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ChuckJoe

At ChuckJoe, we have a passion for doing digital marketing for socially responsible companies, particularly in the natural food and beverage space! For the past 4 years, we’ve gotten immensely familiar with social good companies by working with them or admiring them from afar. Here’s a countdown of our top 10  favorite CSR (corporate social responsibility) companies!

10. Honest Tea

Honest Tea certifications include B Corp, Fair Trade, USDA Organic and Cradle to Cradle. Their mission is inclusive of promoting health and wellness, reducing environmental impact, creating economic opportunity, and democratizing organics. Some noteworthy mentions include spending over $2 million in Fair Trade premiums, donating 1% of their profits to environmental charities, and the commitment to find sustainable packaging alternatives by 2030 from the “World Without Waste” initiative. 

We love that Honest Kids, which contains half the amount of sugar than leading kids drinks, are being offered in more than 53,000 restaurants, including McDonald’s!

 

9. Alter Eco

Alter Eco certifications include B Corp, Fair Trade, USDA Organic, and NON-GMO Project Verified. Their mission includes a full circle of sustainability which includes investing in farmers, regenerating the earth, eliminating waste, and choosing clean ingredients. In their efforts to achieve zero waste, they pioneered compostable packaging called Gone4Good. 

We love their delicious dark chocolates, but especially their non-toxic, non-GMO, and plant-based packaging!

8. IMPERFECT PRODUCE

Imperfect Produce was founded in 2015 with the mission to, “eliminate food waste and build a better food system for everyone.” This D2C (direct to consumer) grocery service prevents food waste by saving foods that have cosmetic imperfections, that have been discontinued, that have surplus without buyers, that have package changes, and foods that have been short-coded (expiration dates less than a few months away).

We have loved connecting with Imperfect Produce at Conscious Capitalism of Los Angeles events. We love that they have donated 4.1 million pounds of food, saved 100 million pounds of “imperfect” food, and provided 321,000 reduced cost boxes to low-income families!

7. BEN & JERRY’S

Ben & Jerry’s certifications include B Corp, Fair Trade, and Humane-Certified cage-free farms. Their 3-part mission of linked prosperity includes socially responsible practices on ingredient sourcing and purchasing, manufacturing and people, community and giving-back practices. 

We love Ben & Jerry’s holistic CSR model so much that we dedicated an entire blog towards their commendable efforts. Read about how they champion social justice and the climate crisis here: “How Ben and Jerry’s Incorporates Social Responsibility Through Conscious Capitalism.”

 

6. CLOVER SONOMA

 

Clover Sonoma certifications include B Corp, American Humane Certified, NON-GMO Certified, USDA Organic, and SQFI (Safe Quality Food Institute). Through the Clover Promise of Excellence, they ensure quality dairy through farming practices that exceed industry regulations! Clover Sonoma encourages their employees to volunteer in local communities with the Power Hours Program. They also giveback by donating 5% of their annual profits to dairy initiatives, educational and value-based youth programs, and local community programs!

We love that their healthy and happy cows are raised on family farms allowing them to graze in open pastures, diet on fresh grass, hay and grains, and are not treated with the growth hormone rBST! 

5. REBBL

Rebbl certifications include B Corp, Fair Trade, and USDA Organic. Their unique purpose is to “nourish, uplift, and delight the world, while serving the NFS (Not For Sale) mission to end human trafficking.” Rebbl has helped over 20,000 people out of trafficking and donated over $1 million to NFS projects! It’s no wonder why this vegan beverage company made B Corp’s list as an honoree for ‘Best For The World 2019’ and Fast Company’s‘ 2019 World Changing Ideas’ for social justice! 

We love that Rebbl directly supports communities that are vulnerable to human trafficking and prevents it from happening in the first place through global sustainable social projects. Check out some of the work that we loved helping them with, here!

4. FAIR TRADE USA

“Fair Trade USA enables sustainable development and community empowerment by cultivating a more equitable global trade model that benefits farmers, workers, fishermen, consumers, industry, and the earth. We achieve our mission by certifying and promoting fair trade products.”

The Fair Trade seal makes it easy for conscious consumers to identify goods made responsibly, fairly and sustainably! They have empowered over 950,000 farmers, financially supported $610 million to farming producers, and have certified over 1,250 responsible businesses!

 We love Fair Trade’s Community Development Fund! The producers in their farming committees vote on how to spend their additional funds which provide solutions unique to their social, economic, and environmental needs. Check out our blog on Patagonia who’s been Fair Trade Certified since 2014!

