Going Beyond Wins and Losses, Sports Step up for Causes
We’re getting our sports fix in 2010, bouncing from the Super Bowl right into the Olympic Winter Games. Luckily for us, cause marketers have reason to cheer, as cause connections with sports are gaining prominence. Street & Smith’s Sports Business Journal even noted in a recent issue, “as sports properties have grown in prominence, so has the sentiment that they must do more for the community, beyond wins and losses.”
The immense passion and strong commitment required of both sports and causes make them ideal teammates, and cause marketing for sports can be approached in a number of ways: from the perspective of the individual athlete, league, corporate partner or nonprofit. Here are a few examples of sports causes in action:
- Individual Athlete – Several Olympic athletes are giving back, including 2010 halfpipe silver medalist Hannah Teter, who began selling maple syrup called Hannah's Gold in an effort to raise money for underprivileged children around the world.
- League – The NFL PLAY 60 campaign is tackling childhood obesity by encouraging kids to be more active. Engagement takes place through in-school, afterschool and team-based programs, and through online child-targeted outreach and in partnership with like-minded organizations.
- Corporate Partners – Possibly the most notable sports-related cause is the Lance Armstrong Foundation, raising money for cancer research largely through the success of its partnership with Nike.
- Nonprofits – This week, the Ad Council engaged athletes Drew Brees and Tony Hawk for its latest PSA campaign supporting First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! effort to fight childhood obesity.
- Focus – Identify an issue that is relevant to the person or organization and stick to it.
- Leverage All Assets – Think beyond the big check and utilize other valuable assets, such as volunteers, airtime and celebrity appearances.
- Engage – Think of ways to engage multiple audiences, such as fans, the media or others in the sports community.
- Commit Long-Term – Cause commitments made over a long period of time offer the opportunity for the player or organization to gain the reputational benefits of the cause association.
Tags: charity celebrityengagement charitablegiving nonprofitcausebranding nonprofit causebranding
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Go Red or Go Home
The country is awash in red today as millions support the fight against heart disease by uniting for National Wear Red Day. This icon day is a cornerstone event of the American Heart Association’s (Cone client) year-round Go Red For Women initiative and has helped raise millions of dollars - and supporters - for the cause.
The Cone team goes red for National Wear Red Day 2010
Go Red For Women has transformed the issue of heart disease - the number one killer of women in America – to be more approachable and engaging through a multi-faceted program. Today’s sweeping support of National Wear Red Day on TV, in the news, on the Internet and in the workplace is evidence of the immense passion supporters have for this cause.
Its ability to capture the hearts and attention of the public makes it no surprise that the American Heart Association (AHA) came out as one of the top nonprofits on The Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100. The organization serves as a beacon for others in its ability to engage the public and create an army of supporters for the cause. Here are just a few of the reasons the AHA resonates with the public:
Strong corporate partnerships – Macy’s, Merck, Campbell’s and Jiffy Lube (Cone client), among others, are supporters of the Go Red For Women campaign, offering additional resources to help drive awareness of the cause.
Celebrity endorsement – Actress Jennie Garth joined the Go Red movement as a celebrity spokesperson for 2010, helping drive additional attention to the issue. Past spokespersons have included Marie Osmond and Andie MacDowell, who continue to engage in and drive awareness of the cause.
Iconic color – The AHA has created a movement around the color red and the red dress, establishing it as a symbol for the fight against heart disease.
Multi-channel engagement – Go Red For Women has penetrated the communications landscape, with messaging for the cause in print and broadcast channels, through social media, in the workplace and even on mobile phones.
Brand ambassadors – Go Red For Women owes its success to the millions of passionate supporters who rally for the cause by fundraising, advocating and educating others about the disease.
All of these, and more, contributed to the AHA Go Red For Women's honor as one of the top Public Relations Campaigns of the Decade by the Holmes Report. To learn more about Go Red For Women or National Wear Red Day, visit www.goredforwomen.org.
Tags: nonprofitpowerbrand100 corporatepartnerships nonprofitcausebranding campaigns celebrityengagement
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Best Practices for Celebrity Engagement with a Cause
Brands – and, increasingly, causes – have been tapping celebrity supporters for years, and it’s become a tried-and-true promotional tactic. But it’s important for organizations to understand what they’ll be getting – and not getting – when they bring a celebrity on board. The “ripped from the headlines” best practices below can help guide cause-celebrity relationships in today’s environment.
1. Know your budget
In many cases, even when a cause is involved, celebrities don’t come cheap. Be realistic about your budget and crunch the numbers beforehand to make sure you’re covering costs – and meeting obligations to partner organizations. Overspending on “operating costs” and administrative expenses leaves a sour taste in the mouths of donors and beneficiaries – like the annual “Funniest Celebrities in Washington” event, which despite steep ticket prices and A-list performers, has failed to make donations to nonprofit partners for the past five years.
