December 22, 2008

iParty’s Spirit of Giving Lasts All Year Long

sal-pictureThere aren’t too many posts I write that don’t include some mention of iParty. Along with Ocean State Job Lots–another company I’ll be posting on soon–they’re the backbone of our cause  marketing program here at the hospital. 

Without them we wouldn’t have started our program, and during the tough times, they keep it going with their support, friendship and the occasional whoopie cushion.  We would not be where we are today without them.

I am thankful for many things this holiday season, but near the top is Sal Perisano and Dorice Dionne and all our friends at iParty!  Below is a story that ran recently in our monthly e-newsletter.

Note: Is there a company that has played an important role in the success of your nonprofit? Or are you a company that’s impacted a nonprofit? Share your story in the comments below. I’m always looking for great success stories to share with my readers.

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Sal Perisano, CEO, of iParty likes to tell people that he sells 20,000 things that nobody needs. Unless, of course, you happen to need confetti shaped like the number “40”, a plastic nose, mustache and eyeglasses for disguise or, if it’s Halloween, a Styrofoam headstone that says “I’ll be back.”

Sal and his wife, Dorice Dionne, are all about fun and you can see it in any one of the aisles of their 50 New England and Florida stores, which are packed with balloons, prizes, costumes and other seasonal party supplies.

If you want to have serious talk with Sal and Dorice you need only mention their favorite charity, the Kids Fund at Boston Medical Center. They have been supporters of the Fund for 11 years.

“I met Barry Zuckerman, head of pediatrics at BMC, through a friend,” explains Sal. “When I found out they were basically collecting money in a shoebox to pay for food, coats, eyeglasses and other things insurance didn’t cover, I thought I could help.”

Sal and Dorice solidified the connection between the Kids Fund and their party supply business and more than 1,000 employees four years ago when iParty and BMC launched Halloween Town.

“I knew two things,” says Sal. “I always wanted to have a big Halloween party for the kids of Boston and I wanted the event to benefit my favorite charity, the BMC Kids Fund. So I reached out to them and asked “Hey, will you do this with me?”

Working with the Cause & Event Marketing Team within BMC’s Development Office, Sal and Dorice added people, resources, supplies and supporters to the effort.

“Halloween Town couldn’t have happened without iParty,” says Joe Waters, director of cause & event marketing at BMC. “In addition to being generous people, Sal and Dorice’s connection to the Halloween business brought everything from partners to candy and prizes for the event.”

Still, no one knew what to expect that first year. Some predicted that Halloween Town would be a success if it drew just 2,500 people. But they forgot to factor in Sal and Dorice’s iParty magic.

“When the doors opened that day we had line down the street and it didn’t let up all day,” adds Waters. By day’s end nearly 10,000 had attended the first Halloween Town.

Now in its fourth year, Halloween Town has grown to a two-day event that last October attracted 15,000 people and involved 41 corporate sponsors, 800 volunteers and dozens of children’s performers. It also continues its mission to support BMC’s Kids Fund.

Much of this support comes from iParty and the three point-of-sale programs it runs for BMC each year. These easy but lucrative programs allow shoppers to donate a dollar at the register to help BMC and, and as an extra incentive, to rewarded with money saving coupons. The program has been a win-win for everyone involved.

“They’re great because my employees enjoy telling customers about how iParty supports BMC,” says Sal. “It’s good for the customer because it’s not a big ask and they also save some money from the coupons, including one for their next visit to iParty.”

But the big winner is BMC. “This year we raised $161,000,” says Sal with a bright smile. “I’m really proud of that.”

Sal Perisano and Dorice Dionne know about the challenges the children at BMC face, and how important every dollar is, especially these days. They have fun at what they do, but they know from their support of the hospital that not everything in this world is fun and games.

Posted in Capplause, Cause Marketer's Journal | Comments (1)
December 17, 2008

Twitter for Cause Marketers

twitter-profile2

I took some advice from Rich Brooks at Flyte several months back and focused my efforts on three social media sites: Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.  I’m active on all three now, but the one I got on to last is the one I’m spending the most time on these days: Twitter.  (You can check my most recent ”tweet” in the red box on the sidebar.  Click on the arrows to see previous tweets.)

