Substance and Style

Cause Marketing: Yay or Nay?

Cause marketing has gained popularity in recent years, but is it something you should do for your business? 

What Is Cause Marketing?

Cause marketing is a way for companies to contribute to society by being socially responsible. When a cashier asks you to round up to the nearest dollar and donate the change to a cause, that’s cause marketing. When a company donates a percentage of their profits to a charity or encourages their customers to support a certain cause, that is also cause marketing. The company then does something good for the world and benefits from that action by receiving publicity. 

Here are some things to consider before deciding whether to launch a cause marketing campaign:

1. How will your target market react? There was a time, not long ago, when companies wouldn’t align with a cause, especially if it were controversial, for fear of alienating their customers. The pendulum has recently swung in the opposite direction: many customers are alienated by companies that don’t have a sense of social responsibility. This is especially true if your customers are younger.  It can be tricky because supporting nearly any cause will, in fact, offend someone. Even issues that shouldn’t be partisan are extremely divisive these days. The main thing here is not to get into the mindset of “how do I not offend anyone?” Trying not to offend anyone is the same as trying to market to everyone, and that doesn’t work for most companies. Pick something you feel strongly about. Chances are, even if it offends someone, it also speaks to people who feel as strongly about it as you do. It’s likely that your ideal target market has values that align with yours. If they don’t, perhaps they should. Think about why you’re in business for yourself in the first place. I’m guessing it’s not so you can tiptoe around and try to please everyone. The main payoff of having your own business is in getting to live your authentic life and make your own rules. You obviously have to please your customers, but you don’t have to be overly concerned about what everyone thinks.
2. Cause marketing actually can affect social change. If you pick a cause you truly care about, you can help make the world more like the world you want to live in. By combining your efforts with the efforts of the organization you’re supporting, you may be able to accomplish more than either one of you could alone.
3. Do you feel uncomfortable about benefitting from doing good? Sometimes it doesn’t seem like we should benefit from helping someone else. Altruism is noble. There is a lot to be said for anonymous acts of charity, and I would never discourage that. However, after working at nonprofits for years, I can tell you that every charity wants all the free publicity they can get. If you bring any attention to their cause, that’s good news for them. They need more and more of it. So, you can think of it as helping them more than it helps you. If you feel guilty about it helping you also, all I can tell you is that, for better or worse, we do live in a capitalist society, and you have to eat also. 
4. Does it fit in with your overall marketing plan, and can you afford it? To me, these are the most important questions to ask yourself. The bottom line is the bottom line. If it’s publicity you need, cause marketing is one of the most cost effective ways to get it. If corporate responsibility is part of your business plan, cause marketing is a relatively easy way to bring attention to causes that matter to you.
   

Cause marketing costs less and takes less time than many other marketing endeavors. It can even be done for free on social media. It can make a difference to a struggling charity or a cause that’s dear to your heart AND it can increase your sales and strengthen your brand. Like any business decision, you must weigh the cost against the benefits. Any marketing you do should be a well thought out part of a strategic marketing plan. If you’re looking to help others along the way to helping yourself, cause marketing could be a good solution for you.