filter by tag: engagement
Nonprofits Turn to Social Media and PR to Guard Against Government Cuts
The economy may be slowly turning the corner, but there’s a bump in the road that has some nonprofit organizations backed into a corner. According to The Washington Post, Congress wants to cut about $30 billion from the budget – much to come from support to nonprofit organizations.
Government funding doesn’t benefit all 1.5 million nonprofits in the country, yet more than half (58%) of the organizations listed on The Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100 receive at least some financial contributions from the government. Budget cuts will force many nonprofits to turn to cost-effective and efficient ways to get messages out that will resonate with supporters and lawmakers in an effort to retain full funding for their missions.
Planned Parenthood mobilized a social media campaign to fight back against proposed cuts to its government support called “I Stand with Planned Parenthood.” The organization asks supporters to take actions, such as signing an online petition (with more than 800,000 signatures to date), calling local legislators and texting, Tweeting and posting their support on social networks to build grassroots buzz.
Other organizations, including Children’s Leadership Council (CLC), a coalition of about 60 advocacy groups, are turning to public relations as a strategy to earn public attention without the need for large-scale paid media purchases to get messages out to constituents and lawmakers.
Budget squeezes for nonprofit organizations are nothing new. Many learn to operate on a shoestring budget from the outset. But for those that rely heavily on government support, the proposed cuts could be a tragic blow to their social missions. Hopefully, with large-scale public support rallied in advance of the cuts passing, Washington will hear the voices of citizens who rely on these leading nonprofits and will choose to soften the budgetary blow.
Posts under the Knowledge Leadership byline come from Knowledge Leadership team members Sarah Kerkian and Casey Brennan. Follow us on Twitter: @ConeLLC, @SarahKerkian, @CaseyB
Tags: nonprofitcausebranding awareness campaigns fundraising engagement nonprofitpowerbrand100
Did you like this post? Please share it:
 |  |  |  |
Email Post
Comments (0)
Cruising for a Cause
What my clients want, they get. So when one told me I deserved a vacation, I listened! My husband and I jumped ship and booked a two week cruise to the Caribbean. It was relaxing, romantic and fun – and we enjoyed every minute (cue double rainbow – seriously, a double rainbow!).
But even with my new shades, I couldn’t help noticing Royal Caribbean International’s cause program. Overall, I was impressed, but, of course, I have some ideas on areas for improvement too.
Royal Caribbean has a number of community partnerships and prioritizes employee volunteerism as part of its GIVE (Get Involved Volunteer Everywhere) platform. Of all its programs, the most guest-facing is its partnership with Make-A-Wish Foundation. Since 2000, Royal Caribbean has hosted more than 1,000 Wish kids on its cruises and contributed approximately $3 million of in-kind services. During the cruise’s opening show, guests are introduced to the partnership via video, and throughout the trip, Make-A-Wish is included in various communication channels (e.g., in-room TV advertisements, featured tidbits in the daily “Cruise Compass” and a special flag is flown when a Wish family is onboard). These efforts culminate in a Walk for Wishes, in which guests purchase $10 Wishes at Sea T-shirts and join employees for a mile walk around the ship. On our cruise, guests donated nearly $2,000!
Amazing results, right? Absolutely! It’s a great cause, but it made me want more. While communications about Make-A-Wish on our cruise were abundant, they didn’t fully explain Make-A-Wish’s mission or Royal Caribbean’s results. Being the nosy person I am, I asked other guests (many of whom were international travelers) what they thought about the program and most of them didn’t understand who Make-A-Wish was or what they do. And they aren’t alone – while the cruise activities staff was highly knowledgeable about Make-A-Wish, waiters, chefs, stateroom attendants and others had little understanding and displayed minimal passion for the program. Also, the first time I heard of the partnership was onboard – where was the information when we were planning our trip?
Bottom line, Royal Caribbean and Make-A-Wish have a great program, but it could benefit from some of the market innovations we’ve seen this past decade. Royal Caribbean describes itself as the “Nation of Why Not” and I wish they would channel this energy for their cause. Why not leverage new media? Why not empower consumers through choice, personalization and deeper engagement opportunities? Why not incentivize employee participation? Why not highlight the partnership’s fantastic results and emotionalize the power of a purchase via social math?
I wish for the why not!