I like Twitter for two reasons:

It’s a natural “shortening” of blogging.  I like to blog, and I like it even more when I’m limited to 140 characters.  Not all topics need a long post.  Twitter is perfect for a quote, brief snippet, factoid or update.

I feel like I’m among my people, or my Tweeples.  It’s hard for me to get on Facebook and not hear the faint giggling of a teenage girl in my ears.  I just feel old and out of my element.  Not that Facebook doesn’t have its merits, mind you.  Linkedin is interesting too, but a bit static.  A bit like watching paint dry.  But Twitter is full of mostly interesting, curious, ambitious, smart, passionate and talkative people.  Hell, that’s where I want to be!

But I didn’t just join Twitter to blog more and to make new friends, I want to use it as a tool to drive my cause marketing success within and without my nonprofit.  Here’s how I’m using Twitter to develop more relationships, to promote my expertise in the field and to raise more money for causes.

To follow more business people.  There are a fair number of company men and women on Twitter that I think in the long run will lead to key players and to better relationships.  Even more plentiful on Twitter is the number of agencies and firms that work with businesses where potential synergies might exist.  While I haven’t inked any pacts yet because of Twitter, and don’t expect to soon, I can see how it can be a powerful tool that evaporates barriers and bypasses gatekeepers.

To connect with other cause marketers. I’ve found a bunch of new people to learn from on Twitter.  @cfnoble and @jleslie from Kompolt, @lotay from Blackcardcircle.com, Cone alum @brianreich and @michael_hoffman of See3 Communications, @nedra (social and cause marketing) to name a few.  Of course, I’ve also found old rivals friends like @paulrjones.  I’ve learned something from each of these people and they’ve been a resource to me in their own way.

To learn more about social media.  Social media will be an important part of a lot industries in years ahead, including cause marketing.  I know it has and will play an important role in cause marketing events like Halloween Town.  The great news is that all the social media experts are on Twitter.  In the nonprofit world, there’s @johnhaydon, @engagejoe, @bbravo, and @kanter.  On the for-profit side I follow @chrisbrogan, @problogger, @johncass, @chrisgarrett, @steverubel @therichbrooks and am learning how to use Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Delicious and a lot of other tools more productively to achieve my cause marketing goals.

The question I often get about Twitter from newbies is how do you use it well.  After a short time on Twitter I’m following 250 people and at this very moment have 689 unread “tweets” to sort through.  (Poor @chrisbrogan is following 22,029.  How many unread tweets do you think he has?)

Twitter can be a bit overwhelming, and you need a system for organizing your tweets so they don’t take over your life.  The key is to accept that not every tweet is equal or a must-read or a read-now.  Here’s how I manage the deluge of tweets I get every day.

Tweetdeck.  I began by just reading tweets at Twitter, but didn’t stick with that too long.  I upgraded to Twhirl, which is a simple, useful Twitter application, especially if you’re a casual user and/or don’t follow a lot of people.  But for the serious user, you can’t beat Tweetdeck, and for one important reason: Groups.  Tweetdeck allows you to segment your incoming  “tweets” by groups for easier reading. 

Groups. My groups are pretty simple.  ”A Tweets” are must reads and include many of the people mentioned above.  I read them first.  If I have more time, I move to my second group, “B Tweets.”  Next is a group just for my  ”Subscriptions” (e.g. NYT, Ad Age, WSJ, Bostonist, etc.).  Interestingly, following publications on Twitter has also allowed me to clear out most of my Bloglinesaccount so I can do most of my reading from Tweetdeck (Having these two services also gave me the courage to cancel my subscriptions to the Boston Globe, NYT and WSJ).  The final group is “All Tweets.”  This is where the great unwashed go.  If I get to this group, great.  If I don’t, I’m probably not missing much.  Of course, Tweeples are constantly being promoted or demoted based on the quality of their tweets! (Hint: if you have a cat, don’t tweet about it).

