By Kate Olsen
We frequently talk about how employees and consumers alike want companies to support cause. Less frequently do we mention that their desire increases during the holiday season. Don’t just trust me—look at the research! According to Cone, Inc.:
- 89% of consumers want companies to support causes at the holidays.
- 78% of consumers want to be personally engaged in these efforts.
- 81% of employees want to get involved in their company’s cause-related efforts through giving and matching grant campaigns.
- 73% of employees wish their company would do more to support causes.
November is an ideal time to roll out your cause program and get your consumers and employees excited about unleashing generosity at year-end. Once December hits, many people are focused work deadlines, family holiday planning and the general chaos of the end of the year. If you reach your audience in November, you’ll have a better chance of securing their attention and participation and feed off their enthusiasm for Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season.
Here are two campaign ideas that are guaranteed to wow your audience:
Idea 1: Host a matching grant contest
Doing good creates a chemical reaction in the brain, a feeling of euphoria known as the ‘Helper’s High’. When you enable that feeling in your customers and employees, they associate their passion for a cause or doing good with your company. Why not remind people about all the good they’ve done this year and help them recapture that ‘Helper’s High’? You can thank customers and employees who participated in a cause marketing initiative, giving campaign or volunteer program during 2012 and you can share the story of your company’s collective impact across the year.
Network for Good 10th Anniversary Gratitude Campaign December 2011
What are the next steps in your holiday cause campaign? Download our FREE eGuide to find out!