- Jillian Wilson Martin, Account Supervisor
(Full disclosure: Make-A-Wish is a former Cone client and Royal Caribbean participated in Destination Joy, a campaign Cone helped create in 2007.)
Tags: events cone awareness fundraising engagement employees causebranding
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (1)
Interactive Tools to Communicate Complex Issues
As interconnected as our world is today, it is still difficult to understand the impact of a natural disaster or serious issue from afar. To help bridge this divide, organizations are creating interactive online tools to better connect individuals to global issues, making them more relevant than ever before. Two disaster-related examples caught our eye this week:
IfItWereMyHome.com – a visualization tool that allows users to overlay the map of an area affected by disaster (the BP oil spill or Pakistan flood) atop a map of their own communities. For example, we can compare the devastated area in Pakistan to our office location in Boston, which shows the flood area would extend along the entire east coast. Suddenly, we realize the true extent of this disaster in proportions we can understand. Once users are attuned to the scope of the disaster, the site offers some further information and opportunities to donate.
The Haiti Aid Map – a collaboration of InterAction, BCLC and FedEx – details NGO efforts in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake. The map pinpoints 486 efforts underway by 77 different organizations, allowing visitors to search by topic, community or organization and learn more about what efforts and progress are happening within each. As the challenges in Haiti persist a year after the earthquake, donors may be questioning whether their dollars are being used effectively. Ideally, this site will bring a heightened level of transparency and coordination to the many efforts on the ground and ensure the continued flow of support.
Interactive “on-the-ground” tools like these are a trend to watch in 2011 as the demand for transparency and accountability in the cause space grows. But they should not be restricted to disaster response. It’s a technique that other large national or global causes should also adopt, as it invites consumer engagement and promotes organizational transparency and accountability – both things sometimes in short supply.
Tags: transparency global trends causebranding crisis newmedia engagement
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (1)
Keeping Your Cause Top-of-Mind in 2011
The 2010 holiday fundraising push has come to an end, but that doesn’t mean communication of your philanthropy or cause program should fade with the timely tax incentive. In fact, Cone research shows 90 percent of consumers want to hear about corporate cause efforts and 75 percent want to know the resulting impacts of corporate/nonprofit partnerships.
So as we emerge from the end-of-year whirlwind of promotions and fundraising pushes, don’t forget to reflect and say “thanks.” At minimum, the TOMS note touched our employee enough to chat about and share the nice gesture with others (potential customers). And when something is worth talking about, the word of mouth can generate enough buzz to keep your cause, and brand, in focus year-round.
Tags: holiday communications causebranding campaigns engagement
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (0)
Good Competition
Get your game face on because this summer, companies, government agencies and nonprofits are all offering big bucks for game-changing ideas that contribute to the greater good. Conscious consumers and innovators are suiting up to compete for the opportunity to make an impact.
- This week, GE announced the Ecomagination Challenge, which invites inventors, entrepreneurs and startups to compete to develop the next-generation of power grid technologies. The $200 million in prize funding will be doled out in $50,000 to $500,000 increments starting this September.
- The EPA recently announced a National Building Competition, where commercial buildings will compete to shed the most energy waste. Fourteen buildings across the country have been selected to contend for the winner’s title.
- Pepsi extended its Refresh Project by issuing a special Do Good for the Gulf Initiative. Starting this week, participants compete for part of the $1.3 million in grants the beverage giant has set aside for projects that help Gulf residents.
- Also seeking to aid the Gulf crisis, the X PRIZE Foundation is developing a multi-million dollar competition for ideas that will help alleviate the effects of the BP oil spill. Although planning is still underway, oil-cleanup innovators are ramping up for what will likely be a fierce competition.
Leading companies know corporate responsibility is more than just handing over a check. If some friendly competition is what it takes to captivate stakeholders and foster a sense of shared responsibility to solve pressing social and environmental issues – then game on!
Tags: engagement campaigns corporateresponsibility contests causebranding sharedresponsibility
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (1)
The Debate of Mandatory CR Reporting
In 1989, following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, nonprofit organization CERES developed the CERES Principles (previously “Valdez Principles”), which introduced specific environmental reporting guidelines. These values became the driving force behind the Global Reporting Initiative standards, which, today, 77 percent of the global 250 use to disclose environmental, social and governance data.
