filter by tag: causemarketing
Are You Listening?
From ponytails to braids, long locks to updo's, Barbie's hair often reflects the trends of the times. But, according to some consumers, there's one style the iconic doll is long overdue for: going bald. A new Facebook page "Beautiful and Bald Barbie: Let's see if we can get it made," has cropped up online, driven by two women affected by cancer. The group, now more than 87,000 "likes" strong, is asking toy maker Mattel to create a bald Barbie to support children with cancer and help them deal with situations when they or loved ones lose their hair. Although Mattel has yet to publicly enter the conversation, with media coverage from USA Today to Fox News, it's hard to imagine the brand will stay mum for long. This movement signals an important shift in cause branding. Today, empowered consumers are taking the reins and have no qualms letting companies know what issues they should support.
In recent years, company-sponsored voting campaigns have given consumers an increasingly powerful voice in how and where companies direct their cause marketing and philanthropy, yet ultimately, the company is still in control. But social media and grassroots organizations like Change.org are giving consumers an unprecedented voice in a company's responsibility efforts – and they won't hesitate to use it. According to Cone's 2011 Global CR Opportunity Study, 79 percent of Americans are willing to voice their opinions to a company about its corporate responsibility efforts. So listen up.
Despite this pressure, the activist consumer is not necessarily a thing to be feared. This trend presents companies with a unique opportunity to connect with consumers and address a cause on a level that is much more personal and meaningful than a pink ribbon on a package can ever hope to be. Being open to this kind of consumer feedback may spur innovation and help craft products that reflect the attitudes and concerns of today's consumers. The result is a new level of brand affinity – one that companies, consumers and causes can all embrace.
Tags: cause causemarketing consumer campaign Activist Issues
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Cause in Any Color
Coca-Cola made a big splash with its disruptive cause marketing campaign recently, turning its red cans white to benefit the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). Yet, only a month after the campaign began and weeks before the end of the holiday season, Coke has decided to phase out the polar bear-emblazoned white cans. A new "Phase II" will return the iconic cans to their traditional color a full two months ahead of schedule.
Loyal consumers rebelled against the new white cans, claiming they appeared too similar to Diet Coke's silver cans and caused confusion. Others believe Coca-Cola in white cans tasted different. One consumer exclaimed, "These Cokes are not the same. In fact they are about as sorry as Pepsi. If you like Coke then you know the taste and these polar bear cans are NOT the same!!!!" Coca-Cola's corporate blog received a flurry of similarly distressed consumer reactions. Coke wanted this holiday cause promotion to draw attention, but this is surely not what it had in mind. Although history shows consumers tend not to take packaging changes in stride (recall the Tropicana and Sun Chips debacles), amid all the hubbub over the can color, the cause seems to be the last thing on consumers' – and possibly the company's – minds. Coca-Cola contributed $2 million to the WWF's conservation efforts, but there was still another potential $1 million on the table that could only be unlocked through matching consumers' $1 text message donations. It's unclear at this time how this pared-down campaign will affect donation levels. Will red Coca-Cola holiday cans and packaging reflect the same cause message?
The takeaways for companies looking to make a big splash are clear: do your homework and know your customers, particularly when there is an important cause at stake. We all know cause does not trump price, quality or clearly, design, but it's still an important attribute that must be approached with care. Time will tell whether this blunder will impact holiday sales, but we hope consideration is being given for how the cause will fare, as well.
In other news, Coke announced today it's also going red in another way. This time it's launching a multi-year partnership with (RED) to assist in efforts to effectively eradicate mother-to-child transmission of HIV by 2015. No word yet on whether or how this will be communicated to consumers, but we can only hope it will be very carefully.
Tags: consumers branding cause causemarketing
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Local Focus, Big Impact
Although the issues are just as pressing, it can be hard to think globally when Americans themselves grapple with a sluggish economy, unemployment, poverty and hunger. So it's understandable that the 2011 Cone/Echo Global CR Opportunity Study revealed Americans are more likely to want companies to address the quality of life locally (47% versus the global average of 36%) than nationally or globally. Responding to this demand, a number of organizations are refocusing their efforts on local communities.