2. Learn about and leverage your celebrity spokesperson’s passions
Leverage the personal passions – beyond the causes they support – of celebrity supporters. Brad Pitt’s floating house, which combines his appreciation for all things architecture with his charitable efforts – is a perfect example. Through his Make It Right Foundation, focused on providing affordable and sustainable housing for Hurricane Katrina victims in the Lower 9th Ward, Pitt worked with Morphosis Architects to create the “Float House,” a home that can rise up to 12 feet on guideposts, in the event of flooding.
3. Think long-term
When searching for celebrity support, look beyond this week’s People cover. Causes that truly resonate with celebrity supporters can foster deep, long-term commitments. Sound like a marriage? Maybe, but you’ll get more bang for your celebrity buck if you find someone who’s willing to do more than pose for photos at your gala. Think advisory board memberships, event hosting and face time with beneficiaries, in addition to attending the usual fundraiser.
4. Do your homework
Research isn’t glamorous, but it’s important to understand what you’re getting into with a celebrity spokesperson: they have the power to hurt – or help – your brand. Celebrities are people too, and sometimes they make mistakes (see: Michael Phelps or Chris Brown) that reflect on the brands (and causes) they support.
5. Use caution when addressing celebrity compensation
Now that we know celebrities don’t come cheap (see #1), think carefully about how forthcoming (or not) you’re willing to be in addressing compensation for celebrity spokespeople. There’s a fine line between transparency and over-communication.
Example: Promotional materials for the Prostate Cancer Foundation’s campaign (funded by GlaxoSmithKline) featuring tennis star John McEnroe clearly stated GSK paid McEnroe for his involvement. Some are questioning this “full disclosure” tactic – one blog writer said the campaign had thrown McEnroe “under the bus” – while others are applauding its transparency.
- Kate Dyer, Account Executive
Tags: celebrityengagement causebranding nonprofitcausebranding campaigns
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Watching TV is Good For Society
It’s 8pm. Do you know what your children are watching? Or your friends, your neighbors or your co-workers for that matter? Beginning Monday, there’s no need to worry because there’s a strong chance it’s something good.
For two weeks, major networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Disney, CNN and more will unite in the Entertainment Industry Foundation’s “I Participate” campaign to flood the airwaves with do-good messages. Dozens of popular shows - from sitcom to reality, from The Office to Dr. Oz - will infuse their regular programming with relevant messages about volunteerism and giving back to the community. The diversity of shows will reach multiple audiences with do-gooder messaging that would be hard to achieve without the collective effort.
Photo Credit: iparticipate.org
Some will weave the message into scripts, others will feature celebrity PSAs or promotional graphics and voiceovers, but in any case, the effect is sure to reverberate. As Evan Hochberg, national director of community involvement at Deloitte (Cone client), said in his recent op-ed in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, “When Steve Carell and his co-workers on The Office are touting volunteerism, it's fair to say we have reached a tipping point in the service movement.”
And it’s not just TV that is setting out to inform and inspire. USA Today and the Huffington Post both launched new platforms this week that provide a forum for stories and discussions that motivate and uplift. And yesterday, the blogosphere came together for another annual Blog Action Day to address climate change, hoping to spark attention and discussion of the global issue.
See which of your favorite shows will incorporate volunteer messages next week, and as you watch, consider: Did the messages stand out? Enhance or interfere with the show? Resonate with you? Inspire you to do more? Come back and share your thoughts.
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Summer Cause Campaigns
Cause-related campaigns understandably flourish at certain times of the year- during the winter holidays, October and Earth Day, for example. But this summer is turning out to be just as ripe for opportunities to do good. A few sunny summer campaigns that have launched recently:
Electrolux’s “Virtual Lemonade Stand”
Electrolux and its sprightly spokeswoman, Kelly Ripa, have launched a new initiative to support the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. For each Virtual Lemonade Stand consumers open online, Electrolux will donate $1 to the OCRF (with a minimum of $10k and a maximum of $15k). The company has also committed to donate $500,000 to the cause.
Tom’s of Maine “50 States for Good”
Corporate-sponsored online contests that allow consumers to decide which organizations will get charitable dollars are a leading cause-related trend right now, and during the hazy days of summer, it’s just getting hotter. Through Tom’s of Maine’s “50 States for Good” campaign consumers can help the company decide where to invest $100,000 in communities across the U.S. by nominating and/or voting for their favorite organizations in their states. In the fall, Tom’s will donate $20,000 to each of the five winning nonprofits.
Gap’s “The Ultimate Happy Hour”
This one’s just for Gap employees around the world. In celebration of its 40th anniversary, Gap has launched The Ultimate Happy Hour to encourage and reward its employees for their volunteer work. In keeping with its commitment to serving underserved youth and women, employees are encouraged to focus their volunteer efforts in these areas.
Tags: Volunteer charity celebrityengagement causebranding campaigns
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Light-Hearted Cause
Some recent cause-related campaigns have proven that a little levity can go a long way in capturing consumer attention.
Comedian Will Farrell launched a gag-gift-worthy line of sunscreen, which will benefit the charity Cancer For College. The line of products featuring comical (and slightly stomach churning) images of the popular celebrity will be sure to capture consumer attention. It certainly caught ours.
