Cause Marketing - Sometimes Just Telling Your Story.

Cause marketing is not the exclusive domain of public institutions, NGOs, or non- profits. Any for-profit business could, and should support a cause based marketing initiative or 2 that make sense for their brands. The thing about cause marketing is that it is an opportunity for a corporation, big or small, to build their personality and soul, help make a difference in society, and directly help people, but it can also be used In a manipulative and inauthentic fashion. Cause marketing is not new, but as competition increases in many categories it is another way of differentiating your brand, while aligning with emotional values that you share with your core customer.  There are companies that lead philanthropic efforts, yet don't publicize their work, as there are companies that disguise their good deeds as cause marketing, but are just manipulating the situation for their profit. Here are two examples. The company that I work at, Cascade Designs, has worked with the PATH organization, www.Path.org, to develop and deploy a low cost device, http://www.path.org/publications/detail.php?i=1994, that can help small villages and communities treat unclean water and make it suitable for drinking, cooking and bathing. Cascade Designs was able to contribute to this effort because of it's ethos, and it's water research lab that is in place to help commercialize filtration products for both the MSR and Platypus branded products. One of the goals I have in developing the marketing strategy for Cascade Designs' water products is to launch a cause marketing program to raise awareness regarding world water issues, and let our customers learn about our efforts to develop solutions that address these Issues. If the consumer research regarding cause marketing is an indicator, and 83% of Americans do want the brands they associate with to support a cause, then Cascade should tell its story. We should tell the story and string it together so that it's understood the great products we design, manufacture and sell, the consumer purchases, and derives benefit, all contribute to our ability to tackle this societal problem. On the flip side there are companies that disguise their marketing tactics as cause marketing. One example is soft drink companies donating to school programs in exchange for pouring rights. Corporate giant donates to school program, in exchange corporation gains prime positioning for product or message on school property ( physical or virtual), corporation achieves positioning or distribution goal, corporation announces it's support to educational institution's program in an attempt to garner positive press for giving to education.  I do think that corporations are evolving their tactics as consumers have become more savvy, but there will always be opportunists that spin the story to their advantage, companies that don't do a good job telling their story, and companies that are authentic and genuine just like family.