Cause marketing is the development of a marketing partnership between two or more nonprofit and for-profit organizations whereby each party receives benefit toward their individual marketing objectives, while striving to create a greater good through their combined resources. In most cases, the nonprofit organization seeks funding, enhanced public awareness and expansion of their service delivery; while the for-profit organization seeks increased brand recognition, enhanced public relations value and greater sales generation. Such win-win partnerships are of particular importance in these challenging economic times when the corporate partners are looking for ways of leveraging their limited marketing budgets. And nonprofits are seriously struggling to stay afloat. And here's the key: Funding for cause marketing usually comes from the marketing budget, which is many times the size of a company’s philanthropic budget. So it’s good marketing and fundraising but delivered though a partnership which provides much greater benefit to all.
Bruce is recognized as an innovative national leader in the development of highly-effective cause marketing campaigns.
Stakeholders in Cause Marketing One of the major benefits of a cause marketing campaign is the positive impact that will be enjoyed by many stakeholders, and not just company sales or funds raised. These stakeholders include:
CommunityCustomers
Recipients of campaign Employees
Stockholders Vendor/Suppliers
MediaRecruiting
Business PartnersEnvironment
LegislatorsAnalysts
Wells Fargo Bank and American Red Cross partnered together to develop a 16-page, four-color fundraising catalog, titled "Give the Gift of Preparedness this Holiday Season". Over 300,000 catalogs were distributed throughout the Bay Area in Wells Fargo branches, inserted into the Holiday issue of Benefit Magazine and sent to Red Cross donors.
TOMS Shoes was founded on a simple premise: With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of new shoes to a child in need. One for One. Using the purchasing power of individuals to benefit the greater good is what we're all about.
Photographer Jeanette Vonier conceived the idea to develop a pin-up calendar as a funraising vehicle to support breast cancer charities and research. The portrayal of these courageous women and one man, all breast cancer survivors, posing with humor–and a touch of sexiness–harkens back to a more innocent and gentle time in our American history, the Forties and Fifties.
