Posts filed under 'Cause-related Marketing'
November 21st is World Hello Day ~
Anyone can participate in World Hello Day simply by greeting ten people. This demonstrates the importance of personal communication for preserving peace. People around the world use the occasion of World Hello Day as an opportunity to express their concern for world peace.
Beginning with a simple greeting on World Hello Day, their activities send a message to leaders, encouraging them to use communication rather than force to settle conflicts. As a global event World Hello Day joins local participation in a global expression of peace. In fact, 31 winners of the Nobel Peace Prize are among the people who have realized World Hello Day’s value as an instrument for preserving peace and as an occasion that makes it possible for anyone in the world to contribute to the process of creating peace. (source: http://www.worldhelloday.org)
What can you do to honor World Hello Day? Pick up the phone and call people! Just call your customers and say Hello. Imagine what would happen if you did! I bet none of your competitors will be doing it….unless they are reading this and do it too.
My staff and I plan to do just that!
November 21st, 2008
November 10-17 is World Kindness Week - Citizens Bank wants to promote good intentions by partnering with its employees and customers to volunteer in their communities. They do so by inviting their customers to participate in “Join Us” a volunteer program they originally designed for their internal customers, their employees.According to the bank “Asking customers to volunteer – is a great way to align your company with a variety of worthwhile causes and boost your brand identity.”
Join Us uses the tagline “We’ve noticed working in the community hardly ever feels like work,” and is promoted on their website with a listing of local nonprofits and projects their customers can get involved in. The program has garnered Citizens over a million hits as well as media attention. Mudd Jeans does something similar highlighting the community commitments of extraordinary teens and MINI has used similar campaigns directed toward its passionately loyal customer base.
November 9th, 2008
Did you know that November is Military Family Appreciation Month? Here’s what we are doing. In honor of the Men and Women who serve in United States Military, our shop Eden Florist is inviting all members of the Armed Forces and their families to order flowers online, on the phone and in person during the holiday season and pay absolutely no service or delivery charges when you do. When you order online simply mention what branch of the military you serve so you can take advantage of this offer. This offer is good for deliveries anywhere in the United States and Canada . In addition, if you are a service man or woman and want to send flowers to a loved one in South Florida, during the month of November we will send a single rose decorated with red white and blue ribbon absolutely FREE with our compliments. To see what we mean, visit: http://www.edenflorist.com/
NOTE:
I had the privilege to witness the honor, courage and commitment of our young men and women in the military (from the USA and Europe) when I visited the U.S. Central Command in the Middle East. The trip, organized by the Department of Defense is known as the Joint Civilian Orientation Conference and included 45 Business Leaders from across the nation. To commemorate the trip, Eden Florist had a Soccer Ball Drive for the school children of Tadjoura, Djibouti (South Africa) - To see the pictorial essays, visit: http://www.edenflorist.com/photogallerytwo.asp
Excerpted from “Your Marketing Calendar.” Get your free copy at Speaking with Spirit.
November 4th, 2008
Earlier this month I started a topic about how I gathered information to create a marketing plan for the Florida Speakers Association. I asked members how they would spread the word about FSA, who they suggest we connect with and contact (sharing their resources) and how they suggested we increase our membership base and meeting attendance.
Here are six more responses:
I find that word of mouth is great… and also the encouragement I give to others who are speakers but don’t know it yet. Also a brochure would be nice to hand out.
Contact clubs and hold a contest… have them submit club member names who would like to attend an FSA meeting to see what it is all about in helping them develop leadership and communication skills. Then, we could draw one name per month and COMP that person. This would also increase our notice data base.
We could even have a special annual day focused on local clubs and developing good speakers in clubs. We could even start a different membership category for local club member speakers who do not want to become professional, but do like to hang out with the pros.
TV and radio interviews from some of our top speakers about the FSA and what it has done for them.
Ask CEOs (with their own strong followings) to present — and encourage their own people to be part of our group. Have THEM send out notices to business media. Invite media people to discuss how public speaking skills helped them. Usually THEY will give our group free publicity if it involves them.
