Green Options

The rise of social entrepreneurship has led to an increased interest in cause-related marketing by bigger and bigger firms. At this year’s Halo Awards, major retailers shone in the spotlight.

The Halo awards, presented by The Cause Marketing Forum are awarded to the best crafted cause marketing campaign and include a variety of categories to recognize different achievements.

· Best Transactional Campaign (generates donations via consumer activity)

· Best Joint Message Promotion (a cause partnership that shares an important message)

· Best Health-Related Campaign

· Best Environmental/Wildlife Campaign

· Best Social Service/Education Campaign

· Best Cause Marketing Print Creative
(magazine, newspaper or FSI)

· Best Cause Marketing Event
(fundraising or message-driven consumer events)

· National/Local Integration: A campaign that successfully integrates local chapters and/or business units into a national cause-related campaign.

The goals for a businesses - nonprofit organization partnership or cause-related marketing campaign are generally one or more of the following:

1. Branding – Associating with a good cause
2. Awareness – Getting the nonprofit organization to promote the business among its supporters
3. Promotion – Incenting consumers to buy from a business in a particular time frame, such as by donating a certain percentage (or a fixed amount) of sales to a charity

Businesses need to beware that the effort to create a unique program with a particular nonprofit organization can be very labor-intensive, even if the program seems “cheap” in terms of cash expenses. In order to limit the time and effort needed to run a cause-related marketing campaign, many businesses opt to participate in third-party programs such as 1% for the Planet. Member businesses pledge 1% of sales to worthy causes and receive networking and promotional benefits in addition to the recognition (via a logo on their website) that they are a member.

Unique Programs May Stand Out More and Can Get You Press

If you have a PR budget for your business and some time to develop a unique marketing partnership, you can get some extra mileage from a creative program. No member of the press is going to write a story about your business joining a standard program. However, you might interest the press in a special event or a program with unusual features.

Make Sure the Marketing Program Relates to the Audience You are Trying to Influence

Face it. If you are a business owner, you are creating a marketing partnership with a nonprofit to boost your business. You want your customers and potential customers to appreciate your efforts.

Say, for example, you are Banana Republic, and you want your brand to be more green. How do you associate your urban and