Favorites.  Tweetdeck gives you a “Favorites” folder where you can keep tweets you want to read later.  If I do come across an interesting tweet I just “favorite” it until I have the time to read it.  This allows me to keep on moving and not get bogged down.

My own tweet output is pretty modest.  I probably average about ten a day.  Most of my tweets have to do with cause marketing and philanthropy, but I like to have fun, mainly with @nedra, and tweet something that’s just interesting, unusual or makes me laugh.  My best advice for Twitter is try to be useful.  People on Twitter are just like you: busy, smart people who are trying to get things done.  Show them the way.

Posted in Cause Practices | Comments (6)
December 4, 2008

Not Seeing Red Over Starbucks/(RED)

I love when Product (RED) launches a big partnership like it did recently with Starbucks.  It really thrusts cause marketing into the spotlight and gets nonprofits and for-profits talking about how they can work together to market each other and support their communities.

The Starbucks/(RED) pact has also brought up lots of good comments and questions about what cause marketing is, how it works and how it differs from other types of giving.  Here are some of the things that cause marketing IS and ISN’T as it relates to the Starbucks/(RED) program.

Starbucks/(RED) IS a partnership for profit.  Cause marketing is a partnership between a nonprofit and a for profit for mutual profit.  For the nonprofit, it raises money and visibility.  For the for-profit it enhances favorability with consumers, which drives sales.  In short, it gives consumers a better reason to buy than just for product or price.  Both (RED) and Starbucks have business goals beyond their real and noble intentions to fight AIDS in Africa.  (RED) wants to further build its philanthropic brand so it can land more high profile and lucractive partners like Starbucks.  Starbucks wants to boost flagging sales with a new promotion that will increase customer thirst for $4 lattes.

Starbucks ISN’T a cheapskate for donating five cents from every holiday drink.  I’ve actually heard this standing in line waiting to order my own drink.  “That’s it?  Five cents on a drink I just paid $4.50 for?”  But look at the math of Starbucks’ generosity.  How many stores: A LOT.  How many customers: A LOT.  How many drinks served each day: A REAL LOT.  Starbucks will raise millions for (RED) and consumers can easily support the campaign by buying their hot drinks at the same price they’ve always bought them.  (RED) will raise more money tying their success to coffee consumption than they could have ever squeezed from the corporate checkbook or from those well meaning folks in community relations.  You decide: would you rather have five cents from every drink and a eight-figure check or a nice five-figure community grant?  Starbucks and (RED) chose the right course.

What Starbucks spends on marketing (RED) IS good business, for everyone.  When Gap launched their partnership with (RED) and people saw all the ads, hoopla and in-store displays, there was an outcry: “Stop spending money on advertising.  Just give it to (RED)!”  People are saying the same thing to Starbucks.  And they are right on one count: among others things, those sharp-looking (RED) aprons behind the counter aren’t free.  But to suggest we just take the money spent on promotion and give it to (RED) misses the mark on the power of cause marketing, how it works and how it differs from other types of giving.  The fact that Starbucks could partner with (RED) to grow its business and to help a good cause was the impetus for the partnership!  Another truth: those Starbucks promotional dollars would not have been re-purposed for charitable giving.  But rest assured they’re not wasted because they promote (RED)’s work and mission.  Thanks to similar investments by companies like the Gap, Motorola and Apple, (RED) has become a top philanthropic brand IN THE WORLD in just a few years.  This accomplishment cannot be understated and the corporate marketing machines of (RED)’s corporate partners deserve a good deal of the credit.   

Cause marketing ISN’T an end, it’s a means.  Taken by itself cause marketing seems short-sighted, wasteful and stupid.  So do glitzy charity fundraisers.  So do those silly charity address labels and greeting cards I get in the mail every week.  At the hospital I work at in Boston we have a cause marketing program because it raises some money and gives a lot of exposure in the community.  But, more importantly, it feeds our major gifts and foundations teams with prospects and opportunities.  As we build cause marketing partnerships with individuals and companies we tap other sources of philanthropic wealth that are more lucrative and transformative than cause marketing.  We get asked to submit proposals to corporate foundations and senior executives visit the hospital and get to know us.

