May 11, 2010 at 10:31 AM by Anne

In follow-up to Chris Mann's recent post on tips to maximize cause sponsorships, I wanted to share a few distinct sponsorship trends that are helping some sophisticated corporate and nonprofit players get noticed in today’s competitive marketplace. These were gleaned from a combination of industry chatter, Cone client work and takeaways from the 2010 IEG Sponsorship Conference.

 

 

1. Sponsorship Squared: Creative sponsors are leveraging current and new sponsored properties together to bolster returns on both, while carving out a niche to stand out from the clutter.
   
   Example: Ask.com, as a new sponsor of Susan G. Komen for the Cure, leveraged its existing Nascar relationship, allowing fans to have a loved one’s name incorporated into driver Bobby Labonte’s pink tribute car design by visiting their site and honoring those impacted by the disease.
   
   
2. Partnered Promotions: More and more, sponsors are seeking introductions and co-promotions with other non-competitive, complimentary sponsors of the same properties. This can be a win-win-win. The cause property gets more highly engaged sponsors, one sponsor may get a benefit like access to a new customer base and the other may benefit from new, emotional content to further connect with customers.  There are a number of ways to slice the varied interests of parties involved, depending on their goals and core assets.
   
   Example: Children’s Miracle Network struck a deal with Microsoft’s XBox to sell bundled games. The games were sold at Walmart, an existing Children’s Miracle Network corporate supporter. The partnership tied all three organizations together, which proved highly beneficial to all parties.
   
   Example: For a promotional period, pairs of New Balance pink sneakers benefitting Susan G. Komen for the Cure also included customer applications for the new Bank of America pink credit cards that benefit the same cause.
   
   
3. Niche is Necessary: While sponsors understand they may be sharing the limelight with other sponsors unless they shell out big dollars for total exclusivity rights, they are expecting a custom niche to help them stand out from the “logo soup.” Satisfy their craving for customization by developing unique, creative solutions and offering “ownership” in a multi-sponsored campaign.
   
   Example: (PRODUCT) RED allows companies to customize their participation with brand-appropriate terms. The Bugaboo baby stroller is adorned with the word Ado(red),  Flower Power markets its promotion using Flowe(red), Converse goes in a slightly different direction using Make Mine (Red). Sponsors get a sense of ownership, yet the (PRODUCT) RED brand tie-in is still obvious.
   
   
4. “Non-Cause” Causes: Many companies “invented” their own causes. Sponsors are not always looking to define their philanthropic focus through nonprofit beneficiaries – they are coming up with unique causes and giving the money away to multiple charities, to individual contest winners or to non-traditional partners.
   
   Example: Green Mountain Coffee created the Revelation to Action Changemakers competition to provide grants for innovative solutions to solving community challenges. Its partner is Ashoka's Changemakers, not a traditional charity partner, and the money goes to individuals to help make change in their communities and not to nonprofits directly.
   
   
5. Starter/Teaser (not Discounted) Packages: Especially in this economy, it is important for properties to offer a range of options. It may be more difficult for sponsors to take a “leap of faith” and pony up for the top tier sponsorship. They may be more likely to spend less money to get a sense of how their objectives may be met on a lower tier package before taking the plunge. It is important not to succumb to discounting, as this makes it difficult to return to your fair market value. Instead, think creatively about how to offer smaller, start-up packages.
   
   Example: The American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women (Cone client) does this by offering multiple tiered sponsorship packages, including short-term cause marketing opportunities to simply use the logo and raise funds for the cause. Companies can start here and see if they want to opt-up to larger opportunities with more tangible benefits.
   

I hope these trends help sponsors and sponsees think creatively about cause strategies. I know I will be using them in my counsel to clients on both sides of the sponsorship!

- Anne Erhard, Vice President

Tags: trends sponsorship causebranding nonprofitcausebranding conferences

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May 7, 2010 at 1:15 PM by Knowledge Leadership

Mother’s Day is just around the corner. Have you thought of a gift for the special women in your life? Flowers, jewelry or a nice brunch may be indulgent – but a truly memorable gift would be getting mom to care for her health.

Just in time for Mother’s Day, the American Cancer Society* (ACS) is launching a movement to encourage mom to do just that. Called Choose You, this initiative is inspiring women to put their health first and make lifestyle choices that will help them stay well and help prevent cancer. Choose You is primarily focused on women, but also invites men to join the movement and encourage the women in their lives to put their health first. A celebratory launch took place on Tuesday, where celebrity ambassador Ellen Pompeo illuminated the Walgreens’ Times Square digital billboard, the world’s largest, with images of women and men who joined the movement. This was followed by a star-studded honorary luncheon, including Gabourey Sidibe, academy-award nominated star of Precious; JuJu Chang, co-host Good Morning America; Kiran Chetry, CNN’s American Morning; and representatives from Choose You’s National Presenting Sponsors, Sprite Zero and Walgreens. This luncheon also brought together influencers on women's health to hear directly from ACS executives and scientific leaders.


But the movement doesn’t end with the glitz of the launch. ACS is making it easy for individuals to make a wellness pledge online (quit smoking, adopt healthier eating habits, etc.) and gain the support of their peers throughout their journey to a healthier lifestyle. Participants benefit from the emotional and financial backing of their supporters (who can pledge “support donations” to ACS on behalf of their friend's or loved one’s goal). When they achieve success, supporters’ donations will go to ACS. If unsuccessful, the participant's pledge will go to ACS. The structure is a win-win for both the cause and the individual, transforming the model for how to fundraise and incentivize behavior change online.
 