Corporate Responsibility (CR) reporting – often referred to as sustainability reporting – is a voluntary tool used to exercise transparency and proactive engagement on key issues. But what if it was mandated, much like financial reporting? Would this be good for companies? Society? These questions were up for debate in a recent BSR article (membership required), which followed a conversation sparked during the annual conference hosted by the organization. Experts from all sides are debating the implications of such mandates. Highlights include:
Pros of Mandating CR Reporting:
- Gives sustainability the same weight of importance as financial performance
- Creates an equal playing field for companies – requiring all to disclose their practices
- Drives corporate action for positive environmental change
- Encourages companies to simply “check the box” – which goes against the value of Shared Responsibility
- Presents challenge to itemize issues material to all companies across all sectors – therefore, hard to create a standard set of reporting criteria
- Puts liability on companies to ensure accuracy
The question also remains about whether reporting can be an effective tool to meet the demands of all stakeholders. Whether you are for or against reporting mandates, Cone’s research shows consumers are looking to companies to solve societal ills. Most (91%) want companies to communicate their commitments, yet two thirds (67%) of consumers are confused by the messages companies use to talk about their commitments. The challenge for companies today is to create reports or other communications that engage and meet the demands of a range of audiences, including those looking for credible data and those seeking the story behind each CR program.
Reporting is no longer about checking the box. So perhaps it’s less important to debate whether reporting should be mandatory, but rather how CR reports should be executed to meet varied stakeholders’ needs for transparent, yet digestible and relevant information.
Tags: engagement corporateresponsibility sustainability sharedresponsibility
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (2)
2010 Cause Marketing Forum Recap: Engagement is Key
I had the pleasure of attending the 2010 Cause Marketing Forum Conference in Chicago this month, and as always, David Hessekiel and his team did a great job encouraging conversation on hot topics in the industry.
Many of the discussions I heard and was a part of at the conference - and afterward - have been around legal issues (Ed Chansky scared everyone in a good way), transparency (Cone's Mike Lawrence helped to simplify it for everyone) and choosing the right partners (Komen & KFC is still being talked about heavily).
Ultimately, the common thread running through all of these topics is the need to engage stakeholders in your cause branding and corporate responsibility activities. At Cone, we call this "Shared Responsibility" and feel strongly that it's where the industry needs to go.
To have the greatest social impact, companies must move beyond philanthropy and transactional cause marketing toward supporting issues that are material to business growth and allow for stakeholders to be engaged in collaborative solutions.
Margaret Morey-Reuner from Timberland (Cone client) spoke directly to this concept during the “CSR Meets CM” dinner, sharing how Timberland has actively engaged consumers through its Earthkeeper program to provide input and be "Voices of Challenge."
No one company or nonprofit can do it alone. By embracing Shared Responsibility, not only can you better identify and avoid potential legal, transparency and partner selection issues, but you can also empower stakeholders to help drive innovation and become true advocates for your efforts.
- Chris Mann, Account Director
Tags: causebranding cone engagement sharedresponsibility conferences transparency
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (0)
Consumers as Activists – Against Your Cause
Consumers rule the roost when it comes to online conversations. Technology, paired with low trust in business, has created the perfect environment for consumers to broadcast their objections to business practices and programs. And communicating your well-meaning cause effort is no guarantee the chatter will always be nice.
Case in point: the online backlash to KFC’s “Buckets for the Cure,” which was met with seething criticism by both consumers and seasoned cause marketers. The disconnect between the issue (breast cancer) and the product (fried chicken) was the main point of contention. As the conversation simmered, both the fast food chain and the nonprofit partner came under attack. The fact that this partnership has raised millions to-date is lost, perhaps forever, amid the perfect storm of skeptical consumers and critical chatter online.
The best defense? A good offense. Engage the would-be activists early in the process to better predict what issues could arise. In fact, our research found that consumers want to be engaged in the decision-making process for your social or environmental efforts. To help influence initiatives, consumers are willing to take part in a variety of activities, including participating in a survey (70%) or emailing, calling or talking with the company or an employee (32%). By providing these forums for consumers to voice their opinions, organizations will be better equipped to react to possible criticism and adjust their programs accordingly.
And the benefits don’t end there. When their ideas are put to work, consumers are more likely to buy those products and services (60%), feel more loyal to the organization (54%) and are more likely to recommend it to others (51%). So before you tie a ribbon on your soon-to-launch product, why not ask your consumers what they think about the cause, the nonprofit partner and the details? They’ll be eager to engage, and it may just swap a future headache for a brand halo.