(RED) is different from most nonprofits in that cause marketing is more of a platform than a springboard into new fundraising opportunities.  I have no doubt that after the holidays when the first phase of (RED) ends in Starbucks stores the folks from (RED) will have quietly gathered a sizeable bit of intelligence about the senior team at Starbucks and who might be good prospects for cultivation. 

Let’s not forget that while Starbucks will raise a lot of money in the coming weeks, the cash and stock individuals (like Schultz) could give and bequest to (RED) to fight AIDS in Africa could make the companies efforts look like a hill of beans.

Posted in Capplause, Cause Marketing In Action | Comments (8)
December 2, 2008

I’ll be back very soon…

…I just need to check out one more site…

Boatload_of_social_networks

Posted in Cause Marketing Links | Comments (1)
November 24, 2008

Sleepy’s Launches “Incredible” Cause Marketing Program

Last week while watching “House” on the USA cable station I saw an ad for an Incredible Hulk comic book Sleepy’s Mattress stores is selling to benefit the American Cancer Association.  With over 700 locations nationwide, it wasn’t hard to find a Sleepy’s near my house where I could pick one up.

Overall, I think it’s a neat cause marketing program that’s something different from what you traditionally see in stores.

  • It’s a comic book instead of a pin-up, and the storyline includes The Sleepy’s Man, the mattress sellers very own superhero.
  • Sleepy’s was smart to push the higher price point, $3 instead of a buck.
  • With 700 stores Sleepy’s certainly fulfills the first requirement for point-of-sale success: lots of locations.
  • Sleepy’s is supporting the cause marketing campaign with ad dollars, as I witnessed in their spot on cable.
  • The three employees I met at the store were knowledgeable about the program and applauded my support.  The message had definitely trickled down from corporate that this was an important, meaningful promotion.

But this cause marketing effort has a couple challenges as well.

  • While rich in stores, Sleepy’s aren’t known for their foot traffic.  The day I picked up my comic book I was the only one in the store.  The salesman admitted that he had sold three.  “Three today?”, I asked.  “No,” he said.  “Three since I started working here.”  Which had been a couple weeks.
  • The timing of the campaign is also off.  The Incredible Hulk movie was released when, September?  Why didn’t they do the program then?  It came out on DVD on October 21, but the store I went to had only had the comic a couple of weeks.  While the movie wasn’t the big hit everyone expected, combining the launch of the program with the release of the movie could have given the program more legs and actually driven traffic to Sleepy’s.

So how could this cause marketing program been improved?

  •  While I’m a big fan of a point-of-sale, Sleepy’s business is probably better suited for a percentage-of-sale program.  They could pick one or more mattresses and donate $5 to $25 or more to ACS over say a two to six week period.  Because while Sleepy’s doesn’t have the foot traffic of a supermarket, they do sell a lot mattresses and they’re not cheap.  And quite a few more dollars would be raised for ACS, giving Sleepy’s a lot more to talk and brag about in their advertising and PR.

The Incredible Hulk comic is a good idea.  It’s different, has a good price-point and would be the right cause marketing vehicle for a retail chain with lots of locations and the foot traffic to match.  Sleepy’s isn’t that chain.  But they’ll have better success next time.  Picking the right cause marketing program is like choosing the right mattress: it takes time and you have to try a few out to pick the right one.  Fortunately, in both mattresses and cause marketing, Sleepy’s has lots of choices.

