Cause marketing is an increasingly prevalent form of marketing, which can be enormously successful for authentic brands looking to do some good.
Companies are now using cause marketing to demonstrate why they’re a great choice, making it far easier for consumers struggling with those tricky buying decisions.
Cause-related marketing can be used by companies in almost any sector, whether they’re small businesses looking to boost awareness or global corporations hoping to transform their image. All that matters is that the cause is relevant to the company and that it’ll appeal to the brand’s target market.
Take a look at some of the top trends to see how companies use cause marketing to change the world for the better and foster brand loyalty by appealing to causes that customers care about.
Encouraging donations
Many cause marketing campaigns encourage consumers to donate to the cause in question. This is a useful way of reminding buyers about the campaign while promoting a nonprofit organization and asking consumers to donate.
Some companies add an option to donate to their chosen cause at the checkout. You might see a brand ask its customers if they want to round up their purchase to a specific figure and donate the excess to a worthy cause. Consumers can also be asked to donate an amount and add that sum to their purchase price.
Deliveroo recently announced a partnership with food bank charity, The Trussell Trust. The cause marketing strategy saw the food delivery giant join forces with the charity to help with fundraising. As a part of its efforts, Deliveroo added a function that enabled its customers to round up their takeout bills and donate to The Trussell Trust.
Topical giving
Some events and social issues hit the headlines and stay there. Take the coronavirus pandemic, for example. It affected everyone, and everyone talked about it for months. For brands, events like this provide an opportunity to help the local community and increase brand awareness as they spread the word about what they’re up to.
JetBlue is well known for its cause marketing campaigns, particularly around November. But during the pandemic, the brand launched a new campaign for healthcare heroes. The company gave away 100,000 pairs of flights to healthcare workers in need of a break. It was promoted on multiple channels and enjoyed a significant reach on social media.
Creating user-generated content
Incorporate user-generated content into your cause marketing, and you’ll immediately expand your reach significantly because people love a campaign that they can fully get involved with.
Fashion brand H&M provided a great example of creating a cause marketing campaign that resonates with a target audience. The Beyond the Rainbow campaign, which focused on raising awareness of Pride and sharing LGBTQ+ stories, saw the company launch a brand new capsule wardrobe inspired by the iconic rainbow flag.
H&M used storytelling to invite consumers to participate in the campaign, sharing snippets of their lives on social media. The campaign’s reach expanded significantly as a result, as did the cause marketing campaign’s impact.
Demonstrating real-world impact
Cause marketing works perfectly for brands already taking steps toward improving the world. Take eco-friendly companies, for example.
Companies created with the production of green alternatives in mind are already within reach of an unstoppable cause marketing campaign. Not only do they know a thing or two about corporate social responsibility, but they can also easily demonstrate the real-world impact of every consumer purchase.
Cheeky Wipes is a prime example of an eco-friendly brand determined to change the world for the better. The company specializes in reusable versions of products that are ordinarily disposable. Its reusable baby wipes have been designed to massively cut the carbon footprint of this sector, stopping enormous numbers of plastic-based wipes from finding their way to landfills.
Since 2016, Cheeky Wipes has saved an estimated 40 million packs of wet wipes from landfill. Consumers are now asked to join in with the company’s challenge of boosting that number to 100 million by 2024.
Conclusion
It’s clear that consumers prefer to get behind companies that support the causes they believe in. If done right, a cause marketing campaign can help drive traffic and sales and capture lifelong, loyal customers, but it takes planning and proper execution. As long as you do your research and it makes sense for your brand and your customers, cause marketing can be a very successful marketing practice for your business.
The opinions expressed here by Guest Contributors are their own, not those of Rise Marketing.