Tags: research cone engagement advocacy sharedresponsibility
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (0)
New Research: Engaging Consumers to Achieve Shared Responsibility
For more than 30 years, we have been helping organizations address social and environmental issues (Cause Branding) and change the way they operate for maximum business and societal benefit (Corporate Responsibility). Today, we see a convergence of these distinctive yet synergistic business strategies taking place. We call this intersection of business and society “Shared Responsibility,” and believe the future of sustainable business rests in this alignment – where companies will collaborate with their stakeholders to help address the social and environmental obstacles that stand in the way of greater business opportunity.
In light of this emerging perspective, we fielded research to explore how companies can take a “Shared Responsibility” approach and more effectively collaborate with consumers to help solve social and environmental issues. The Cone 2010 Shared Responsibility Study revealed that despite great opportunity, companies are not quite making the grade when it comes to engaging consumers. Key findings include:
- Eighty-four percent of Americans believe their ideas can help companies create products and services that are a win for consumers, business and society; yet, only half (53%) feel companies are effectively encouraging them to speak up on corporate social and environmental practices and products.
- Three-quarters (75%) of Americans give companies a “C” or below on how they’re engaging consumers around key issues.
- If a company incorporated their ideas, consumers say they would be more likely to buy its products and services (60%), more loyal (54%) and more likely to recommend the company (51%).
Tags: research cone engagement sharedresponsibility
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (0)
A Fresh New Attitude for Cause
Some say attitude is everything. And as the dreary April showers finally subside, it’s a perfect time to adopt a fresh, sunny outlook for the spring ahead. We’ve noticed a similar attitude overhaul taking place in a new crop of cause efforts. Instead of focusing on the seriousness of issues, these programs are adjusting the tone of conversations to something a bit more light-hearted to motivate more people to get engaged.
Kotex, as part of its humorous new brand campaign for “U by Kotex,” has teamed up with Girls for a Change to “empower and educate young women to become agents of social change.” The campaign encourages “real talk” about vaginal health and provides ways for girls to learn, interact and share online. Visitors to the brand Web site can sign a “Declaration of Real Talk,” sparking a $1 donation to Girls for a Change with every submission. The site is colorful and youthful – a fresh approach to a discussion that has longed for a makeover.
New fundraising site Crowdwise.com takes a similarly cheeky tone. Its tagline perfectly illustrates its brand personality: “If you don’t give back, no one will like you.” Created by actor Edward Norton, the site offers people a free way to create fundraising pages that can easily be shared through existing social networks. Users are incentivized to raise money by winning points and prizes along the way. With a wry humor sure to attract any do-good teeny-bopper, the added presence of several celebrity projects may help put site traffic into overdrive.
These programs illustrate that a new approach to cause does not always require a new issue or a new audience. By changing the tone of a dialogue or creating new ways of connecting and sharing, people will be reenergized and inspired to make a change. Fostering a positive attitude is one little thing that can make a world of difference.
Tags: Women health fundraising causebranding campaigns engagement celebrityengagement newmedia
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (0)
Forgetting Your Shoes for a Good Cause
Going barefoot in the office is usually a faux paux – unless you’re an avid supporter of TOMS Shoes.
Yesterday marked the annual One Day Without Shoes event, which challenged people across the country to spend the entire day (or even a few hours) sans shoes. TOMS rose to fame in the cause world through its simple, but powerful, buy one, give one model. For every pair of TOMS Shoes someone buys, a pair is given to a child in need. Yesterday’s effort drew support from 250,000 people through more than 1,600 events around the world. How did they achieve such success? Here are a few thoughts:
Low Barrier to Entry – Consumers didn’t have to contribute financially to take part in the effort, they simply needed to kick off their shoes for the day. This easy call-to-action allows both TOMS Shoes loyalists and non-customers to take part.
Wow Factor – Sometimes the best way to garner awareness is by causing a scene. A shoe-free day is less extreme than wearing nothing but an apron to work – which LUSH Cosmetics employees do once a year to make a statement about over-packaging – but is nonetheless an eye-catching spectacle for a good cause. And getting some celebrities, including Kristen Bell, Matisyahu, Morgan Spurlock and Heather Graham, to kick off their shoes for a day doesn’t hurt either.
