Cause Based Marketing

Great article in this month’s Fast Company by the Heath brothers, talking about Cause Based Marketing. The point of the article is to actually stand for something, as an organization, as opposed to merely having a slogan and a catchy jingle. I think it’s a great point. What better way to show how environmentally friendly your company is, or whatever, then by donating time and/or money to a cause that is aligned with environmental friendliness?

The question that I would like to explore today is, are socially conscious companies differentiated from their competitors and is their socially conscious position defensible?

Is It Different?

I want to say that most large organizations have a charitable arm that gives back. You only really hear about it when a company like Target “refuses to donate” to a specific cause and the story spreads around the internets out of context. This means that if you give part of your proceeds to a charitable organization, as a business, you’re not really different than most other companies.

Is It Defensible?

I wouldn’t propose that something a lot of other people are doing is defensible? There is really no way that an organization can corner the market on charitable contributions. Plus, it would be poor form to try to mandate exclusivity on a charity if the organization truly believes in the cause. Your money’s no good here, competitor… Therefore, I’m going to have to go with a big no on this one.

Does It Matter?

I would argue that it does not matter. So what if everyone is supporting causes? And so what if your competitor can support the same cause, or same type of cause, as you? If you truly believe in the cause, then it is the right thing to do to support it. If supporting the cause itself can make a difference, then it is the right thing to do to support it.

What Do You Think

What do you think of cause based marketing? Has it become a social standard for big business in this day and age? What are some examples of awesome displays of corporate giving? Please let me know in the comments below.