Posted in Cause Marketing In Action, Cause Marketing News, Cause Practices | Comments (1)
November 14, 2008

Top 10 Reasons To Start/Keep Doing Cause Marketing

Sorry I’ve been out of touch lately.  Post Halloween Town break, I guess.  But I have to admit that I have been posting elsewhere, just at 140 characters at a time.  Yep, I’m using Twitter now and loving it!  What a great way to connect with people!  I like that when I see something on the street or come across something on the web I can just send out a quick “tweet” to the world.  It’s very cool.  I hope you’ll join me on Twitter soon. (BTW, I manage my “tweets” with Twhirl, a third party app.  It makes Twitter a lot easier to use.  For the latest tips on using Twitter, check out Darren Rowse’s new blog, Twitip.)

But until I become a Twizombie I’ll keep blogging.  And one of the best things about blogging is all the great people that I meet because they just happen to come across my blog.  The gang at Causemedia in Newton, MA is just the latest example.  Incredibly, these people are literally down the street from my house.  During the past year I’ve met more people online from eastern Massachusetts than I’ve met from around the world.  So much for the Internet encouraging people to hole themselves up in their houses.

A double benefit of meeting Donna, Lisa and Don from Causemedia is they are cause marketers just like me (I was starting to feel like Tom Hanks in Castaway, but my buddy’s name was “Spaulding” and wasn’t as personable.).  They pointed me to a great article on their web site: Top 10 Arguments for Initiating or Continuing Cause-Related Marketing Efforts in a Down Economy.  Okay, it’s not the snappiest title I’ve seen, but the content is great.  Here are six of their top ten with my comments.  Be sure to check out all ten here.

Brands should buck conventional wisdom and differentiate themselves in a meaningful and relevant way.  Back when I was working in public television I got a call back from a potential underwriter who proceeded to list all the different ways he was already marketing his service.   “That’s great,” I said.  “You’re getting lots of visibility, but how are you building favorability with consumers?”  Silence.  But that’s what cause marketing does.  It gives your potential customers a better reason to do business with you than just product or price.

Consumer mistrust of public and private sector leaders is at an all time high, and for good reasons.  Study after study shows that consumers want to see more corporate responsibility.  The headlines of the past couple of months have surely only enhanced this.  And starting a cause marketing program now will probably be perceived a lot better than suspending your activities.  Remember, the PR outcomes of cause marketing can work both ways.

Marketing is about making connections.  And cause marketing helps you makes those connections in a way that’s unique from other types of marketing.  Is it better or more special than other forms of marketing?  Probably not.  They have their place too.  But it is different and effective and should absolutely be part of every company’s marketing mix.

Do more with less.  Cause-related marketing does not have to cost a dime.  Amen!  I’ve said this many times on this blog that the real money in cause marketing is not in the corporate checkbook but in programs that ask many, many shoppers for a small donation.  If you run a business that has lots of foot traffic or lots of retail locations, preferably both, you have the assets needed for an effective, win-win cause marketing program at no direct cost to you.  The rewards of cause marketing combined with its zero cost will leave your media rep speechless.

Cause-related marketing is a proven way of driving sales.  Dude, it works.  The Earth isn’t flat.  We landed on the moon.  Oswald acted alone.  There are no WMD’s in Iraq.  Accept the 20 years of evidence and get with the program.

The needs of the community will be increasing.  And cause marketing is perhaps the best and most lucrative way for businesses to support nonprofits.  Take your lead from U2’s Bono.  When he was pitching Product RED to companies he turned down many six-figure corporate checks in favor of more risky cause marketing pacts.  Nearly $100 million later it’s clear he made the right choice.  You should too.

Posted in Cause Marketer's Journal, Cause Marketing In Action, Cause Practices | Comments (3)
November 3, 2008

Halloween Town by the Numbers

I had thought of writing a long recap on the event, but I think this pretty much says it all about Halloween Town 2009.

850 volunteers

120,000 pieces of candy given away (5,000 pieces eaten by me)

6 zones of entertainment

70,000 square feet of decorations, sets, activities, lighting, staging

5,000,000 media impressions

100 entertainers

8 shows by musician Dan Zanes

15,000 attendees over two days

100,000 prizes distributed

6,000 free tickets distributed to organizations that serve poor families

5,000 pumpkins decorated

700 cornstalks and 30 bales of hay used for decorations.

