It seems everyone is talking about how cause marketing has come of age and may be soon over the hill. Colleagues keep asking whether consumers are tired of all the cause talk and if we have reached a saturation of giving, voting, and sharing for charity. To me, the answer is no, but…
Because cause marketing has come of age, it’s no longer the new flashy marketing tactic that will grab attention because it’s different. Now the onus is on marketers to execute cause programs flawlessly in ways that are relevant to their target consumer audiences.
How do marketers achieve flawless execution? Keep these 5 rules of engagement top of mind:
- Remember the essentials – suitability, authenticity, transparency and selling point ensure your campaign has meaning
- Be human – have real interactions (across digital, mobile, offline, in store etc…) with your customers and fans; relationships drive loyalty
- Get personal – find out what matters to your audience; invite them to co-create your cause platform and they’ll be more invested to give, share and recruit
- Set ‘solvable’ goals – beyond just supporting causes, become their partner in solving problems (you and your audience have more to give than just $$)
- Tell the story – collectively with your audience and cause partners, generate consistent, bite-size and sharable content that shows the results of the campaign and thanks your collaborators
Image Credit: CafePress.com
