filter by author: Sarah Kerkian

June 17, 2011 at 11:22 AM by Sarah Kerkian

Reusable bag? Check. Locally grown produce? Check. Check-in? Check.

Farmers markets nationwide are just the latest addition to the growing roster of places where consumers can “check in” using geolocation technology to support a cause. With an heirloom tomato in one hand and a smartphone in the other, consumers can join Gowalla, Frigidaire and actress Jennifer Garner in the “Make Time for Change” campaign to support Save the Children. For each Gowalla check-in, consumers earn a special farmers market badge, and Frigidaire donates $1 to Save the Children’s CHANGE program to provide food for children in Africa (max donation $40,000).

 

Tying a donation to a check-in is easily the most common way companies are using geolocation to benefit causes, but the opportunities do not end there. Progressive organizations are experimenting with check-in technology and other new media – from social networks to mobile technology to QR codes – to drive consumer activism and behavior change, too. Exciting innovations are happening every day (such as“5 Mobile Apps Trying To Do Some Social Good”), but the revolution is only beginning. Download Cone’s latest POV, “New Media is Revolutionizing Cause,” to get ready.

Tags: newmedia causemarketing geolocation

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June 3, 2011 at 1:22 PM by Sarah Kerkian

Hundreds of cause marketers congregated in Chicago yesterday for the 9th annual Cause Marketing Forum annual conference (CMF). Representing companies, nonprofits and agencies, the 450 attendees hailed from more than 30 states and several countries. A few takeways from the event:

 

 

Canadian cause marketing has serious cred. No fewer than three Canadian organizations received cause marketing Halo Awards, including TELUS (Best Transactional Campaign), Royal Bank of Canada (Best Video Creative and Best Environmental or Animal Campaign) and Aviva Canada (Best Digital Marketing Campaign). To be fair, this was the first year Canadian organizations could enter the awards, and they certainly did so with gusto.

 

Voting campaigns may be losing appeal. In an informal snap poll, about 60 percent of attendees said “Hate ‘em” in reference to consumer voting campaigns. Keynote speaker Nancy Lublin of DoSomething.org explained her organization’s reluctance to participate in such efforts after an intern was able to drastically improve DoSomething.org’s rating in one such campaign in a matter of two weeks. These types of campaigns, Lublin says, are “impure.” Today, DoSomething.org will only participate in campaigns validated by third parties.

 

Critics are unavoidable. CMF President David Hessekiel cited three truths he’s learned from his cause marketing media interviews: reporters will always try to dig up a company’s skeletons that will reflect poorly on its cause efforts; no matter how successful and well-meaning a program, any minor oversight will make headlines before your actual impact on the cause; and, you won’t change the true cynics’ minds. For example, Walmart’s $1.5 million investment last year in much-needed infrastructure for food banks was met with criticism because it wasn’t a food donation. Don’t be dissuaded; the naysayers are inevitable. Proceed with caution and a good communications plan.

 

We’ve only scratched the surface of great cause marketing. We do an incredible amount of cause marketing tracking and believe we have a pretty good handle on the space. But a minute at the Cause Marketing Forum shows the volume of cause marketing is beyond measure. Sure you’ve heard of Pepsi Refresh and the American Express Members Project, but have you seen Liberty Mutual’s National Conversation Drive, A&E’s The Recovery Project or Cranes for Kids from Oshkosh and Carter’s? The company challenged kids to make 50,000 origami cranes in exchange for a donation of up to 50,000 pieces of clothing for Japanese children. They received 2 million.

 

Cause marketing is thriving, so we’ll certainly be back at CMF next year to stay on top of these exciting programs and new campaigns. We hope to see you there!

Tags: causemarketing CMF conference

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May 20, 2011 at 11:17 AM by Sarah Kerkian

Not satisfied to just sign a check, an increasing number of for-profit businesses are changing the rules of corporate philanthropy. Panera Bread Co. began its foray into more hands-on philanthropy a year ago when it converted a store into a pay-what-you-want (or at least, what you can) restaurant where proceeds are donated to charity. It was a bold experiment, but one The Associated Press reports has been successful. The store generates $3,000 to $4,000 a month in profit, money Panera is putting toward a job training program for at-risk youth. The company now operates three charitable restaurants and intends to open a new location about every three months.

 

Johnson & Johnson* is aiming to make it easier for its own consumers to connect to charities through a new endeavor called “&you.” The digital tool helps consumers find volunteer and donation opportunities, cause-related news, events and even nonprofit jobs, all in one spot. It allows nonprofits to “amplify” their outreach to volunteers, donors and supporters by aggregating their opportunities and information from a host of partner sites (including VolunteerMatch, Idealist, DoSomething.org, GuideStar and Network for Good). Users create a widget to post on their webpages or social media sites that refreshes as new opportunities appear that meet their interests.