500 pounds of sand for one of our most popular activities, The Gravedigger Game

41 corporate and media sponsors involved in the event

300,000 pin-ups printed

500% growth in online ticket sales

1500 more attendees than last year

2500 light sticks and 800 balloons sold

400 R. I. P.’s (Really Important People) wooed for next year’s event.

This year’s event was a big success!  And planning for next year has already begun!

Posted in Capplause, Cause Marketer's Journal, Cause Marketing In Action | Comments (0)
October 29, 2008

Halloween Town in Pictures

Our photographer at Halloween Town captured some great pictures over the weekend.  Check them all out here.  I’ll have a recap for you soon.

Posted in Cause Marketer's Journal, Cause Marketing In Action | Comments (0)
October 26, 2008

Halloween Town: Mission Accomplished!

Grab your kids and enjoy Thrift Shop with Dan Zanes!

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October 25, 2008

Halloween Town Liftoff!

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October 24, 2008

Countdown to Halloween Town: Sound Check

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October 23, 2008

Countdown to Halloween Town: Town Raising

Posted in Cause Marketer's Journal, Cause Marketing In Action | Comments (1)
October 22, 2008

Cause Marketing in Action

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October 21, 2008

Countdown To Halloween Town: Membership Has its Priveleges

The week of Halloween Town is always a crazy time as we get ready to load in our sets, supplies, pumpkins, decor, banners candy and 850 volunteers to the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston.  Is this a lot of stuff?  Enough to fill a 70,000 square foot convention hall!

There are a number of priorities this week, but here are the big ones from a cause marketing perspective.

Sponsor czar.  This person’s sole job is to ensure that all corporate partners get what they are promised and are happy with their involvement in Halloween Town.  Every decision we make at the event includes the sponsor czar because they are the voice for our clients when they’re not present to speak for themselves.

Killer R.I.P.  On both days of Halloween Town we host a Really Important Person reception for big wigs and for current and prospective corporate sponsors.  Inviting potential partners is a great opportunity for them to see firsthand what Halloween Town is all about and just how unique and powerful the sponsorship opportunity is.  Companies are also impressed by the crowds–13,000 last year–and our ability to draw the elusive four-eyed, four-legged monster (i. e. mothers with kids).  With Halloween Town, seeing is believing and the RIP room, perched over the convention room floor, gives them a bird’s eye view.

Corporate ticket sales.  To date we’ve sold tens of thousands in corporate tickets, many of which are donated back to the hospital for distribution to our patients, community health centers and other youth-based programs.  Not only are corporate tickets sales an important part of the revenue mix for the event, but they also serve our mission to give the poor population we serve a safe, festive Halloween party for young families, which was iParty’s initial vision for the event four years ago.

Taking care of friends.  We sell a lot of tickets to Halloween Town, but, as I mentioned above, we also distribute a bunch to the community at no cost.  Having a full house is very important, especially for our sponsors.  It’s very possible that we could have a good day at the gate but the 70,000 square foot convention hall just wouldn’t look very full.  That would be a disaster!  Besides, we really want to break last year’s attendance record of 13,000.

That’s why I’m inviting my blog readers to join me at Halloween Town as my guest!  Just email me at joe@selfishgiving.com and let me know how many tickets you need and which day you would like to come, Saturday or Sunday.  To learn more about all the great activities and happenings at Halloween Town, including the times for Dan Zane’s eight performances, check out our web site, www.halloweentownboston.com.

I hope you can join me at Boston’s #1 Halloween event for toddlers to tweens!

Posted in Cause Marketer's Journal, Cause Marketing In Action, Cause Practices | Comments (0)
October 15, 2008

Cause Marketing: “More Important Than Ever”

Of late I’ve felt a lot like this billboard.  A little exasperated and out of sorts about my cause marketing prospects.  But thanks to Cone last week and Jim Stengel this week, I’m feeling better.

“More important than ever.”

