Cause Marketing Can Build Goodwill and Business

by Michele Rempel

Has there ever been a time when the call for a connection between business and social causes has been stronger? When many consumers expect businesses to take a stand on the social issues of the day? Several events in the US this year have caused a large number of businesses to inform their customers and audiences of their positions on everything from the pandemic to Black Lives Matter to sex trafficking to the upcoming Presidential election choices. “Cause marketing” is now the norm, and customers who see your marketing and visit your website often want to know where your business stands on various issues.

What exactly is cause marketing? Cause marketing happens when a business supports a social issue or charity and also reaps marketing benefits from their stand and/or action.

For example, a business might hold a golf tournament to raise funds for a local domestic violence shelter and encourage its customers to participate by donating personal care items to the shelter.

If your business or brand does not stand for something, especially in your local market, customers may look to your competitors. The number of consumers who say they would switch from one brand to another if the other brand were associated with a cause or charity has climbed to 87 percent, according to a Cone Cause Evolution Survey.

For franchisees, cause marketing can reap huge benefits, but can also get you in trouble with your franchisor if your “stand” or the charity you are aligning with does not match that of your franchise. Franchisors can also benefit, but a “rogue” outlet can put your entire brand at risk if their non-compliant marketing causes confusion among customers and prospects. Done well, cause marketing unites franchisees and their employees with their communities and conveys a positive brand image, boosting their local profile.

Cause marketing certainly is not new, and there has always been a strong partnership between small business and giving back to the community. The challenge today is to find a way to truly benefit and engage your community while remaining authentic and also (hopefully) increase your business’s bottom line as you increase your goodwill.

Here are a few steps to follow when launching a cause marketing campaign.

Pick a Cause. Ask your leadership team, employees and even some of your customers about what community organizations are of interest. Of course, the cause should be something you believe in and supporting it should give “warm fuzzies” to you and your team, whether or not you receive marketing benefits. The choice must be considered carefully, as small businesses can potentially lose customers if the cause is too polarizing Create a marketing plan. or political.

Decide how you want to support the cause. Do you want to focus on a big yearly event, such as a food drive or 5K (of course, COVID is a consideration this year), or include the cause as part of your monthly marketing campaigns and giving? If you have a tight budget, your support for an organization might be to serve as a donation collection point. Or you might create a donation matching campaign, where you match donations from the community up to a certain amount.

How will you communicate your support through social media, video, email and print? Will you create a hashtag to use in all your communications? Consider how you can involve people in your community to spread the word, including the beneficiary and its supporters.

Set a budget. Track your expenses while tracking your revenue. Marketing results, “cause” or not, should be tracked. Although this is often the toughest part of any marketing campaign, it’s helpful to establish a baseline of sales and leads, customer base size or other indicators prior to beginning.

Doing good is the right thing for society, whether it increases our bottom line or not. Cause-based marketing may not reap immediate benefits like a well-targeted and worded Google ad, but it will most likely bring 4 5 positive results to your business and your community in the long-term if you stay consistent to your values and to your plan of action.

Michele Rempel is the founder and managing partner of Westvyne, a marketing and website design firm based in California and Illinois. For almost a decade, she and her team have been guiding their clients in what to say, how to say it, where to say it, and who to say it to in order to attract and retain customers. For more information about Westvyne, visit www.westvyne.com.