 

3. WHOLE FOODS MARKET

Whole Foods’ purpose is to “nourish people and the planet.” When it comes to natural and organic products, they definitely set the standards for high quality in the industry! They also have a resolute commitment to sustainable agriculture and seafood. Social responsibility is demonstrated through their diverse foundations to alleviate global poverty, support schools and families to improve children’s nutrition, and to improve local underserved communities.

We love their Whole Trade Guarantee which ensures commitment to ethical trade and working conditions; each purchase funds community projects such as schools and health clinics! We also shamelessly love Amazon’s free Whole Foods Market delivery service for Prime members.

 

2. THE WONDERFUL COMPANY

Our runner up is The Wonderful Company! Their mission is to “make the world a better and healthier place through our uncompromising, iconic brands, our commitment to the development and well-being of our employees, and our unique philanthropic efforts in the communities we serve.” Founders Lynda and Stewart Resnick have pledged $750 million to Caltech to support and expand sustainability endeavors in order to fight the climate crisis. 

We love their one of a kind giveback program that empowers employees to donate to nonprofits in local communities! Since 2006, Wonderful employees have donated $45 million to 7,800 different non-profits and have volunteered over 25,000 hours! 

 

1. B CORPORATION

B Corp takes the #1 spot in our top 10 CSR list! One of the biggest reasons we’re fond of the previously mentioned B Corp Certified companies is because of their transparency! It’s important for conscious consumers and all stakeholders in that matter, to be able to evaluate social, economic, and environmental performance through yearly reports. The B Corp certification process also ensures and verifies the performance of commited conscious companies who truly benefit people and the planet.

On August 15, 2019, 131 CEOs of the Business Roundtable (including CEOs for Walmart, Apple, and Amazon) signed a statement pledging to deliver value to customers, deal fairly and ethically with suppliers, support communities, etc. 

Now what we love most about B Corp is how they clapped back in style 9 days later with a full page letter in The New York Times calling out the leaders from Business Roundtable to choose social responsibility over profit. They end their brilliant ad with, “let’s work together to make real change happen” and 33 B Certified CEOs signatures.  

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How Ben and Jerry’s Incorporates Social Responsibility Through Conscious Capitalism

“Business has the responsibility to give back to its community.”

–Ben Cohen

By now you must know that Ben & Jerry’s is more than just a groovy ice cream company. Although with psychedelic flavors like Cherry Garcia (named after Jerry Garcia from The Grateful Dead), or Phish Food, and their latest creation “Netflix and Chill’d,” the great deeds of the company may not be completely obvious to the average consumer.

Back in the early ’80s when CSR (corporate social responsibility) was still on the rise, Ben Cohen dubbed the phrase, “Caring Capitalism.” Both Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield remain local Vermont and global heroes for their outstanding community activism. They’ve become an inspiration for many businesses striving to become more socially responsible over the past four decades. Fun Fact: The chunky style of ice cream originates from Cohen’s need for texture due to his anosmia (the loss of ability to detect smells). How lucky for us Chunky Monkey and Half Baked ice cream fans out there who love gobs of chocolate and fudge chunks! Not too shabby for a solid branding differentiator either.

Since 1985, the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation has funded 7.5% of its annual pre-tax profits to community organizations across the country. That amounts to 1.8 million dollars annually, not including the hundreds of thousands of dollars they’ve donated to progressive causes over the years such as racial justice, climate change, peacebuilding, and more. 

You may be wondering how this ice cream company became one of the best social impact companies in the world. Is it because of their give-back model to charitable causes? Or is it because they take a public stand on progressive social and environmental justice issues? Perhaps it’s the sustainable way that they make and package their ice cream? The answer is yes to all of the above! Ben & Jerry’s three-part product, economic, and social mission combined with their linked prosperity concept is an exemplary model for conscious capitalism done right.

Above and Beyond The 4 Tenets of Conscious Capitalism

1. Higher Purpose 

It’s unquestionable that Cohen and Greenfield weren’t just in the company for a profit. They clearly defined conscious objectives in their company mission that they continue to focus on to this day. Since 1989, the company has shared yearly social performance highlights of their achievements as well as improvements that they’re still striving to make. They provide accountability through yearly SEAR Reports (social & environmental assessment) on their website that showcase their three-year plan, activism campaigns, social equity performance, environmental performance, etc. The activist company has made significant efforts to support “grassroots activism and community organizing for social and environmental justice around the country.” Many of their special edition flavors revolve around creative awareness campaigns such as Justice Remix’d and Pecan Resist.

