Cause-related marketing – getting in on the giving
July 30, 2009It seems like everywhere we turn lately there is a new, corporate cause-related marketing effort being put out. And we couldn’t be happier. We don’t care what the reason, only that people are doing good for others and allowing you, the consumer, to participate and drive the success of these programs.
Some of the more recent, or widely marketed, are things like Tide’s Loads of Hope. Their marketing message is “Support our effort by purchasing yellow cap Tide. A portion of the proceeds* goes to help provide support for families affected by disasters. Because every now and then it’s nice to mix hope in with the normal load.”
Yes, Please!
And while some companies are just getting into cause-related programs, some of the largest corporations in the world have been doing good for years. A perfect example is General Mills who for the last 50 years has has been giving back through their foundation and consumer programs like BoxTops4Education. Or our partner Caribou Coffee who, since their beginning in the 1990s, has been committed to multiple charitable efforts. These efforts include the construction of a medical clinic in El Paraíso, a village in the municipality of La Libertad. Together with a Guatemalan coffee exporter, Caribou Coffee funded the construction of the clinic. Up to that point, the nearest medical facility for people living in El Paraíso was a half-day’s walk away.
We urge any corporation, big or small, to give back to the communities in which they live and benefit from in whatever way possible. Also, if you, our beloved community members, know of any companies who have cause-related programs or other ways to give back, post a comment and let us all know about it! We want to spread the good word and support other companies that are, in their own ways, working to “change the score!”
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter @Project7
Awesome post. The organization I work for — Reverb.org — is a Portland, Maine-based environmental nonprofit organization in the music industry that helps bands Green their tours while educating and encouraging fans to do the same. We are currently working with a number of artists this summer, including Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Coldplay and John Legend.
We’d love to get more involved with Project7 and we’d love to put the message out there to those companies looking to cause-related marketing initiatives. We activate and promote those initiatives on-site on many of the tours that we work with and your support as a sponsor directly enables the Greening of the tour. If you’re interested, we’d love to hear from you.
Elliot – You are doing the good stuff and I know that our founder will be in touch, if he isn’t already. Thanks for the support and Reverb.org looks awesome! What a great way to spread the word of Green. I checked the site. Needless to say I’ve owned a few Guster CDs in my day… “I’m gonna write you a letter” (And believe me I can’t sing)