Teaching Moment – TOMS was able to supplement its existing sales-based cause efforts with an educational, worldwide event to help inform the public about the risks millions face by living without shoes. The threats range from cuts and scrapes that can lead to infection to Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil. Suddenly, shoes are about more than just comfort and style.
Personal Connection – The event helps bring participants closer to the issue through first-hand experience. Instead of discussing TOMS’ mission in the abstract, the organization gave consumers a way to experience the cause for themselves and gain appreciation for what life is like for the children the company serves.
Widespread and Grassroots – The success of the campaign is largely due to the hundreds of regional events across the globe within cities, college campuses and even elementary schools. The One Day Without Shoes Web site offered toolkits to help participants organize, promote and execute the local efforts.
TOMS Shoes has already established a cult following among socially conscious fashionistas and is slowly creating a movement with its simple rallying cry for the cause. By executing an engaging and powerful event, TOMS was able to reach a wider audience with the message and hopefully increase its band of loyal followers who will provide shoes to the world’s children, one by one.
Did you participate? Tell us what you thought of the experience.
Tags: causebranding global campaigns engagement celebrityengagement advocacy
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (4)
Companies Need Courage to be Responsible
A couple of weeks ago I attended the Economist’s Corporate Citizenship Conference in New York City. The discussion focused on the role of business in our society and the opportunity to do well by doing good. There was much discussion around the different approaches companies are taking: various CSR programs, NGO partnerships, sustainable product launches, etc.
I think most would agree that there is a positive bottom-line impact to make the case for corporate responsibility, acting sustainably or whatever you choose to call it. But still many companies are hesitant to open that door. During the conference, one of the panelists said that companies need courage. That comment really resonated with me – and I think it’s true. Courage is an important trait many companies need in order to start looking at themselves with a critical eye and begin adopting strategies to become more responsible corporate citizens.
This idea holds true in several ways:
The courage to admit that your shareholders are just one of your many stakeholders
- Having recently witnessed the failure of many of our financial institutions and massive layoffs combined with big bonuses, it’s hard not to view companies as in the business of making money to pay off corporate leaders and shareholders, above all else. Somehow they have shifted towards this narrow focus of shareholder maximization, leaving all other stakeholders in the dust – employees, communities, consumers. Responsible corporate citizens are recommitting to this broader spectrum of stakeholders and addressing the interdependency among them in order to achieve more sustainable growth.
The courage to collaborate
- While companies have an important role to play in society, they are just one part of the equation. Some of the most impactful efforts are born through partnerships between companies and NGOs. One of the programs highlighted at the conference was 10,000 Women, a program supported by Goldman Sachs. Its mission is to provide 10,000 underserved women around the world with a business and management education (starting in places like Afghanistan). Goldman Sachs works with multiple academic and NGO partners throughout the world to develop curricula and help reach women in need. Goldman Sachs sees this program as more of an economic investment versus charity. They believe these women will play a critical role in building local economies and ultimately help drive future business. In the meantime, the program is empowering these women and changing their lives in extraordinary ways.
- Companies also need the courage to collaborate with their competitors. We often see companies within the same industry developing separate standards to meet their definition of sustainable practices. This can result in confusion among suppliers as they try to adhere to multiple sets of standards. Competitors need to find common ground and come together to harmonize standards and unify efforts. One example of this is the Leather Working Group which brings together competitors in the leather shoe industry, including Timberland and Nike, to agree upon one set of standards and positively impact a critical piece of their supply chain for themselves, for the industry and for social good.
- Being responsible also means being transparent and honest with your stakeholders. This can be a scary proposition for many companies unwilling to take the risk of exposing potential skeletons in the closet. But only by being aware can companies fully understand their impact and make the changes required to act more responsibly. It’s easy to talk about the great things we are doing, but it’s much harder to share those areas that need improvement.
- Being responsible (vs. reactive) means being proactive and able to adapt to change. Some of the best examples of responsible corporate citizens are also some of the best examples of innovative companies – Method, ZipCar, Aveda, all come to mind. P&G has taken this innovation for social good and turned it into a new product line called “Future Friendly”. Launching this month, this new line consists of environmentally friendly products to address the needs of the “Sustainable Consumer”. This line will enable P&G to help the earth while driving value via a niche consumer segment.