2. Stakeholder Orientation

“The mission of the Ben & Jerry’s Foundation is to engage Ben & Jerry’s employees in philanthropy and social change work; to give back to our Vermont communities; and to support grassroots activism and community organizing for social and environmental justice around the country.” 

Ben & Jerry’s entire ecosystem of stakeholders is very much involved (if you couldn’t already tell by their mission statement)! Their conscious approach for philanthropy empowers Ben & Jerry’s employees to make decisions on progressive issues by serving on Community Action Teams and Employee Grantmaking Committees. They also believe that people who are most affected by the problems are in the best position to determine how to use the grants for solutions. Under a unique acquisition agreement, Ben & Jerry’s is also one of the only Unilever brands that has an independent board of directors to preserve and expand their social mission. Whoa, talk about a full circle!

3. Conscious Leadership

Without a doubt, Cohen and Greenfield were “caring” and conscious leaders from the start. The co-founders remain involved with the company and continue to make appearances at activism campaigns. An important aspect of conscious leadership is the focus on we, rather than me. The 2018 SEAR Report includes a letter from CEO, Matthew McCarthy, who speaks from a grateful and motivational standpoint. He mentions, “we at Ben & Jerry’s must raise our ambitions, double our efforts and amplify our positive impact around the world in new ways.” It looks like the company continues to be in good hands!

4. Conscious Culture

How a company practices and applies its values should increase trust for employees and consumers. A few of the company’s best traits are its integrity, accountability, fairness, and transparency! You can see their entire ice cream making process from the farm, to the factory, and its destination on their website. They’re also certified Fair Trade and B Corp which demonstrates their high standards for corporate social responsibility. Conscious culture is what makes this socially responsible company so trustworthy and easy to love!

For more ethically and socially responsible companies, read our ChuckJoe blog on Patagonia! 

Sources

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5 Tips for Running Successful Co-branded Social Media Giveaways

People love presents. Birthday presents wrapped nicely, the first price in a lottery or an unexpected goodie bag stuffed with lots of free stuff. Presents spike serotonin levels and make you feel good. So what better way for your business to make your audience and fans happy? Right: giveaways. 

I mean who can resist free stuff?

Advertising through social media giveaways

Giveaways are an easy way to gain email subscribers, increase engagement and promote brand awareness. All to establish a positive relationship with your community.

With social media in our lives it has never been easier to advertise your business with a giveaway campaign. You can run a product giveaway with a social media influencer to boost your exposure instantly. But social media is also a great tool for brands to collaborate with each other. 

The more presents the merrier, right?

We’ll help you to get the most our of your co-branded giveaway campaign with these 5 tips – and they’re free, too!

1. Pick a memorable theme

Everyone loves a good theme! But choose wisely – be bold, creative and on topic. Don’t just choose special dates for your giveaway, like back-to-school, Valentine’s Day or Thanksgiving.

Kudos if you create your giveaway campaign around dates that are related to your goals, mission or choose events that stir up discussion. What you think about World Meat Free Day, Blue Monday or Carrot Cake Day – yes, this is a thing!

2. Find the right brands

Now choose a brand that works with this theme. Keep the brand’s social media following and audience in mind.

Some questions to consider:

  • How many followers do they have?
  • Would their audience be interested in your product, too?
  • Will they post about the giveaway on their social media accounts?
  • Are they a non-competitive brand? You’ll want to find complementary brands, not those that would take business from you.

Keep in mind that if your brand hasn’t reached social media super star status – yet! – certain brands may not be interested in collaborating with you.

Don’t lose hope!

It may take some time to become that go to brand that everyone wants to work with. Start with reaching out to local or small family owned business.

3. Create a partnership deck

You prefer to work with professional brands that have it all together, right? Then be that brand. Make sure your brand is just as appealing to other brands as you expect them to be.

A solid way to do it is by creating a social brand partnership tool kit. A perfect way to showcase what your brand has to offer. 

Include general information like:

  • A brief yet captivating introduction to your business
  • Your social media following and stats
  • Your brand’s number of email subscribers

Add information specific to the giveaway campaign:

  • Goals for the giveaway
  • A step by step process on how the giveaway works
  • Explain how each brand will promote the giveaway

It’s not rocket science. If all brands participating in the giveaway actively promote it, too, it will increase entries, engagement and so on.