 

Businesses give billions of dollars to charities every year, but the greatest source of donations is still individuals. As a result, companies are finding innovative ways to ensure they not only make a difference themselves, but that they provide simple tools and opportunities to maximize an even more powerful resource – the consumer’s desire to give.

 

*Cone client

Tags: corporategiving philanthropy

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May 13, 2011 at 1:02 PM by Sarah Kerkian

Robots aren’t taking over the world, but they wouldn’t mind taking your spare change.

Two pint-size automatons have hit the streets on three continents to ask passersby for their pocket change. DON-8r (“donator”) relies on coin donations to keep it moving throughout the streets of Scotland. It seems citizens weren’t particularly inspired by the little guy’s “hello, hello, hello” and color-changing head because DON-8r didn’t get very far. During a nine-hour test, he raised a little less than $43. Korean-made “Dona” used her robot charms to greater effect. Donning a red cape, she bows, blinks, waves and wiggles, all the while raising $30 an hour during tests in New York City’s Union Square and Korea’s Seoul Museum of Art. Unlike her Scottish counterpart, Dona stays stationary, and it’s hard to ignore her wide-eyed pleas for support.

 

Are robots the future of philanthropy? Unlikely. These little gizmos are at the mercy of thieves, mechanical malfunctions and street sweepers. And although they are novel approaches that will no doubt capture attention and a few dollars along the way, we know the keys to successful, sustainable fundraising are personal relationships and human stories. Then again, a Salvation Army Red Kettle that did a little dance for your donation would not be half bad.

Tags: fundraising philanthropy trends technology

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May 6, 2011 at 12:52 PM by Sarah Kerkian

Functional, free and even edible, QR (quick response) codes are giving new meaning to “look behind the label.” Marketers are employing QR codes in incredibly creative ways, but one of the most powerful and practical applications may be product and program transparency. A few recent examples:
•    The IOU Project has introduced QR codes to its brand of hand-woven fabrics to let consumers trace the life story of its products all the way back to the weaver.
•    A Boston restaurant is whipping up calamari ink QR codes to tell diners about the origins and sustainability of the seafood on their plates. 
•    And a Boston nonprofit is using a QR code to enhance its cause marketing promotion with iParty and Fuddruckers. The campaign links the code to Quora, a question and answer site, to create what just may be a powerful new cocktail for cause marketing transparency. When consumers scan the QR code on the campaign’s paper icons, they’ll be taken to a unique Quora page where they can post comments, questions or access a list of FAQs pertaining to the program.

The demand for detailed information about cause-related and corporate responsibility efforts is growing, while product packaging is shrinking or disappearing altogether. New media tools help bridge this gap and offer new ways to give consumers the information they need to make informed decisions. QR codes and Quora might be a little premature for all but the savviest consumers, but it is an interesting and necessary experiment in the future of customized transparency.



Tags: transparency newmedia causemarketing innovation

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April 29, 2011 at 1:40 PM by Sarah Kerkian

It’s not all butterflies and rainbows when it comes to effective environmental advertising. Or is it? The Biennial Green Ad Language Study by the Soap Group found environmental language in ads is down – only nine percent of the 100 ads researchers examined included language describing the green attributes or benefits of the product, service or company, compared to 22 percent of ads in 2009.

 

But there’s more to these findings than meets the eye. The Soap Group notes, “This does not mean, however, that green was missing from ads. In fact we saw a disproportionate amount of ads implying sustainability through graphics with no linguistic reference to anything remotely green. Products (tires, servers, windows, shoes, makeup, etc.) were placed in forests, dangling in mid-air, and found resting in fresh fields in order to imply green.” Rarely were these images actually tied to product attributes or performance, the report notes.

 

Vague environmental imagery is a troubling trend in the green marketing space and poses a real risk of consumer misinterpretation. Cone’s recent Green Gap Trend Tracker asked consumers to “purchase” the most environmentally responsible of three generic cleaning products based on an isolated marketing approach. Nearly one-in-five (19%) consumers chose the product with a green image (pictured above) without any other indication it was better for the environment. Some consumers believed the environmental imagery indicated this product was safe for the environment (14%) or that it could even help reverse the effects of climate change (4%). The Soap Group study calls this implied environmental benefit the “face of greenwashing today,” and it’s hard to disagree. With the risk of such extreme consumer misperception, a mountain lake or virgin forest suddenly doesn’t seem so pristine.

Tags: research environmentalmarketing greenwashing

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April 22, 2011 at 12:35 PM by Sarah Kerkian

This year’s Earth Day theme is “A Billion Acts of Green,” but it may seem more like a billion ads. Beginning with your morning coffee, you’ll likely encounter special eco-efforts all day long. Environmental Leader shares a brief round-up of promotions, and The Huffington Post highlights “Earth Day Freebies.”