What do you think? Do companies require courage in order to be good corporate citizens? Please share your thoughts below.
- Erica Vogelei, Account Director
Tags: corporateresponsibility conferences cone engagement timberland
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (5)
Top 10 Types of Cause Promotions
1. The “Proud Supporter” Method
This first promotion type describes when a company gives a flat donation to a cause/nonprofit organization, and the donation is not tied to sales of a product or action by the consumer. Cone refers to this as the “proud supporter” method because this language often accompanies this type of cause promotion on the package.
Example: General Mills* Pink Together campaign
Pro: Longer shelf life because it’s not directly tied to individual sales
Con: Passive consumer engagement – no compelling call-to-action to drive engagement
2. Donation with Purchase
Possibly the most common approach associated with cause-related promotions, this is when a donation is triggered for each specially marked package sold during a pre-determined timeframe. The donation may vary and may be described in terms of a percentage or dollar amount of each product. A funding cap is generally associated with this type of promotion.
Example: Betty Crocker Stirring Up Wishes* campaign
Pro: Opportunity to track sales and sales lift
Con: Requires careful disclosure to ensure consumers are not misled and promotion details are transparent (e.g., caps, timeframes, etc.)
3. Donation with Label or Coupon Redemption
This method is when a company makes a donation for every code/label provided through purchase and redeemed in-store or via mail. It is not the sale itself which triggers the donation, but the supplemental action.
Example: Yoplait Save Lids to Save Lives*
Pro: Ability to track consumer reaction to promotion and resulting sales lift
Con: Some consumers are dissuaded by need to take an “extra step”
4. Donation with Online Activation
Similar to the in-store redemption method, this is when a company makes a donation for every code/label provided through purchase and redeemed or activated online.
Example: Dawn Saves Wildlife
Pro: Convenient for consumers and offers second point of engagement
Con: Easy for consumers to forget to redeem code/label because it is not an immediate action
5. Donation with Consumer Action
A method that doesn’t require a purchase; the fifth type of promotion is when a company makes a donation when the consumer takes a specific action (e.g., sends a viral gift, hosts an event, designs packaging).
Example: Mike’s Hard Lemonade Share Some Pink campaign*
Pro: Compelling consumer call-to-action
Con: Less direct tie to sales
6. Dual Incentive Method
A dual incentive promotion is when a company provides an incentive to drive consumer donations (e.g., a donation match, a product coupon or discount).
Example: Lands End Big Warm Up campaign
Pro: Loyalty opportunity – consumers feel a partnership with the company and rewarded for their efforts
Con: Company can be perceived as asking consumers for money since a donation is required to activate the incentive
7. Consumer Pledge Drives
Some companies encourage consumers to pledge support to a social issue or nonprofit partner. This is often accompanied by a corporate donation or incentive for each pledge.
Example: Starbucks Pledge5 campaign
Pro: Gives consumer a voice
Con: Requires localization to ensure highest level of consumer relevance
8. Buy One, Give One (BOGO) Method
A promotion that is gaining in popularity, BOGO is when a donation by a company is communicated in terms of a comparable social impact (e.g., one pack = one vaccine; one dollar = one tree planted, one pair of shoes bought = one pair of shoes donated).
Example: Pampers’ 1 Pack = 1 Vaccine campaign
Pro: Consumers are very responsive to tangible, immediate results
Con: Difficult to translate outputs (# of vaccines) to outcomes (# of lives affected) and the actual cost of the individual item donated may be small (few cents)
9. Consumer-Directed Donation
This promotion allows consumers to determine where and how a company’s donation is allocated, either from a set list or by “nominating” favorite charities.
Example: Target Bullseye Gives campaign
Pro: Consumer is empowered – higher level of engagement and perceived value
Con: Can be resource-intensive to manage and vet multiple nonprofit beneficiaries
10. Volunteerism Rally
The final promotion encourages consumers to donate time in support of a social cause. They are rewarded for their volunteerism with complimentary goods/services.
Example: Disney’s Give a Day, Get a Disney Day campaign
Pro: Opportunity for localization and personalization
Con: High level of consumer commitment required
*Cone client
Tags: campaigns newmedia engagement donation causebranding
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (7)
Shared Responsibility: Solving Malaria Together
Malaria has long been a global epidemic, with sub-Saharan Africans under the age of 5 bearing the brunt of almost all the estimated 3 million fatalities occurring every year. Nothing But Nets and similar programs have made great strides toward preventing the spread of this disease in African nations, but a cure has not yet been found.
