Cause-related marketing is increasingly being used by companies that have already understood the social transformation we are experiencing. These companies have grasped the changing values and new consumer habits . There is social pressure for these organizations to be more responsible and transparent in their discourse, and this trend cannot be ignored.
Including Cause Marketing as a brand positioning strategy is an excellent way to engage and retain customers. However, it is important that support for the cause is genuine. Read on to learn how to implement an effective Cause Marketing strategy without falling into opportunism.
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AFTER ALL, WHAT IS CAUSE MARKETING?
Cause marketing means positioning a brand in relation to the most relevant issues for society . I'm talking about causes such as combating hunger, gender equality, the environment, animal protection, education, among others. In other words, it's a strategy that seeks to understand the demands of society and transform that into communication.
However, great care must be taken to avoid naive and inconsistent campaigns. It is precisely at this point that many companies fail. They end up being criticized by the public that notices when brands raise flags that are not part of their DNA.
And what does that mean? That talking about causes is important, but taking action to do something that helps solve social and environmental issues is what really engages people. Therefore, before adopting a Cause Marketing strategy for your company, it is important to know what movements your audience supports. What is important to your consumers? Anyway, what are the causes that have to do with your business?
UNDERSTANDING YOUR AUDIENCE
A 2019 Ipsos survey indicated that 78% of Brazilians expect companies to contribute more to social causes. A study by Business in the Community shows that 83% of consumers would be willing to switch brands for those with social responsibility initiatives . In other words, supporting social causes is undoubtedly an opportunity to positively impact your consumers.
In addition to strengthening the brand, this is a strategy that can help the consumer make a decision at the time of finalizing the purchase or even buying again or recommending your product / service.
But there's a very important point to consider. You need to find out if the target audience truly identifies with the cause or ideology adopted in the campaigns. If you believe in this idea but don't know where to start, I recommend clicking on " Brand Purpose Kit " to download a manual. In it, you'll find practical exercises to understand your customers' expectations. In this way, you'll learn how to find the purpose and get tips for communicating your brand's cause.
OTHER CAUSE MARKETING BENEFITS:
- A well-communicated creative action that generates real impact can generate spontaneous media for your business. In effect, this will help you reach more consumers who identify with your brand.
- Communicating this type of action internally can also be a great way to motivate your employees. After all, everyone united in favor of a cause increases the level of satisfaction in the work environment. Then use the Internal Marketing to make this internal communication!
- Your brand becomes an agent of social transformation, that is, it becomes an example of inspiration for people and even for other brands. This forms, in this way, a chain of positive changes in the world.
Access and read the post " Brand Manual " as well. Learn how to create one for your e-commerce business!
TRANSPARENCY IS ESSENTIAL
As I mentioned before, it's not enough to just talk about what your brand has done. It is necessary to show the impact of these actions. This is usually one of the barriers that most prevent companies from getting their social impact projects off the ground. The accountability part is one of the most bureaucratic. And the disclosure of the transfer of donations is essential to prove the effectiveness of the actions.
What many brands still don't know is that there are already tools to automate this process. Some e-Plus clients such as Cavenaghi and Empório Quatro Estrelas e-commerce companies already use Cause Marketing automation. This makes it possible that, at the end of each purchase, your customers can choose a cause to be supported without spending anything extra for it. The customer chooses and the store donates.
See how it works at Cavenaghi :
Example of checkout in cart:
In this case, all donations are verified by Polen , which is responsible for curating the NGOs. Polen automatically transfers the donations, ensuring that the funds are received by the institutions.
Furthermore, Polen customers have access to an exclusive transparency page from the brand. Click on “ Empório Quatro Estrelas ” to see an example. There they can track the amount donated and the supported institutions:
FINAL TIP: HOW TO COMMUNICATE TRANSPARENCY OF ACTIONS
There are several ways to communicate the transparency of your Cause Marketing actions. A great example is some case studies of brands that made a difference in Pink October campaigns, such an important date that is gaining more and more space and becoming an opportunity to involve customers, employees, suppliers and the community. Click on “ Beyond the ribbon ” to read a post with some inspiration on this.
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Access and read also the post " How to build customer loyalty through emotional connection ".
This article was produced by O Polen Marketing Societal no E-commerce
