By Kate Olsen and Allison McGuire
This is adapted from our new eGuide, Rewards & Loyalty: 3 Ways to Win the Hearts of Your Consumers & Employees with Cause.
When it comes to cause marketing, consumers and employees want it all. They're hungry for a connection to your company’s social responsibility commitment, and they want to feel personally invited to a conversation with your brand. Further, they even want to help you co-create your brand’s identity!
A powerful way to fulfill those two desires is to make cause central to your brand promise. When you insert charity into your consumer and employee engagement approach, you open the door to a rich conversation about what matters – to your company, to your consumers, to your employees, to your community – that can only help you build relationships (not just fans) and enhance loyalty.
Here's how you do it:
1) Say Thank You. Instead of offering consumers another generic coupon, sending clients another fruit basket, or acknowledging employees with another plaque, why not let them select a reward with personal meaning? Charity gift cards are pre-paid donations that consumers, clients, and employees can spend as a donation to their favorite charities -- anything from local PTAs, to a charity working to provide clean water in Africa, to a national nonprofit striving to cure cancer. They are the ultimate personalized perk.
Check out how Clinique rewarded their customers with a 'Happy to Give' charity gift card:
What are the other ways to add cause to your rewards portfolio? Download our FREE eGuide to find out!