Image: http://www.gsk.com/community/malaria/factsheets/amp_english.pdf
Some may say it’s a problem too big to solve – but GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) thinks otherwise. This week, the global pharmaceutical giant announced it will freely distribute its malaria research to any scientist interested in joining the challenge – marking the first time that a pharmaceutical company has made so much of its data public. What’s more, GSK will provide “open lab” placements for 60 scientists at one of its research labs and is collaborating with Medicines for Malaria Venture, a foundation focused on anti-malarial drug development. In an industry that is often highly confidential and competitive, GSK intends to use open-source collaboration to solve this epidemic.
This collaborative approach to the research process could speed solutions. As Dr. Timothy Wells of the Medicines for Malaria Venture notes, “By sharing the data, the research community…could set a new trend to revolutionize the urgent search for new medicines to tackle malaria.”
GSK is making a huge statement for the pharmaceutical industry, and for all of the corporate world, by recognizing some problems are too big and too important to solve alone. By engaging the right stakeholders, sharing knowledge and taking a collaborative approach to critical social issues, GSK could be changing the way solutions are found for both business and society.
Tags: research engagement global sharedresponsibility disease
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (0)
inConetext: Jonathan Yohannan Discusses Sustainable New Media
The following originally appeared in Cone’s inConetext quarterly newsletter. To read current or past issues, visit our Web site.
Sustainability, corporate citizenship and corporate social responsibility are just a few of the words used by C-suite executives to describe how businesses provide social, environmental and financial value for key stakeholders and society. It’s no wonder so many companies struggle with the sheer volume and complexity of corporate responsibility issues and stakeholder expectations when they can’t even agree on what to call it.
And today, new media have only complicated everything further by accelerating the communications process. The power of stakeholders is much stronger than ever before given their ability to assemble online, wresting control over the message away from companies. So, how does a company keep up? Creating a Facebook page or adding a widget is not going to cut it among today’s tech-savvy consumers and stakeholders, nor will it satisfy their skeptical stance on corporate responsibility marketing efforts. Like all other communications, a new media presence must have the right mix of strategy, messaging and audience to be a success. Cone helps companies navigate this journey from strategy and reporting to engagement and new media communications.
- Jonathan Yohanan, Senior Vice President
Tags: engagement corporateresponsibility cone newmedia
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (0)
If an FSC-certified tree falls in the forest…
Worldwide, a record number of companies are reporting on their sustainability performance. Whether these companies are reaching their employees with these messages is another story.
Two new studies uncover a disconnect between corporate responsibility efforts and employee awareness. According to a Public Policy Polling survey, nearly one-quarter (24%) of survey participants indicated their company has made sustainability a top priority in business decisions, yet only 17 percent said sustainability efforts are frequently communicated to the workforce. The 2009 Corporate Citizenship Survey, conducted by a group of firms, found a more startling figure – a full 70 percent of employees say they are not aware of any socially responsible practices their own employer is taking. A company’s social and environmental practices can affect everything from recruitment to employee pride, loyalty and retention, so inadequate communication has far-reaching implications inside a company’s own walls.
What’s more, employees serve as natural brand ambassadors for their organizations. Failure to adequately educate them about corporate responsibility efforts and initiatives hinders a powerful, cost-effective and credible channel for reaching consumers and other external stakeholders.
Tags: environment research engagement employees corporateresponsibility
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (0)
For Top 10 Nonprofit Power Brands, Engagement is Key
Since yesterday’s launch of The Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100, we’ve had many great discussions about the research. Every conversation starts with the same question. “What is it about the Top 10 that makes them the Top 10?” The answer, in a word, is ENGAGEMENT.
Whether 100+ years old, or newer kids on the block, these nonprofits are experts at leveraging multiple points of consumer engagement. Many have bricks-and-mortar facilities (YMCA, The Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Goodwill, Boys & Girls Clubs) or in-your-face marketing (Habitat, American Cancer Society) that keep them top-of-mind with consumers, donors and other stakeholders.
