It's no longer whether you should be involved in cause-related marketing; it's how you should be involved. And the "how" is often determined by who you choose as your partner.
In this Blueprint, we look at how non-profits can - and should - choose for-profit partners. Dave Barringer, VP-marketing communications for Goodwill Industries International,
offers up a series of critical pointers. And he should know, as Goodwill Industries has been partnering with major corporations and other organizations for more than a decade.
These partnerships include a furniture "donation for discount" program at IKEA and recruiting people from welfare rolls to be part-time U.S. census takers and then finding
permanent jobs for them.
Think Strategy, not Gimmicks.
- Trials are okay, but the best relationships are like advertising: more effective if repeated.
- Pick organizations and brands you want affiliations with over time, not those that appear convenient for a sales weekend, product introduction, or special event.
Meet the Mission.
- Cause related and partnership activities should be closely aligned with the mission, corporate objectives and work of both brands. Don't be tempted to partner just
because it's a household name or popular cause. - Agency personnel "from the outside" can help parties see, and explain to the public, why the brands should be associated.
It's Not Always about Money.
- Financial donations are great, but don't forget other value relationships for a nonprofit:
- Product in-kind donations
- Employee time donations
- Access to customers, vendors, other relationships
- Program participant recruiting
- PR value through advertising materials, in-store placements, websites, and other media that reach the nonprofit's audiences
Keep What's Yours, Yours.
- A cause-related program may provide access to new customers, but don't ask the nonprofit to be your sales force, pay for your advertising or otherwise take on your
expenses. That's not their purpose. - Good partnerships respect the brands. Resist the temptation to be funny or cute with each other's valuable properties.
- Nonprofits must work creatively to answer the eternal "What's In It For Me?" question for business partners.
- Newsletter, magazine and website exposure
- Appearances at special events
- Product placements in charitable activities and special events
- Access to the nonprofit's supporters - mailing lists, for example
- Product and service endorsement by respected charities
Have a contract.
- Write down every expectation, who is paying for what, and limits for time, costs, program duration, and anything else that can be clearly spelled out before parties go
beyond the exploration stage. - Have a start and end date, including any renewal options.
- If program continuation depends on results, put them in the contract so everyone knows what evaluation system is in force.
- Specify if the partnership includes any official endorsement by either party for the other party's business, brand or products/services.
- Include appropriate indemnity clauses and other necessary corporate and brand protections, such as when another party can use names and logos.
Measure more than feel-goods.
- Typical corporate measures might include increased traffic, phone calls, website hits, even product sales.
- Nonprofits might measure publicity and advertising exposures, dollars and/or goods raised, volunteers or program participants recruited, etc.
- Set up the measurement process before the program begins! Build it into program costs, the contract and the evaluation for future partnerships.
Keep the team small.
- Have single points of contact between the two organizations, with all other participants going through these chief communicators.
- Agency reps should not duplicate communications, but add value where possible.
- Involve senior leaders to improve results, but decisions should be made by as few people as possible to avoid confusion and meet deadlines.
- Use e-mail list serves and teleconferences to "meet" and keep expenses down.
Contact: [email protected], 240.333.5252