The Cause for Cause

There are a few key reasons why Cause Marketing is important to for-profit businesses. First Cause Marketing allows the for-profit business to benefit from the halo effect. The good of the not-for-profit company will somehow be perceived as being part of the for-profit business' actions. In this instance the relationship is a win-win. Secondly, firms must use their advertising money somewhere. By choosing a cause, the company has the chance to develop their brand without an overt sales message to the public. The brand presentation in this manner is innocuous. Lastly, the marketing message can have a greater reach by being linked to the cause's network. People who may have never previously heard of the business may now be exposed due to the cause's customer lists, social media, etc. With all the benefits, why is the Cause Marketing market not saturated?

The reasons are few but important. The halo effect mentioned above could possibly be/become a negative one. One need only look to the recent Susan G. Komen debacle to understand the inherit risks of associating with a separate organization making its own decisions. Although control can be had over the delivery of the advertising, there is no guarantee that your organization will not be negatively affected by the cause's choices. Choosing a cause with little political interest is probably a wise one . Ultimately, the choice of a partner must make business sense. If the organization matches your business' core values, indirectly helps profitability, and generally makes the world a better place, there should be no reason not to get involved.