Sky is the limit here.

For optimal collaboration remember that every brand has their own guidelines and approval process for social media copy and content. Be sure to discuss this far in advance so you’re all ready, set, go.

4. Create a timeline

If you are hosting a huge giveaway campaign with several brands it can feel like you’re herding cats.

Save yourself time and headache by creating and sharing a timeline with your brand partners that includes specific deadlines. Also not a biggie:

  • Start and end dates for the giveaway
  • What date you’d like all of the items for photos
  • Due dates for landing pages or any other platforms that will be used during the giveaway
  • A social media calendar
  • Dates for email blasts to promote the giveaway
  • Pick a date when the winners will be selected
  • Dates for prized to be shipped to the winners

5. Emphasize benefits of the collaboration

Of course, the first thing brands will wonder when you invite them to your giveaway campaign is: “What’s in it for me?” Up to you to make them an offer they can’t refuse.

Amongst working with you, there are plentiful of amazing benefits for any collaboration between brands:

  • Sharing email lists that are collected during the campaign
  • Including brand partner’s coupon codes or ads in your post-giveaway emails
  • Make it a requirement for entrants to Like or Follow the other brand’s social account

It’s a quid pro quo. Working with other brands on giveaways should be beneficial for all parties involved. Increase the chance of brands working with you by communicating benefits and setting expectations. In this way everyone will reap the benefits with smiles on their faces!

Spread some co-branded love

So there you have it! Social media giveaways can be one of the most powerful tools to use in digital marketing. Once you find the right partnerships with the right brands, it can make a giveaway even better.

Most importantly, though, co-branded giveaways are a wonderful way to give back and show some love to your loyal following.

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How Patagonia Became a Pioneer of Corporate Social Responsibility

Over 185 million dollars. That is the amount of money Patagonia donated to nonprofit environmental groups and conservation efforts since the company was founded in 1973. Additionally, 38 million dollars have been invested in socially responsible companies and ventures. This doesn’t even begin to include countless volunteer hours and priceless results of their activism. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been built into their DNA since day one.

What a bunch of granola eating hippies, right? As generous as this company is, there is no way that Patagonia is profiting! Actually, this could not be farther from the truth. The company has scaled to nearly $1 BILLION dollars and shows no signs of stopping. Let’s break down some of their social good marketing strategies and why they work.

First and foremost, Patagonia’s CSR efforts are transparent. What good is transparency when it comes sales? It creates trust. If your customers don’t trust you, you don’t have customers.

Corporate Social Responsibility Patagonia Customer Trust

Today’s consumer is well-educated with limitless investigative resources. If they detect that your company’s CSR isn’t all you’ve hyped it up to be, they will not only walk away from you, but they will also be sure to announce it to the world.

How Patagonia Tells The Story of Their CSR Efforts

It is easy to pinpoint Patagonia’s textile mills, factories, and farms, via their FootPrint Chronicles, an interactive map which gives a detailed description of each location. The company also publishes an Environmental and Social Initiative Report, as well as provides an online database which gives the breakdown of grants, campaigns, events, sustainability and fair trade efforts, materials selection, etc.

This gives transparency to Patagonia, but also doubles as creative content and establishes them as an authority on corporate social responsibility; driving people to look at their business for answers. Patagonia has honed in on social media and grown a strong online community to deliver this content. They utilize hashtags, such as #ProtectBearsEars, to create awareness for their company, the activism that they are involved in, and ethics that they stand for.

Corporate Social Responsibility Patagonia Facebook

Rose Marcario, CEO and President of Patagonia, is even engaged in content creation. She writes articles on movements that she is passionate about. This is a brilliant way for their customers to emotionally connect at the highest level of the company.

Telling Customers to Buy Less Drives Sales?

Patagonia has developed their Common Threads Initiative, which promises that they will “make great stuff, fix it when it breaks, and recycle it when you’re done with it” free of charge. Patagonia asks for a pledge in return to “buy only what you need, repair it when it breaks, and recycle it when you’re through.” They started this initiative because they know that by keeping their clothing in use for 9 additional months that they can reduce their carbon, waste and water footprint by 20-30%.