Cauzoom, a technology start-up in the Boston area, is making sure impact stays focused in the surrounding community. The company has developed a straightforward campaign, "Support Local Causes,” which helps small nonprofits on a local level by enabling donors and community members to donate and interact through social media. John Deere has laser-focused its efforts in Moline, Illinois, the home of its worldwide headquarters. The company recently announced a plan to build a life-size John Deere Series S Combine out of cans of food, which will then be donated directly to the surrounding community with the help of a local food bank. Lipton has also found a unique way to address competing global and local needs through "Caring for Communities is Our Cup of Tea,” a campaign which combines local impact with a global education. Winners of the grand prize will take a trip to Kenya to visit a Rainforest Alliance Certified farm, but they will also receive $25,000 to dedicate to a sustainability effort in their own community.
In the age when multinational corporations often take on large national or global issues, consumers may find it difficult to connect how these companies' huge efforts translate to their lives or the lives of those around them. Even in today's sophisticated cause marketing and corporate responsibility environment, there is still an opportunity for companies to focus efforts, at least partially, on the local level, appealing to Americans' desire for local impact, strengthening their brands and the communities in which they operate along the way.
WDYSF will be on vacation next week. Have a happy Thanksgiving!
And after the holiday, you're invited to an engaging event hosted by Cone Communications with Dara O’Rourke, founder of the GOOD GUIDE; Theo Forbath, the VP of Innovation Strategy at Frog Design; Julie Wittes Schlack, SVP of Innovation and Design at Communispace; and Beth Holzman from Timberland on the issue of transparency and consumer choice. The November 29th event in Cambridge, MA is free and open to the public. Click here for more details and to register.
Tags: local causemarketing study campagin
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Companies Should Honor 9/11
There has been an intense spotlight on American companies in the last few weeks and whether and how they will pay remembrance to September 11 in a public way. Stories in The New York Times*, PRWeek and Marketing Daily, to name a few, tackled the question head on, peppered with challenging language, such as “insensitive,” “exploitative” and “taboo.” No question this is a precarious situation for brands. Society will scrutinize those that implement 9/11-focused campaigns and communications, concerned they are capitalizing on the tragedy, while questioning those who choose to remain silent. And although some efforts seem to have passed the sensitivity test so far, such as American Express’ support of the “I Will” tribute campaign or Home Depot’s “Celebration of Service,” at least one U.S. company has gotten slammed and a few more international advertisements have been deemed outright tasteless.
In this country, we ask our companies to be good citizens. And on the anniversary of this tragic date, all citizens will be paying tribute, in their own ways, to the lives lost and changed 10 years ago. It would seem appropriate that companies stand with the nation and share opportunities for service and remembrance.
Cone’s Executive Vice President Craig Bida says five fundamental principles of cause branding will help ensure 9/11 campaigns maintain integrity:
1. Be authentic: Make sure you deeply understand your brand’s unique equity, mission, purpose and values, and act in a way that supports these.
2. Embrace risk: Leadership today is about standing up AND standing for something. This may mean taking on difficult or controversial issues. Remember, there was a time when breast cancer, AIDS and a host of other issues that are now part of our daily fabric were taboo.
3. Be unique: Develop your own take on an issue, identifying a specific challenge that you want to help solve. For example, supporting military families is broad; providing scholarships to families impacted by military service, is more specific and actionable.
4. Don’t go it alone: Nonprofit partners provide critical credentialing and expertise in achieving social impact. Given concerns about exploitation and 9/11-related marketing, this support is even more critical than usual.
5. Communicate impact: Consumers want to know what you are doing to drive change and how their support for your brand will translate into action. Be clear about your impact and think carefully whether this will be perceived as meaningful and actionable by consumers and other stakeholders.
To read Craig Bida’s full POV on marketing during 9/11, please visit the Thought Leaders Commpro.biz Blog.
On a final note, we at Cone stand with the rest of the country this weekend to honor the September 11 victims, survivors and first responders.
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Tags: corporateresponsibility campaigns cause causemarketing
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New Media is Revolutionizing Cause
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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2011 Cause Marketing Forum Recap
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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Are QR Codes the Key to Transparency?
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:
• 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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Where's the Cause?
Can you find the cause in this picture? Look hard – it’s in there somewhere, hidden among price-per-gallon signs, no smoking instructions and hot dog ads…
In case you didn’t find it, here’s the answer: It’s Citgo’s Fueling Good, a program through which Citgo gives away a year's supply of fuel and a case of motor oil to a deserving nonprofit, helping them by paying for transportation to deliver their mission (a recent winner was a Maine animal shelter).
