Cause Marketing is Catching Fire

One of my newest passions has become reading about and getting involved with cause marketing opportunities. Cause marketing is not really new, but it is becoming a popular way for creating cooperative efforts between a for-profit business and a non-profit organization. For example, since I have supported the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure for breast cancer, I remember their partnership with a yogurt company to save lids and save lives. Yoplait donated several cents to the cause for each lid turned in by consumers. The program not only raised awareness of breast cancer, it likely encouraged consumers to purchase the yogurt and donate to the cause.

I am sure you know other examples. The documented impact they have is incredible. Research shows that 9 out of 10 Americans think companies should work with non-profits to raise money and cause awareness. And 8 out of 10 consumers would switch brands if another brand of like price and quality was involved with a good cause. The majority of people also have a better opinion of those brands that support causes they care about. Could marketing get any easier?

Non-profit groups get access to funds to help promote their cause, and companies benefit by generating positive public relations and new marketing opportunities.

Anderson & Associates can help your company or non-profit group identify opportunities and put together a cause marketing campaign that benefits both parties. Cause marketing is catching fire. What are you waiting for? Give me a call!

Nourish a Cause: The Maiden Voyage

Well, here is the maiden voyage of my blog experience. I chose the title, "Nourish a Cause," because I believe everyone should "feed" at least one cause in their lives, if not one every day! A cause can be anything from using a talent to help a neighbor, to volunteering time for a non-profit group, to tithing part of your paycheck to make the world a better place. Better yet, doing all three! No effort to nourish a cause is too small or too insignificant.

If you haven't had the chance to read the book, "Be the Change!" it is a quick read and a wonderful reference guide for getting yourself jazzed up about changing the world. The book features hundreds of people talking about how they have found meaning in helping others. The book is edited by Michelle Nunn, the co-founder and CEO of the Hands On Network.

In the introduction, Nunn says, "Individual acts of daring and creativity will ultimately determine the fate of nations and our increasingly global society. And those acts will change us in return...While a single moment can be a catalyst, a lifetime of preparation helps create the framework for our service lives...the first steps of our service journey are the beginning of our own personal transformation, opening us up to experiences beyond anything we ever imagined."

One of the brief stories in the "motivation to serve" chapter was submitted by a woman that notes, "I play the flute and my sister plays the violin. When we were both younger, we would go with our grandmother to visit an elderly friend of hers...we would always be asked to play at least one song for the woman. I was not thrilled to do this, being shy, but we continued for about a year. When the woman passed away, my sister and I did not really think much about it and went on with our lives as usual. Later that week, my parents got a phone call from the woman's lawyer, saying that she had left her piano to my sister and me. Each time I play it or even glance in its direction, I'm reminded to take a little time to do something nice for another person."

What is your reminder to do something nice for another person? I think about my mom, who has been deceased for 14 years, and picture what she would have done in various situations to help another person. Then, I try and follow through. Forget the busyness of your life, and find a way today to nourish a cause. You, too, may find experiences beyond anything you've imagined!