This seems counter intuitive, to ask your customers to buy less of your product, but Patagonia debunked that when they ran their “Don’t Buy This Jacket” campaign around Thanksgiving 2011. The ad prompted consumers to not buy their wares if they truly didn’t need them, then went on to discuss the environmental cost of producing these products. The next year, the company saw its revenue grow around 30%, and an additional 6% in 2013.

It’s All About The Why

Why did this work? It reinforces the fact that Patagonia stands behind it’s product and gives a sense of ease to their customers that if something breaks on their product it will be repaired. After they have received excellent customer service and gotten more usage out of the product, they can turn in their used clothing for credit, to buy more Patagonia product!

Patagonia has done all these things (and many, many more!) while being sincere about their commitment to change. This is the key to corporate social responsibility. Sincerity instantaneously strengthens the connection with customers, as well as global communities. It instills a sense of loyalty and camaraderie. In his TedTalk, Simon Sinek summed this up beautifully:

“People don’t buy WHAT you do, they buy WHY you do it. The goal
is not to do business with everybody who needs what you have,
the goal is to do business with people who believe what you believe”.

Corporate Social Responsibility Golden Circle Simon Sinek

These strategies work because people are willing to pay for a high-quality product that aligns with their values, resulting in an engaged loyal community and repeat buyers. When people rally behind what you sincerely believe in, you can’t fail. How are you communicating the values you believe in?

For more corporate social responsibility marketing strategies check out this ChuckJoe blog post, 11 Awesome Social Good Marketing Strategies!

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11 Awesome Social Good Marketing Strategies (and Brands That Do It Well)

Social good marketing is fast becoming a driving force behind some of the most successful advertising initiatives. Just as there are thousands of ways to bake a cake, there are many methods to communicate your positive social impact to conscious consumers.

Social good marketing is an amazing way to align your brand with a purpose and inspire consumers to share your story. People are more receptive to messaging that touches upon something they feel passionate about than promotional advertisements or new product launches. The world’s most innovative business leaders are using their marketing budgets to make positive impact leading to consumer advocacy and boosted profits.

11 Examples of Successful Social Good Marketing Strategies

1. Games that Give Back

The mobile gaming industry is rapidly expanding and grew over 21 percent from 2015 to 2016 while generating nearly $37 billion in revenue. Games are a wonderful way to keep people entertained, increase consumer participation in purposeful giving, and highlight your brand’s good work. An example of a social good gaming campaign is Save the Park.

American Express partnered with Games for Change and the National Park Service to develop this game that gives players a glimpse at what it’s like to be a park ranger and learn key facts about America’s protected lands. Amex donated $1 for every download up to $50,000 effectively promoting their services, increasing consumer engagement and supporting a good cause.

2.  Meaningful Experiences and Heartfelt Stories

Nothing pulls at the heartstrings like a well told story about how your brand is improving real people’s lives. Vitamix partnered with SoulPancake to facilitate special meetings between chefs who wanted to thank someone important to them with a home cooked meal. This video tells the story of how chef Nick Liberato was put out of a job and shown tough love by a former employer who effectively gave Nick the motivation he needed to launch a successful career and live his dream.

After not seeing each other for years, these two old friends are united around a meal Nick made with Vitamix’s blender. This is a great example of how to feature your product or service in a larger context of creating a positive social impact.

3. Hashtags for Humanity

Social media offers an direct way to inspire consumer activism while scaling organic reach of your messaging and social impact. A great hashtag for good strategy was Disney Parks’ #ShareYourEars Social Media Campaign. Disney donated $5 to the Make a Wish Foundation for every photo posted with their #ShareYourEars photo frame and hashtag.

With the help of consumers, they were able to donate $2 million from January 29th to March 14th, 2016.

Social Good Marketing - Disney

4.  Buy One Give One (BOGO)

People want to feel good about what they’re buying and selfish altruism is a powerful marketing strategy that brands can use to make consumers feel like they are doing their part to make the planet better. While BOGO strategies have been criticized for overlooking root problems, they are an emotionally compelling way to engage consumers.

A good example of a buy one give one strategy is Warby Parker’s glasses initiative. The company donates a pair of glasses to someone in need for each pair sold. They also fund eye care training and awareness campaigns in developing countries.

5.  Paid Employee Volunteerism

A terrific way to participate in a purpose-driven movement while simultaneously strengthening internal community and generating earned media is to sponsor employees to get involved in meaningful work outside of your company. Deloitte offers employees up to 48 paid volunteer hours in which they can use their skills to better the world. Not only does paid volunteerism make employees feel connected to the company and good about the work they do, it also creates powerful branding stories and improves public image.