Do a charity fund-raiser using some of our speakers to improve skills of the people who GIVE the $$…not just get the benefit of dollars. Improve the image of us being part of an INTERNATIONAL - NOT JUST LOCAL OR NATIONAL - GROUP OF GIVING PEOPLE…THE VOICE OF THE WORLD.
October 15th, 2008
October is….
Diversity Awareness Month – if you don’t have the opportunity to travel to far off lands, get involved in a community organization where the participants are ethnically or spiritually different from you. Join an organization such as sister cities and get to know about our world.
National Book Month - Host a book fair, invite a local author to do a book signing, collect books for a local school or library. Read a good book in your industry and write about it in your newsletter. Have a recommended reading section of your newsletter and on your website and announce your picks for the latest books. Or you can do what my friend Susan does and be a volunteer reader for a book critic for a local newspaper. You get to write a brief summary of what the book is about and rate it.
National Breast Cancer Awareness Month - Volunteer with the American Cancer Society (ACS) or Gilda’s Club (or other similar organization whose purpose it to raise awareness of and to help women with breast cancer). How does this help you market your company? Well, I have been a volunteer with ACS for 17+ years now and started out in fundraising, moved on to programs and services and then began teaching their “triple touch” program to women in my community. I am now a “Triple Touch Training Instructor” and teach the teachers. Although it is not meant to be a marketing ploy - by being involved in a community organization that appeals to many, not only do we make lifelong friends - people learn about my company and quite often become my customers.
Women’s Small Business Month - Do what the WECAI Network™ did and host an event in celebration of Women. It was “How to Grow a Million Dollar Business (with pre and post events too). The event features wealth experts in prosperity, million dollar marketing to the affluent, million dollar networking, million dollar publicity and more! You can check it out at WHEREWOMENPROSPER.com. Contact experts you know (or have heard of) and invite them to participate.
October 4th, 2008
September 21 is International Day of Peace – “PEACE is more than the absence of war. It is about transforming our societies and uniting our global community to work together for a more peaceful, just and sustainable world for ALL.” Check out all the ideas on http://www.internationaldayofpeace.org/ website. You can sign their pledge, host a peace day party, observe a moment of silence, ask your local politicians to issue a proclamation, and issue a media release announcing your company’s involvement and promote peace.
Excerpted from “Your Marketing Calendar.” Get your free copy at Speaking with Spirit.
September 21st, 2008
How Cause-related marketing can grow your company and do good.
According to a report published by onPhilanthropy, cause marketing sponsorship by American businesses has been steadily rising over the years.
The potential benefits of cause marketing for nonprofit organizations include a wider audience in which to promote the nonprofit organization’s cause, increased accessibility of potential donors and supporters through a company’s customer base.
The potential benefits of cause marketing for businesses big or small include promoting your company in a positive way, improving your relationships with your current customer base, and attract your target audience. Cause-related marketing can make your company stand out from your competitors and heighten your company’s reputation within your target market.
In the ook Brand Spirit: How Cause Related Marketing Builds Brands by Hamish Pringle and Marjorie Thompson the authors say: “Nothing builds brand loyalty among today’s increasingly skeptical, hard-to-please consumers like a proven commitment to a worthy cause on the part of a company.”
Some ways you can implement a cause marketing campaign include giving a portion of the profits of sales of a product to the cause. Companies have created programs to donate a percentage of their sales to a nonprofit organization through the use of auctions. You can align your company with a cause to brand your business as the official (name of industry) of (name of cause). You can adopt a program and get your staff involved to help implement your marketing efforts such as participating in an event hosted by the cause as a TEAM effort, donating time to mentor youth in the schools or community, giving blood, to name a few.
Think BIG ~ The Let’s say Thanks Campaign by Zerox created a way for individuals across the country to recognize U.S. troops stationed overseas. By submitting a message through the LetsSayThanks website you have the opportunity to send a free personalized postcard greeting to deployed servicemen and women.