 

If you’re overwhelmed, you’re not alone. In Cone’s 2011 Green Gap Trend Tracker, 51 percent of Americans said they are overwhelmed by the amount of environmental messages in the marketplace. But that doesn’t mean environmental marketing cannot be effective. To stand out from the green din on Earth Day, and all year, strive to meet these three evergreen rules for environmental marketing:

 

1. Be a resource – Provide sufficient supporting information to back up environmental claims at point of sale. Seventy-nine percent of consumers want companies to provide information about environmental commitments on the package to help them make informed purchases. And the Federal Trade Commission’s proposed revisions to the Green Guides will soon require it.

 

2. Be grounded – Tell a story that ensures what the product delivers is what consumers believe. Our research revealed consumers’ interpretations of environmental messages are often not aligned with product realities, which puts companies at risk for consumer backlash. Sixty-seven percent of consumers wish companies would do a better job of helping them understand the environmental terms they use to talk about their products and services.

 

3. Be realistic – Put environmental claims in a wider context with a humble, “work-in-progress” tone. Consumers value authenticity over perfection when it comes to environmental marketing. Three-quarters of Americans say it’s ok if a company is not environmentally perfect – as long as it is honest about its efforts.

 

Happy Earth Day!

Tags: EarthDay environmentalmarketing

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April 15, 2011 at 12:26 PM by Sarah Kerkian

Move over SMS and QR, there’s a new acronym in the giving game – ATM. That’s right, the old automatic teller machine may have a new life as a powerful channel for consumer philanthropy.

 

 

Since March 14, a “Donate to Charity” button on Wells Fargo ATMs has raised $1.5 million for the American Red Cross for disaster relief in Japan. The month-long program is believed to be the first national effort by an American bank to solicit ATM donations. The campaign may owe its success, in part, to its simplicity. The program is flexible, allowing consumers to donate any amount from one cent up to $249.99, and each ATM automatically prints a tax receipt for the donation. But what really differentiates the effort from other giving applications today is there is no overhead or transaction fee – 100 percent of every donation goes directly to the Red Cross. Wells Fargo is also chipping in $500,000 of its own, as well as matching employee contributions up to $500,000.

 

Unfortunately, the effort ends today, but we hope Wells Fargo and its competitors pick up where this campaign leaves off. What could be better on an ATM than these words: “In lieu of a $2.00 fee, would you like to make a donation to charity?” Now that you could take to the bank.

Tags: disasters AmericanRedCross corporategiving donations Japan philanthropy

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April 12, 2011 at 2:21 PM by Sarah Kerkian

Due to a substantial amount of comment spam we've received on this blog in recent weeks, we've decided to temporarily suspend our blog comment function in hopes of deterring the spammers. We hope to be up and running again very soon. In the meantime, please feel free to share any feedback with us at WhatDoYouStandFor@coneinc.com. Thank you!

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February 24, 2011 at 8:57 AM by Sarah Kerkian

Cone launched its new agency speaker series last week with a presentation by filmmaker and activist Socheata Poeuv whose award-winning documentary, “New Year Baby,” resonated deeply with many of our staff.  New Year Baby, a film about the Khmer Rouge genocide in Cambodia, begins with a stunning revelation about Poeuv’s family, survivors of the genocide, and takes us through a highly personal and poignant story as she visits Cambodia to learn more about her parents’ past. 


When Poeuv spoke to us after the screening, she focused less on the plot of the movie and her animated family and more on the storytelling techniques she employed, which made for a riveting film that both educated and inspired its viewers.  A few of the lessons she shared struck me as universal truths for any cause-related video, whether a 30-second spot or a full-length documentary:

1. Showcase the “at stake.” This is the heavy, consequential implication of the issue you are facing.  It may innately be personal – in Poeuv’s case, the role of the Khmer Rouge in redrawing her family tree – but it should be told in a way that’s universal, to ensure it resonates with every viewer.
   
   
2. Ensure an ebb and flow of tension and relief. A moment of humor or a change in perspective is a courtesy to viewers to make sure they don’t drown in the heavy moments of your video. The issues at stake are grave, but the seriousness of the message won’t necessarily be lost with a moment of levity.  In fact, audiences need, and often respond to, lighthearted moments, too.  Releasing built-up tension can help your audience better absorb the gravity of the situation without being overwhelmed.
   
   
3. Provide a resolution. In “New Year Baby,” the resolution was Poeuv and her family’s return to their home in the United States. It signaled they learned something deeply unsettling about the past, but still have hope for the future. No matter the issue, what a critical, uplifting and persuasive message to leave with an audience:  there is hope for the future, and by the way, here’s how you can get involved.

Has your organization told a compelling story about your cause using video? Consider entering it into the DoGooder Nonprofit Video Awards taking place now on YouTube.


- Sarah Kerkian, Insights Supervisor, @sarahkerkian



Tags: cone entertainment causebranding children parents bestpractices activism global

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