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According to the Cone Communications Social Impact Study, 90 percent of U.S. consumers are likely to switch brands to one associated with a cause, given similar quality and price. So not only is supporting a cause good for the soul, but it’s good for business, as long as companies channel their marketing efforts to reflect their emphasis on social responsibility. To get the highest impact from cause marketing, hone the following:
1. Choose a worthy cause
A brand must pick a cause that’s in-line with its values and significant to its target audience. To conjure up different potential causes to support, ask questions and do research. The personal care brand Dove, for instance, conducted a study and found that only two percent of women around the world would describe themselves as beautiful. In light of this information, Dove launched the campaign “Real Beauty” to address society’s unrealistic and unattainable portrayal of what is considered beautiful. Dove’s efforts hoped to improve women’s self-esteem and redefine beauty while increasing revenue. The former may be hard to measure, but the campaign increased sales by 60 percent…