Other common threads include:
-
Their services have broad appeal to an array of stakeholders
-
They are entrenched in hundreds or even thousands of local communities across the country with extensive consumer touch points
-
They provide a credible voice and are a sought-after resource to help in difficult times
-
They have successfully partnered with companies to reach a broader array of constituents with a clear call-to-action
-
They have derived significant revenue through cause commerce (selling goods or services that help fund their cause)
It’s also notable that six of the Top 10 Nonprofit Power Brands are domestic social needs organizations (The Salvation Army, United Way of America, American Red Cross, Goodwill Industries International, Catholic Charities USA and Habitat for Humanity International). This sector is thriving as Americans turn their attention homeward since the devastating disasters of September 11 and the 2005 hurricane season. And, in these tough economic times, individual support of nonprofits providing life’s basic necessities has actually increased, and we expect this sector and its organizations will only sustain their upward momentum.
Visit our Web site to get branding insights straight from the Top 10, or to hear from the CEOs of the United Way, Catholic Charities and the American Cancer Society.
Tags: research top10 cone nonprofit engagement nonprofitpowerbrand100
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (0)
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: currentevents advocacy marketing campaigns engagement celebrityengagement
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (1)
Consumer-Centric Philanthropy
Want to really engage consumers in your cause efforts? Then give them a voice. Target, well-regarded for its philanthropic commitments, relinquished some control this week as it launched “Bullseye Gives,” a campaign allowing consumers to decide how to give away Target’s money. The company will divide a $3 million donation among its 10 charity partners, determined by consumer votes on the Target Facebook page.
Consumer-centric philanthropy campaigns like this are not new, but they are clearly resonating. In the past year, American Express, Western Union* and Trip Advisor have all launched similar consumer-driven online contests, powerful because they offer unique benefits to all parties.
First, online contests’ user-friendly, low- to no-cost tools provide companies a channel to connect with consumers on a more personal level than traditional checkbook philanthropy (in turn, perhaps breeding greater trust, engagement and loyalty). It allows consumers to select a cause of importance to them, which, according to Cone’s research, is the leading factor (84%) they say will influence their support of a company’s social efforts. And, as The New York Times says, such campaigns are “adding yet another weapon to charities’ fund-raising arsenal” while also building awareness. Most importantly, it helps level the playing field for both consumers and nonprofits who all have an equal voice in influencing the outcome. Bullseye.
For much more news on this topic, please see our weekly newsletter. Subscribe to Cone's newsletter here.
*Cone Client
Tags: engagement campaigns fundraising causebranding newmedia philanthropy marketing donation
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (0)
Using New Media to Advocate
In an “always online” culture, it is increasingly important to communicate with and engage audiences where they’re plugged in. At Cone, we define new media as “technology-facilitated dialoguesm among stakeholders.” Engaging audiences through technology is a powerful tool to increase awareness of issues. In fact, The New York Times recently highlighted an organization using new media - the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of North Carolina (APPC), whose innovative Birds and Bees Text Line offers information to curious teenagers about sexual heath on their mobile devices.
The state faces growing teenage pregnancy rates and risky behaviors - issues that weren’t being mitigated by traditional classroom education. The APPC knew its target audience of 14-19 year-olds had mobile phones, and that the anonymity provided by text messaging would offer a safe and comfortable forum to ask difficult questions about sexual health. The choice of mobile devices as a communications tool shows the APPC understands new media is less “build it and they will come” and more “build it where they already are.” APPC health educators respond to text inquiries within 24 hours, and refer to the service as “sex ed on their turf” - therefore creating a dialogue with teens as opposed to talking at them.
Unlike similar programs in other cities and states, the program provides for one-to-one interaction, demonstrating that new media can still be an intimate forum for communication. The Birds and Bees Text Line is only a piece of a larger strategic plan to educate teens about sexual health beyond the classroom, but it has allowed the organization to reach its target audience more effectively and in a way that is culturally relevant.
Cone will be speaking more about how to align new media with a corporate responsibility communications strategy at the 2009 Sustainable Brands Conference, where Mike Hollywood, director of new media, and Jonathan Yohannan, senior vice president, will be leading a workshop about New Media for Sustainability.
For much more news on this topic, please see our weekly newsletter. Subscribe to Cone's newsletter here.
Tags: conferences campaigns nonprofit engagement newmedia
Did you like this post? Please share it:
| | | |
Email Post
Comments (1)
