Think About It

What do Barnes & Noble and the Anti-Defamation League have in common? They forged a relationship to create Close the Book on Hate, a campaign to break the cycle of hate through reading and education, which included publishing a book as a teaching tool. Everyone wins with this relationship: each organization moves its goals forward, and society reaps the benefits.

Some alliances are more obvious and just as beneficial:

• Crest Healthy Smiles 2010 teams the well-known toothpaste with Boys & Girls Clubs to give kids oral health education, teeth-cleaning tools and better access to dentists.
• Yoplait's Save Lids to Save Lives® program has capitalized on yogurt's popularity with women to increase brand loyalty and raise millions for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

Perhaps the most famous example of the corporate-nonprofit partnership is the ubiquitous, yellow, Live Strong bracelet, the result of a collaboration between Nike and the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

All of these are forms of cause marketing, defined as a "strategic positioning and marketing tool that links a company or brand to a relevant social cause or issue, for mutual benefit."¹ Corporations get a brand boost, because many people want to buy from companies whose values resonate with their own. Nonprofits find themselves with access to corporate-sized budgets, new audiences and top-notch marketing expertise. Cause marketing can be accomplished by tying in with a product, service, awareness campaign or contribution. The catch is that the relationship has to be real and sincere. Consumers can see right through a bogus attempt to capitalize on emotional issues.

Some major corporations spend millions on cause marketing. This year alone, American companies will spend $1.34 billion on such philanthropic efforts (up from only $120 million in 1990). Small companies with more humble budgets can get in on the action, too, often by working with local nonprofits to make a difference in the Atlanta community.

Point of Vision is now embarking on efforts to use cause marketing as part of our repertoire of brand building. We are excited about this opportunity, because it not only gives us a chance to see two clients succeed hand-in-hand, but also fulfills a deeper mission of "doing good work." And because we serve a variety of businesses and nonprofit organizations across many industries, Point of Vision is in an ideal position to match up organizations interested in developing cause marketing initiatives. If you're interested in learning more, let's talk. We'll help you make a match to make a difference.

¹ "Brand Spirit, How Cause Related Marketing Builds Brands" by Hamish Pringle and Marjorie Thompson, Wiley, 1999