Arrow, The Authentic American Brand created the “We are Ellis Island” campaign which ito raise money to restore dilapidated buildings on the south side of Ellis Island. Through association with Save Ellis Island, the Arrow brand is committed to preserving Ellis Island with the help of the National Park Service. Arrow launched the website www.WeAreEllisIsland.com for visitors to post their family stories, share inspiring stories of hope, courage and perseverance, all in the name of living out the great American dream. When you visit We Are Ellis Island you can read thes stories and donate money to the causes Arrow has committed to donate 1% of its 2008 wholesale sales to the project. To learn more about Arrow, visit www.arrowshirts.com.
Start small ~ You don’t have to be a BIG company to adopt a cause. Just look around your community to see what the needs are, what is missing, lacking or could use a little (or big) boost in support. Check with non-profits you believe in, with local chambers of commerce, business groups, niche groups, your trade associations, ask your vendors and customers for ideas. Find out who your target audience supports and see if it meshes with your values and your company’s mission. If so, you are on your way to getting out and doing good. And it is a great way to raise your profile in the eyes of the media. A local retailer could run a promotion donating a portion of the sales goes to support a local school project that is underfunded or donating your products to bring joy to less fortunate families in your communities during the holiday season.
One success leads to others and you can build upon those to get more creative and grandiose in your ideas and strategies. After all, America’s economy is fueled by small business and the companies we keep.
September 10th, 2008
“Cause-related marketing can help you stand out from the competition in a way that portrays your business as a compassionate, likeable and giving company to do business with.”
I am an avid reader of a very diverse collection of business, professional and lifestyle magazines. Among them is ”Successful Promotions Magazine” - a one of a kind promotional products magazine that helps distributors retain their top accounts and grow their business. Very close to my own mission which is to help your business grow and blossom into a thriving, positive enterprise.
One of my favorite marketing strategies is Cause-related Marketing. I find it both productive and rewarding both for my clients and for the organizations they support. In a recent issue of Successful Promotions the one article that really caught my eye was “NYSC Gives Grand Central a Spin.” It described a 24 hour Spin-a-thon called Saints and Spinners. The event was co-sponsored by NY Sports Club and Snapple.
During the event, 1,800 participants pedalled their stationary bikes to rais money for Health Corps, an organization dedicated to fighting teen obesity. They raised $250,000 for the cause which is not bad for a days work and the marketing perk is that the sponsors garnered likely more than a million dollars in media attention!
It got me thinking about what types of causes my clients (and my little marketing firm) could also align themselves with to co-produce an event in our own communities?
And that’s the first step. To find the right CAUSE. And most importantly one you are passionate about.
By choosing the right cause, for the right reasons at the right time, your business will gain visibility, increase sales, build loyalty and get positive media coverage. And when you choose a cause you are passionate about you will find rewards beyond the monetary kind, it will charge you emotionally and spiritually.
For more incentive and promotion ideas, go to Successful Promotions Magazine and subscribe.
July 25th, 2008
Want to tap the Luxury Market? Then you gotta know where they hang out! And btw, you don’t have to be rich or famous to attend these events as long as you have the entry fee!
Here are a few places to start:
Non-profit organizations the affluent support financially AND emotionally (I call this “cause-related networking”)
Churches, Temples and Places of Worship
Exclusive Resorts and Country Clubs
Skyboxes at Sports Stadiums
High-end Restaurants
Social Clubs
ClubCorp Clubs - aka Tower Clubs in some cities
Yacht Clubs
The Arts such as Opera, Ballet, Museums, Art Galleries
Read the calendar of events listing in your local papers and online to find out what’s happening in your community. If you have local celebrities, start watching the local magazines and newspapers to find out what organizations they support.
Ask your own circle who they that you could be introduced to.
Create a “hit” list, get an invitation, mark your calendars, and network!
July 17th, 2008