity in which businesses join
with charities or causes to market an image, product, or service for mutual
benefit.
Embracing a cause makes good business sense. Nothing builds brand l
oyalty among today's increasingly hard-to-please consumers like a company,s
proven commitment to a worthy cause. Other things being equal, many
consumers would rather do business with a company that stands for something
beyond profits.
Powerful marketing edge
Cause-related marketing can become a cornerstone of your marketing plan.
Your cause-related marketing activities should highlight your company's
reputation within your target market. Cause-related marketing can positively
differentiate your company from your competitors and provide an edge that
delivers other tangible benefits, including:
* Increased sales
* Increased visibility
* Increased customer loyalty
* Enhanced company image
* Positive media coverage
By choosing a cause you are passionate about, cause-related marketing
is emotionally fulfilling. It's a way to merge your profit center with your
"passion center" and build a business that mirrors your personal values,
beliefs and integrity. If your cause also resonates with your target market,
your activities will generate tremendous goodwill and media attention can
be its side effect.
Real-World Success Story
Cosmetic dentist Mark McMahon made himself a media mini-celebrity
with a thriving practice due in part to his high-profile pro bono work in his
community, a strategy that landed him radio and TV appearances in areas
where he worked.
McMahon established partnerships with local charities, including a homeless
shelter and a shelter for battered women, and offered free dental services to
their members. Before each event, he contacted local media and let them
know what he was up to. Several TV crews showed up, filmed him treating
patients, and later aired the segments on the evening news.
"These events were surprisingly easy to arrange, and every year, they'd help
us get press simply by doing these charitable promotions," McMahon says.
"Local television news stations loved the emotional element. And it was
obviously rewarding to see patients after we'd treated them who'd been in
pain for months talking about how glad they were to be relieved of their
toothaches."
Another project involved the Delancey Street Foundation, a residential
education center for former substance abusers and ex-convicts. "I agreed
to treat some of their members' acute dental needs," McMahon says. "I
quickly appreciated the media appeal of transforming the appearance of these
rough-looking guys with terrible smiles."
McMahon captured the event with before and after photos. "These guys had
missing teeth and terrible smiles," he says. "So I had a professional
photographer capture before pictures of these guys in street clothes with their
snarling faces. After I fixed their teeth, we took more pictures, but this time
dressed the guys in suits and ties, now looking like lawyers and accountants,
with me sitting right in the middle. The media loved it, and it was great seeing
these men looking like new."
McMahon's TV appearances created name recognition. "After I did the story
on a local television show, I was recognized in my gym by a masseuse who
had seen the show," McMahon recalls. "She said, 'I was thinking about you
this morning while I was flossing my teeth.' She became a great source of
referrals."
(Excerpted from the book Get Slightly Famous: Become a Celebrity in Your
Field and Attract More Business with Less Effort, by Steven Van Yoder)
Getting Started
Cause-related marketing yields mutual benefit. Look for partners with a
similar agenda whose goals can be better achieved by partnering with your
business. Take inventory of the assets that make you an appealing partner
in a cause-related venture.
There are many types of mutually beneficial relationships you can form
with your cause-related partner, including special events, sales promotions
and collection plans. An easy way to embrace a cause is to team up with
a charity.
Whenever Johnny "Love" Metheny, a slightly famous nightclub owner in
San Francisco, opens a new club, he shares the limelight with a local charity.
"I have a history of including the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in my grand
openings," says Metheny, who was voted the society's Man of the Year in 1991.
"It's not only something I feel good about, but it helps us market our businesses
to the community and media at the same time."
Volunteer with an organization. When Eunice Azzani, an executive recruiter,
volunteered to serve on the board of the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, she
didn't anticipate that it would connect her with executives from Mervyn's,
Bank of America, and Wells Fargo Bank, all of who eventually hired her to work
for them.
"People don't hire a piece of paper or a process. They hire people they
trust," Azzani says. "Volunteering for a position at a local organization makes
you very trustworthy." She advises business owners to target causes they believe
in. "If you're helping with a cause you believe in, people will see that you care.
And they'll realize you will probably care as much about your work."
As your partnership takes shape, become ambassadors for each other. Talk
about the charitable organization and have flyers available. Promote the
organization (and your partnership) on your website and in your newsletters.
Ask your partner to extend the same courtesies to you.
Never lose the marketing focus of your community partnership efforts. Even
though the work is philanthropy, your cause should generate interest in your
company and motivate people to buy from it. Select a cause that is important
to your target market, and make sure your target market sees that connection.
Steven Van Yoder is author of Get Slightly Famous: Become a Celebrity in
Your Field and Attract More Business with Less Effort.
Visit www.getslightlyfamous.com to read the book and learn about 'slightly'
famous teleclasses, workshops, and marketing materials to help small
businesses and solo professionals attract more business.
Copyright 2003, Steven Van Yoder. All rights reserved. Get Slightly Famous
is a trademark of Steven Van Yoder.
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