Budget-Friendly Ideas for Cause-Marketing Campaigns
Megan Trimble • December 2, 2021
We all want to give... the question is how much.
Organizations of all sizes have to determine their budgets for cause-marketing campaigns, and we’re here to remind you that benefitting your community doesn’t have to be pricey or time-consuming.
There are two key points to keep in mind:
- With every component, how do you get the word out?
- What feelings do you want to evoke? There is a psychology that works with each audience and you’ll need to be mindful of who you are targeting and when.
For example, your cause-marketing can be focused internally, so how do you foster positivity for your team’s morale while meeting a goal? How do you honor their progress and celebrate their success? Do you want them to feel stressed by the added activities or looking forward to it with anticipation?
For external audiences, you may want to give a sense of urgency, such as pictures of empty pantry shelves. Or a sense of hometown pride, like the marching band playing an upbeat school song. Deciding what feelings you want to evoke will drive your campaign messaging and how you deliver it.
Some “low cost” ideas (Remember, it’s about the feelings evoked, not necessarily dollars raised):
- Have competing donation jars, e.g., one labeled “Cat Person”, the other “Dog Person” (Tip: Post which jar won at the end of each day for customer-created content.) For locations with heavy repeat traffic, swap out the labels for new competitions every day.
- Social media posts – tell the story of why, who, how, and when and highlight those making a difference (the customer making the first tip jar donation of the day, the volunteer coordinator, the team with the most participation)
- Email signature lines/graphics – link to your company’s blog about the campaign and/or donation page. If your team is like ours, you send out hundreds of emails a week and it’s one of the most active individualized channel you have.
- E-outreach – such as email campaigns, e-newsletter blasts, e-coupons, and even auto responses to all emails can all include information about the cause you’ve chosen and drive them on the marketing journey you want them to take
- Website and Point-of-Sale Systems updates – Banners, blogs, POS platform messages, metric progress (such as fundraising thermometers) can all bring attention to the campaign
- Signage on the door, on tables, as banners, and at check-outs.
- Double-sided signage letting customers know about the community involvement on the way in and thanking them for their participation on the way out is an easy way to ask and show gratitude.
- Slips of paper in the menu or posters on the wall give patrons something to read and talk about
- Reminders on the POS device or near a telephone can prompt the team to discuss the charitable campaign
- Opportunities at already planned events, like having a “Guess How Many Lbs of Trash Removed” contest at the company beach clean-up gets people more involved
- Elevate an existing experience to a VIP experience, such as separating out a chef’s table at a dinner or getting a photo with Santa at a children’s event
- Detail your progress, especially visually for a quick attention grab – think of fundraising thermometers on a billboard or social media post
Take Away
Like any good marketing campaign, a cause-marketing campaign thoughtfully identifies opportunities, builds upon its impressions, and reinforces the desired emotions. Have your team identify easy, cost-effective ways to bring attention to the campaign. Make it easy for your team to promote the campaign
Determine your campaign’s emotional journey and highlight your branding through graphics.
First, let’s define cause-marketing: It is a type of Corporate Social Responsibility where a for-profit business selects one or more nonprofits to receive a benefit achieved through marketing efforts. Oftentimes, it is a gateway to show a shared affinity with members of a targeted community. Some organizations market almost exclusively through cause-marketing while others use it as a supplement, seasonal, or single campaign. What does that look like in the real world? Some of us are familiar with cause-marketing when we drive through a McDonald’s and we’re asked if we want to contribute to the Ronald McDonald House or we get asked by a cashier at our grocery store if we want to donate a dollar to the charity of the month. We see events around us that benefit a certain group and we know what month the world dons all things pink. Cause-marketing can be very powerful in the ways it draws attention of loyal supporters and in its ability to make an impact. Of course, it’s best to select a nonprofit who aligns with your social beliefs and has good standing, otherwise, why mindfully select them? A successful cause-marketing campaign begins with a conversation with the nonprofit. This is where you set expectations, explore what other businesses have done in the past, get a feel for what worked and didn’t work, and understand what, if any, campaign support you can expect from the nonprofit’s side and how metrics can be measured to determine success. Does a nonprofit have to participate in every cause-marketing idea? Absolutely not. Nonprofits are like any other business and need to keep focused on their work and relationships. They are also not obligated to fulfill collaborative requests. Be mindful that a “no” or “not something our team can do right now” is not necessarily a reflection of your organization but it should be a consideration as you move forward. Once you meet with the nonprofit and get a snapshot of your involvement together, now’s the time to get creative. Depending on the time and energy you have, this can be something simple like a jar on the counter or it can be elaborate like hosting a VIP event.
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