Social Good Marketing - Deloitte

6.  A Percentage for the Planet

There’s a growing number of companies who’ve joined the 1% for the planet initiative, which connects corporate do gooders with environmental causes. This is a great way to join a global community, give back and tap into storytelling ideas for marketing strategies. While one percent is great, donating higher percentages scales your impact and can boost the effectiveness of your social good campaigns.

Patagonia, which always gives 1 percent to the planet, donated 100 percent of 2016 Black Friday sales and the results were a welcome surprise. The outdoor retailer sold a record $10 million that day, all of which they contributed to non-profit partners. Additionally, they received a ton of positive media coverage and truly inspired consumers to feel like they were purchasing for purpose.

Social Good Marketing - One Percent for the Planet

7. Team Sponsorship

Teams offer fun storytelling potential. There are always trials and triumphs that make rooting for a team exciting to follow, which can be a great way to increase consumer engagement. If you can couple this with a meaningful social contribution you are truly winning. Novo Nordisk does an awesome job of promoting a good cause and increasing brand awareness by sponsoring a professional team of triathletes with Diabetes.

This social good marketing strategy is especially powerful because all of the team members use and benefit from Novo Nordisk’s healthcare products.

8. App Use That Contributes

An awesome way to incentivize people to use your app is to provide a charitable donation for every time a specific action is taken. That said, the app should also provide users with value or entertainment. Charity Miles does a great job of inspiring consumer engagement by donating money every time someone runs, bikes or walks while tracking their miles in the app. They generate income through sponsored advertisements users see each time they open the exercise program.

9.  Videos That Provide

Video streaming is an immensely popular internet pastime. Nearly 5 billion videos are viewed every day on YouTube alone. Imagine all the social impact that could happen if every one of those views provided a small contribution to better society. CATv’s ran a social good marketing campaign to inspire viewership and spark an emotional connection among the audience by donating money every time someone watches a cat video on their platform. Now that’s purrrrrpose!

10. Charitable Events

A classic way to support social good is to host an event for a cause. Singer Adele took this further by giving concert tickets to people who donated $20 or more to Sands charity for a UK performance.

Social Good Marketing - Adele

11. Interactive and Useful Promotions

Your advertisements will be much more memorable if you provide people with value when they interact with your messaging. IBM took this one literally when they made billboards that serve as handicap ramps, rain shelters, benches and more.

Social Good Marketing - IBM

Social good marketing campaigns are a creative and profitable way to scale your marketing efforts and create a positive impact in the world. Whether you engage consumers with an addictive and purposeful app, share a touching story about an experience your brand facilitated, or promote participation through a hashtag, purpose-driven marketing is a powerful way to deepen connections with your target audience. Additionally, it’s an excellent means to increase the organic reach of your communications strategies and join movements bigger than your business or sector.

If you’re looking for more inspiration check out this post on 6 steps to get started with cause marketing and please share any questions or comments you have below.

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What is Cause Marketing and Why are Big Brands Doing It? 6 Steps to Get Started

You may have heard of a social good company like Toms, which gives a pair of shoes to someone in need for every one purchased, but cause marketing is more than a trend for optimistic entrepreneurs. Some of the world’s biggest brands like Coca Cola, Unilever, and Walmart are investing in purposeful initiatives that give back to the planet as well as their bottom lines.

So, What is Cause Marketing Exactly?

Cause marketing is the corporate practice of aligning with a good cause and promoting that activity to increase consumer interest, engagement and purchases.

Corporate good-doing goes back centuries; however, cause marketing was officially coined in the 1980’s when American Express helped restore the Statue of Liberty and Carol Cone launched a walking campaign for Rockport Shoe Company that mobilized the brand to scale from a small business into a national staple.

cause-marketing-american-express

Over the years, cause marketing has grown from an adolescent into an adult and so has the nomenclature. Some experts criticize cause marketing campaigns for leveraging good deeds as a public relations stunt rather than a means to drive authentic social transformation. In response, many purposeful business leaders now use metrics and benchmarks to quantify and scale initiatives that create real social change and the term “corporate purpose” has prevailed to reference measurable social impact in the private sector.

