In a digital world, where people know so much about businesses, brands must compete on much more than price. There is a massive opportunity for businesses to champion a cause, do some good, and maybe turn a profit in the process. Championing a cause is so important in this era because customers are more likely to switch to brands and businesses that support good causes. If you are looking to reach customers who are inclined to buy from or do business with organizations that champion good causes, you need to start thinking about cause marketing.

What is Cause Marketing?

Cause marketing is a form of marketing where a business adds charitable, social, or other types of causes into their marketing campaigns. Cause marketing often entails two forms of marketing. One is teaming up with a non-profit or creating one to be the face of their new cause.

The other form is corporate social responsibility where a business endeavors to uphold certain ideals, practices, and policies for the good of the surrounding community. The last one is social giving where a business donates directly to non-profits or other organizations whose cause(s) they are aligned with.

Types of Cause Marketing Campaigns

There are various types of campaigns businesses can use as part of their cause marketing campaigns. The first one is a transactional campaign where a business makes known a financial contribution (donation) it made to an organization championing an important cause.

The second is digital campaigns. Digital campaigns happen online where a business brings awareness to a cause they are interested in through advertising and other forms of online marketing. Another common type of licensing.

Here, businesses purchase rights or get permission to add a nonprofit’s images or other assets to their products. This type of campaign benefits the nonprofit by bringing awareness to its cause(s) while also helping it raise funds by receiving a percentage of the profits from each product sold.

Lastly, we have events. Events like marathons, auctions, sporting events, and telethons are a great way to bring people together to support a cause. At the same time, the business behind the campaign gets a lot of marketing mileage out of these events.

Strategies for a Successful Cause Campaign

While the approach you use will be different for each cause, nonprofit, and industry, there are some common points businesses should keep in mind to ensure successful campaigns. First, the business should choose causes that it believes in. If the employees believe in the cause, it gets easier to get people behind your campaign. These employees will also work harder and be passionate about making the campaign a success.

Second, find campaigns that are related to your business. This is not a strict requirement, but finding causes that are related to your business makes you seem more genuine. Third, contribute more than money. Money is always welcome but following through with social good and creating awareness are highly appreciated.

Lastly, take advantage of all the media available to you. Use social media, videos, images, and even games to bring awareness to the causes you support.

Conclusion

Cause marketing can be beneficial to a business as well as the causes and nonprofits it supports in its campaigns. Cause marketing can make brands stronger and help establish great relationships between the business and consumers.