That’s what Jim Stengel of Procter & Gamble said about cause marketing in a recent AdAge article on how major marketers like Sears, Target, OfficeMax, General Mills and P&G are actually increasing their cause marketing efforts, even when the prognosis for the economy is poor.  The reasons are simple.

There is a sense that consumers are waking up to the need for some social responsibility. Marketers say they believe cause initiatives help them stand out.  Some also say cause marketing adds another layer of value for customers, who get the product they want and make the charitable donation they want, in a sort of two-for-one deal.

Another point the article makes is on the great data Cone released earlier this month on how cause marketing really does work.  I especially like this point: 79% of consumers said if price and quality were similar, they would switch to a brand associated with a good cause.  That’s powerful stuff and shows that cause marketing is really a sales driver.

Finally, the article points to the bread and butter programs that I often preach.

But some of the most popular [cause marketing] programs could be those that donate a percentage of sales to charities or add on dollars at the cash register. Those programs, say cause-marketing experts, are relatively inexpensive for marketers, enable consumers to be charitable while watching their budgets and, in some cases, boost sales.

So, let’s review.  in reaching out to businesses about cause marketing you’re armed with three powerful tools.  First, you have a bunch of examples from AdAge of large, well-known and respected companies that are continuing their cause marketing despite the lousy economy.  In speaking with businesses large and small you can use them as examples of why it’s important to start/continue a program.

Second, you have the latest study from Cone, which is packed with great research that shows that cause marketing works.  You can download a free copy here.

Lastly, having read my blog, you know what works and that point-of-sale and percentage of sale will be two of the best cause marketing initiatives out there in the coming months.

Here’s what else you need to know.

Target the bluest chip companies you can find.  You might not have Sears, Target or OfficeMax as prospects, but you can target chains that, like them, are well established, buy advertising and have multiple locations.  These are the businesses that will most likely see opportunity in the downturn and respond to your appeals.  Who are these companies?  They may not be national companies like Home Depot and Walgreens, but they will have a strong presence in your market.  For example, I spoke to a fundraiser in Cleveland, OH not long ago who said they had no national supermarket chains to target.  But they did have a large, family-owned chain with about 75 supermarkets in Greater Cleveland.  Those are the type of businesses I’m talking about and that fit the criteria I outlined.  Like Sears, Target and OfficeMax, they are more likely to “get it” and see the value of cause marketing.  But don’t stop there.  A business with half as many stores may be a good candidate as well, just a lighter shade of blue. 

Know who you’re dealing with.  Be prepared for the three types of prospects you’ll meet in your travels: Thinkers, Feelers and Deferers.  Most people are a combination of all three, but one usually dominates. 

  • Thinkers are my favorites because they are most like me!  They want to hear the rationale, the logic behind cause marketing and why it makes sense for their business.  They like facts, figures, research, statistics, data and any other analytical information to drive their decision. 
  • Feelers are moved more by narrative and emotional appeals and will respond better to talk about the mission of your organization, how the consumer experience will be enhanced and how employees will derive more meaning and fulfillment from their jobs.
  • Deferers follow the lead of others.  Show them what the companies they admire or compete with are doing and how you can help them imitate and keep up.  Credibility and reputation are important to a lot of people.  But for these prospects, it means a whole lot more.

To compete you must retreat.  As cause marketers we have to realize and accept that we are competing against not just other charities, but also other forms of media and marketing in dealing with companies.  That means creating a competitive advantage for our service.  And because most businesses–especially the local and regional businesses you’ll work with–don’t understand or fully value cause marketing, you need to make cause marketing so appealing, so valuable, so easy, so cost-effective that anyone would be nuts to turn it down.  This means companies pay nothing for cause marketing and get lots of value-add, also at no direct cost.  But that doesn’t mean you lose any value because you retain the critical money-maker: the company’s customers, not the company check book.

That’s what’s great about selling cause marketing.  Retreats aren’t followed by routs.  They’re followed by charges…at the register!

Posted in Cause Marketer's Journal, Cause Marketing 101, Cause Practices | Comments (2)