In recent years, the widespread use of the internet and social media have increased transparency and consumer activism. People around the world now actively influence brand storytelling and share their support for corporations contributing to social good, while they simultaneously blast those that aren’t doing their part. What’s more, our planet faces unprecedented social and environmental crisis that require more resources than governments and nonprofits can provide. Today’s corporate leaders are stepping up to the plate to catalyze social transformation while simultaneously growing consumer advocacy and profits.

Doing Good Feels Good and It Fuels Profitable Growth

A recent global study of nearly 10,000 consumers showed that 91 percent of people expect companies to do more than make money by practicing socially and environmentally responsible business. Additionally, 84 percent said they prefer purchasing responsible products and 90 percent would boycott a brand for irresponsible behavior.

Millennials and generation Z – the future motor of global capitalism – are particularly conscious of corporate behavior. Another survey (paywall) found that 82 percent of millennials and generation Z actively purchase from brands that contribute to causes they care about and 82 percent said they feel better about spending when they buy products or services from a company invested in social good.

An awesome example of a brand using purposeful cause marketing strategies to scale profits is Unilever. The global conglomerate, which owns hundreds of consumer goods brands, recently disclosed that its portfolio companies practicing and promoting social and environmental good – like Dove and Ben and Jerry’s – grew 30 percent faster than those that don’t. Additionally, those purposeful brands carried almost half of Unilever’s expansion in 2015.

In today’s digitally connected, socially conscious world It’s clear that purpose powers profits and companies that practice what they preach will receive consumer support and purchases.

6 Steps to Increase Social Impact and ROI

1. Clarify Brand Authenticity 

Before you get started with your own purpose-driven cause marketing campaign be sure to identify and articulate your authentic brand values. In other words, think about what your brand stands for, what your target audience cares about, why a certain cause or movement is particularly important to your company and how you can fit into the broader ecosystem of social change.

2. Pick a Relevant Cause 

Once you’ve clarified what your brand stands for and how it fits into the web of global good-doing start honing in on a specific issue. This can be overwhelming because there are so many good causes in the world and so many people and places that need help. While you can eventually expand your social good campaigns to include multiple projects, it’s important to start with a single project that displays clarity and direction. An excellent way to narrow down options is to identify a problem that resonates with your brand and community.

3. Make Partnerships 

Now that you’ve picked your cause, do some research on how other organizations are addressing the problem you want to fix. In this stage it’s important to select several potential partner organizations because everyone you want to partner with may not want to partner with you. If you’re working with a non-profit organization be sensitive to how they represent themselves. It may go against their internal culture to blatantly promote your sponsorship on their website or social media channels. Be flexible to branding strategy and partnership specifics. This will help you establish long-lasting mutually beneficial relationships.

4. Contribute 

Just as there are many roads to Rome, there are many ways to give. A few ways that other brands contribute is by donating a percentage of sales to a good cause, giving a product away for every product sold and sponsoring an event that has a social impact. If you’re looking for strategy inspiration check out this post on 11 awesome social good marketing campaigns.

5. Share Your Story 

Contributing to meaningful work is important for our planet but in terms of your bottom line it’s crucial to share your social good campaign with a relatable and compelling story. While consumers are indeed demanding corporate social responsibility, good deeds go unnoticed without effective cause marketing and your efforts could provide no return on investment. For this reason, it’s super important that you find a way to tell an emotionally riveting tale about the amazing work your company supports. Be sure to focus on how your work impacts an individual person rather than citing grandiose facts and global trends. Make it short and sweet. And provide viewers with an inside view into how their purchase is solving an important issue affecting our planet.

6. Take it Further 

Way to go! If you’ve gotten this far you’re well on your way to using your business to create a positive social impact while strengthening consumer devotion and scaling profits. If you want to take your cause marketing campaigns even further, couple growth with impact. You can do this by building equitable and sustainable supply chains, strengthening employee community involvement and investing a portion of your profits in social good.

Consumers want companies to do good deeds, not just offer good products and services. In today’s globally connected and technologically attuned world people are eager to support brands making a positive impact. At the same time, consumers are ready to boycott companies that aren’t doing their part. And that’s especially true for millennials and generation Z who will inherit the problems of the world and drive future financial growth.

People are often overwhelmed with advertisements on the internet, social media, television and in print. To capture consumer attention, support and purchases, companies must build an emotional connection with their customers that goes beyond selling stuff and inspires the feeling of being part of a global community working to make the world a better place. Although technology and social media are rapidly changing, compelling storytelling and the need for a better planet are here to stay and so is cause marketing.

How do your favorite brands share their social good work?

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