Friday Fun - Traveling For A Cause
11/05/2004
Received an update from Gab Sedor. