The Death of Cause Marketing - Act Two

One can't help but take notice when the person who is considered the originator of cause marketing says it is dead as we know it. Of course I agree with Carol Cone, founder of Cone and now representing Edelman. In June, AdAge ran a column I penned and headlined it "The Day Cause Marketing Died." We are essentially saying the same thing. But in the rush to get headlines, maybe our real point was missed by some.

Cause is not dying. It is evolving. But there are those who have come late to the party and believe they are doing cause when in fact they are not. For some in corporate leadership today, cause is a box they are checking off on a list so they can say they are doing it. For those companies who are interested in doing more than checking off a box, cause is a wide open arena of possibility to demonstrate to customers, employees and all key stakeholders that they actually do want to make a difference over the long term.

For so long now, there has been a belief among brands that cause programs were successful if they made people feel good about their brands. What we now know is that the best cause programs make people feel good about themselves. When that happens, brands will be rewarded in a way that nothing else they do can achieve.

And if those same companies are paying attention, they now know that men are attracted to brands doing cause right almost as much as women. Our just released Barkley/PRWeek Cause Survey also says that even though men will buy, refer and support brands that support causes in a real way, two out of three corporate CMO's are not planning on targeting men with cause programs. Another evolutionary turn for cause is teed up for brands that care.

Cause is maturing and these kinds of discussions are healthy for all of us to have. We all have a responsibility to make sure that cause does not die, but rather continues to evolve. When done right, it is the most powerful form of purposeful engagement a brand can have with its customers.

 

 

Comments

[Erica]

Good point, Mike. Cause Marketing is a mixed bag of opportunity and those that do it well will come out on top.

[Jana Taylor]

Well put. It is your last two sentences that resonated with me the most. Being part of the evolution of cause marketing to take it to the next level will help more companies truly engage with their customers and employees around causes that matter rather than paying lip service or implementing perfunctory programs (which consumers and employees can smell a mile away!) There is a huge potential to get more creative, more holistic, more authentic and more strategic about cause marketing. Let's hope the net result of the new Edeleman 2010 goodpurpose (and the 2010 Cone Cause Evolution Study) is that more companies are up to the challenge...

[David Hessekiel]

Well put Mike.

Once you get beyond the shock of Carol's comment, you get to the meat of the matter. The best cause marketing today is far more integrated, deep and authentic than the lowest-common denominator program that goes no further than linking a donation to purchase.

My company's mission is to help business and nonprofit professionals gain the insights and tools they need to create the best possible CM programs. I applaud each new top-drawer, high-impact campaign that emerges.

And yet, I am a realist. Outstanding CM initiatives (indeed outstanding work of any kind) are the exception not the rule. Unfortunately, some businesses continue to think short term about all of their marketing.

When corporate managers are deciding between short term campaigns, I hope that many of them will continue to choose cause-related themes vs. say sports or entertainment and will conduct them following best practices (e.g. transparency). I'd rather see that money flow to deserving nonprofits than to sports stars and movie studios.