ACS will sustain the movement offline with a multi-faceted, year-round approach that reaches women wherever they are – online, in-store, at the workplace or in local communities – through a variety of targeted initiatives.

And mark your calendars – ACS has established May 12 as National Choose You Day, asking employers to give their workers 30 minutes to do something to promote their health. This annual event will be a reminder of the campaign – and will ensure it is re-energized each year. Suitably, the day of recognition will fall close to Mother’s Day every year, meaning it is always an appropriate time to remind the women close to you to focus on their health.

*ACS is a client of Cone, who helped develop and execute this campaign.


Tags: Women cone newmedia nonprofitcausebranding celebrityengagement campaigns cancer

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April 30, 2010 at 12:55 PM by Knowledge Leadership

The success of text-to-give fundraising efforts after the earthquake in Haiti ignited a firestorm of articles, research (including Cone’s) and debate about mobile giving. Had it reached a tipping point? Is it a valid giving strategy for other organizations and causes? The answer is “yes” because of its ease and immediacy. But at the end of the day, text messaging is still like any other communications and fundraising vehicle – it is still the execution that matters.  

Two recent campaigns, both coincidentally focusing on homelessness, are successfully using text-to-donate campaigns to present compelling appeals to potential donors.



The “I Am Here” campaign in Austin, TX has literally hoisted a homeless man named Danny up to a billboard along a major highway. The billboard encourages passing cars to text a donation to help Danny and his family get a home.

The short-term goal is to raise $12,000 to purchase a home for Danny, but the larger scope of the program is to raise visibility and compassion for the homeless population by putting drivers face-to-face with a real human story. Although focused regionally, the campaign has attracted national media attention.

New York-based Pathways to Housing also used a local execution, but added a layer of interactivity to its mobile campaign. The organization projected an image of a sleeping homeless man on the side of a building where passersby could send a message to trigger a video in which the man gets up and walks in the door of his new apartment. The action did not require a donation, but it provided the opportunity to donate via cell phone or to visit the Web site for more information.

Text message fundraising is still novel enough that it’s easy to think it alone will make a campaign successful. But just like direct mail, email or any other fundraising tool, it too will fall flat unless the appeal is compelling, urgent and easy to fulfill. This was certainly the case in Austin where we’re happy to report that just days after his unique billboard appeal, Danny has a new home. 


Tags: newmedia donation causebranding charitablegiving campaigns fundraising

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April 23, 2010 at 10:57 AM by Knowledge Leadership

Happy Earth Day! No, we’re not behind the times. We’re well-aware yesterday was Earth Day, and we celebrated right alongside every other eco-conscious organization in the world. We applaud the efforts, announcements and commitments organizations made. But for us, and hopefully many of you, today is Earth Day, too, and therefore still worth talking about.

 

Despite data showing most consumers (91%) want to hear about companies’ social and environmental commitments, it’s easy to become overwhelmed by “earth-friendly” messages on Earth Day. One sustainability writer tallied 287 Earth Day-related email announcements in his inbox – an obvious gluttony of green. One can only imagine consumers feel the same.

So instead of blasting your latest green product launch or environmental announcement only on April 22, why not use all 365 days in a year to communicate with your consumers? In fact, most consumers (85%) want companies to communicate their environmental commitments year-round, as opposed to seasonally to coincide with isolated events, such as Earth Day. Not only will an ongoing communications strategy help your organization avoid the green deluge, but it will also increase the exposure of your efforts by reaching stakeholders throughout the year, likely when they can pay closer attention.

As consumers and other stakeholders become ever-more demanding of corporate sustainability efforts, it also becomes harder for companies to break through with their messages. Choose your timing wisely. Your customers – and the media – will take better notice and appreciate your efforts when they’re not already drowning in green.

Tags: EarthDay environment

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April 16, 2010 at 12:22 PM by Knowledge Leadership

Instead of fighting against the social media tide, some print media are harnessing a wave of social media tools to empower their brands and reputations. And a select few are taking it a step further by using social media to leverage cause efforts. Case in point: Newspaper giant USA Today.



The popular daily is turning to the Twitter community for its #AmericaWants contest, where followers can vote for their favorite charities. The reward for the winning nonprofit? A full page advertisement in the print edition. The ad space, valued at nearly $190,000, will go to the nonprofit that solicits the most Tweets that say, “#AmericaWants (name of charity) to get a full-page ad in USA Today."

By turning control over to the Twitter community, the publication has found an innovative and low-cost way to use social media to further its cause commitments. The contest aligns with several other cause-centric initiatives by the publication, including the Fall 2009 launch of the Kindness community, which is a site dedicated to inspiring and uplifting stories and resources. In addition, USA Today runs a semi-annual Sharing in the USA bonus section and has committed to a monthly philanthropy feature to help raise awareness and encourage giving efforts throughout its national network.

This latest campaign marks an impressive commitment by one of the nation’s largest traditional media publications to cross-promote its cause initiatives through online channels. And the possibilities for this medium are just beginning. Additional opportunities for in-kind giving could extend to online advertising or other new media networks.
 
What do you think of USA Today’s new twist on in-kind giving? Share your thoughts below.


Tags: corporategiving causebranding campaigns newmedia

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