This advertisement for the program, viewed in context of real-life gas pump clutter, highlights a critical challenge for cause marketing that has nothing to do with cause and everything to do with marketing: A need to focus on fundamentals to break through myriad commercial messages that target us every day.
In this example, the drama in the Fueling Good advertising – created here by prominent positioning of the iconic, typographically bold one-way sign – is misdirected. It doesn’t focus on the program’s core benefit of doing good in local communities. Smaller print invites the reader to learn more by going to a website, but how many people would read – let alone act – on that?
We live in an era of high expectations, with over 90 percent of Americans expecting companies to tell them directly how they are changing the world via improved products, services and operations. The lesson is simple: Act and communicate. No matter how bold or world-changing the efforts you are making, if you aren’t communicating them in a clear, compelling way, no one will know. Even worse for your brand, people might think you aren’t doing anything.
Tags: marketing causemarketing communications
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FIFA World Cup Cause Buzz Falls Flat
Sports have an uncanny ability to unite communities, capture attention and inspire goodwill, so major sporting events are a natural fit for cause-related messages. Which is why we are disappointed that so far during the FIFA World Cup – the sporting event boasting the world’s largest audience – the only buzz we’re hearing is coming from vuvuzelas.
Image: BanTheVuvuzela.blogspot.com
With some digging, we found Coca-Cola’s “Youth Talent Development Initiative” in South Africa and FIFA’s “20 Centres for 2010” – an effort launched in 2007 which aims to promote public health, education and football in disadvantaged communities across Africa. But we were hard-pressed to find word of these efforts in major U.S. media. And what about on-the-ground or online cause messages? Those were few and far between as well – most created by NGOs.
No one has followed the topic closer than blogger John Kim on his site, World Cup CSR. For over a year he’s been tracking any and all corporate commitments to the greater good affiliated with the event. His conclusion? Nil. Kim tweets, “Fifa's Centre's 4 Hope R the closest things 2 sponsor related CSR initiatives I've seen while here: disappointed.”
Is this a sign of a trend? The global meeting in South Africa is not the first major sporting event with lackluster cause tie-ins. The 2010 Super Bowl, which despite the hoopla over Pepsi’s departure, lacked social messaging almost entirely during the actual game. This was a decline from the array of cause campaigns we observed in 2009. Prior to that, the 2008 Summer Olympics seemed to lack cause messages aimed at American viewers, as well.
Despite the immense resources put into these events, brands with an established cause or CR presence have not been using the world stage to communicate their commitments and to activate consumers. The World Cup will stand as yet another missed opportunity and overall a disappointment for cause marketers.
What do you think? Did you see something we didn’t? Post the World Cup cause messages you’ve seen by commenting below.
Tags: causebranding events trends sports global superbowl causemarketing
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Cause Marketing's Dirty Little Secret
Consumers demand it. Cause marketers extol it. Yet some of even the best-known programs fail to live up to it. It’s time to fess up- lack of transparency is the cause marketing industry’s dirty little secret.
It is by no means a new issue, but it’s coming to a head as cause programs multiply in the marketplace and consumers and the media expect answers (fewer than half of consumers think companies and nonprofitsare providing enough details about their partnerships). For this reason, transparency in cause marketing was the focus of a keynote presentation Cone’s Chief Reputation Officer, Mike Lawrence, shared yesterday at the Cause Marketing Forum in Chicago. The landscape is replete with state commercial co-venture regulations and advertising disclosure laws, but these can vary by location and are rarely enforced. To better navigate this tricky terrain, Mike suggested marketers, nonprofits and agencies should remember to think like a consumer and ask a simple question to ensure clarity in their cause marketing promotions: “What is supposed to happen when I buy this – and how do I know it did?”
Language such as “proud supporter of” (Does this insinuate a flat donation? Does the consumer still believe his or her purchase will contribute to this donation?) or “X percent of gross profits” (Will any consumer know what this translates to?) leaves much room for misinterpretation. Instead, strive to provide the program details up front (Who does this benefit? How much of my individual purchase will go to the cause? How long does the program run?) and confirm the total investment in the issue over time so consumers are confident their participation made a difference.
“What is supposed to happen when I buy this – and how do I know it did?” It’s a seemingly simple question – but are you asking it?
Tags: campaigns transparency bestpractices causemarketing causepromotions
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