This week, The New York Times discussed another campaign by The Blood Center of Central Texas, which suggests giving blood can offset bratty behavior, such as failing to hold the elevator, mooching Wi-Fi or taking home office supplies. The humorous tone has resonated with Austin-area residents, and the organization has seen a 20 percent increase in blood donations since the campaign launch. The creative director of the multi-channel campaign notes, “This isn’t the time to go out there and be heavy.”
On the corporate side, KFC’s highly publicized pothole program and Kroger’s involvement in the Bread Art Project captured much attention from consumers and the media alike in recent months for their amusing approaches to addressing problems.
The stress brought on by the battered economy and struggling job market can make heart-wrenching messages hard to process. A little humor can help capture consumer attention, and when done right, light-hearted messages don’t necessarily undermine the seriousness of the cause.
A guest post on Katya Andresen’s Nonprofit Marketing Blog, which shared further “proof nonprofits can be funny,” summed it up this way:
“In conclusion: don’t be afraid to be funny! Remember that humor is just a tool to engage the audience. Once they’re engaged, you can transition to the sensitive subject. The humor is not about the actual subject - nobody is joking about cancer or genocide - it’s just a way to help approach something to which people might otherwise be resistant.”
For much more news on this topic, please see our weekly newsletter. Click to subscribe to Cone's newsletter.
Tags: charity donation causebranding celebrityengagement nonprofitcausebranding campaigns
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Unlikely Partnership: Vick and The Humane Society
The Humane Society of the United States is showing a softer side for one of its former animal cruelty targets. The nonprofit organization has partnered with football sensation turned convicted dogfighting offender Michael Vick to become its anti-dogfighting campaign spokesperson. Wait - what?
That’s right, the very organization that rallied against Vick and helped put him behind bars in 2007 announced he will become the face of its campaign. The incentive for Vick is fairly clear. Looking to repair his damaged reputation following his fall from the sporting spotlight, he likely sees aligning with the cause as a direct route back into the public’s favor.
For The Humane Society, however, the choice to engage a man prosecuted for animal cruelty is harder to grasp. But the organization is using the outcry to its benefit. The aftermath of the scandal actually gave The Humane Society and other animal organizations a unique opportunity to draw upon public attention and address the issue of animal fighting. As his sentence comes to an end, the organization believes working with Vick will provide a direct line of communication to the urban youth it is trying to reach with its anti-dogfighting message. Vick himself grew up exposed to dogfighting and claims he didn’t question its immorality when he became an adult. Perhaps like drunk driving offenders or former drug abusers who take to the speaking circuit to share their “lessons learned,” Vick may supply an authentic voice to the campaign the organization couldn’t achieve with another spokesperson.
Partnering with celebrities, as we’ve discussed in previous articles, is always a perilous venture, but joining with one so blatantly in conflict with your organization’s mission is nothing short of treacherous. The Humane Society is taking the controversial decision in stride, claiming it will “reserve judgment until he demonstrates that he's part of the solution rather than a further part of the problem.” Time will tell how the public, Humane Society supporters and animal rights advocates react to this unlikely partnership. Frank, ongoing communication from the organization will be critical.
Tags: engagement celebrityengagement currentevents advocacy marketing campaigns
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Cause Marketing with Celebrities
New research out this week surveyed marketers to explore the roles of celebrities in cause-marketing efforts, and the findings indicate that while these spokespeople often help raise awareness of a cause, they are not particularly effective in inspiring people to act. According to survey, the majority of respondents (about 58%) indicate a celeb’s tie to a cause may motivate them to look into the cause, but not necessarily become involved. Cone’s own consumer research found that Americans cite celebrity involvement as one of the least effective communication tools for nonprofits to reach them–specifically, it ranked No. 9 on a list of 10 (falling well behind such preferred methods as word-of-mouth and media coverage). And, only 15 percent of Americans said celebrities are likely to influence their decision to support a cause or charity.
Yet, that is not to say that star power can’t be an important asset. Consider the (RED) campaign’s more than $60 million raised to-date for the Global Fund which can be attributed in-part to Bono and his famous friends, or the success of Lance Armstrong’s LIVESTRONG campaign to fight cancer, including sales of his yellow wristband (reaching 55 million sold in 2005) . These two campaigns led the pack as the Celebrity Cause Marketing Survey’s most memorable celebrity campaigns. The celebrities involved in these issues sustain our interest, gain real respect and ultimately advance support for the cause, because they are authentic (often involves a deep personal connection to the cause and willingness to share a personal story), long-term (commitment extends beyond one day, one event or one media tour) and particularly generous (includes significant personal donations of money, time and fame or access).
- Lance Armstrong LiveStrong 15.90%
- Bono (Product) Red 10.90%
- Angelina Jolie UNICEF 4.50%
- Al Gore Global Warming 4.00%
- Brad Pitt Katrina/New Orleans Rebuild 3.50%
To learn more about celebrities’ favorite causes , check out the new philanthropic site causecast.org .
Tags: celebrityengagement causebranding
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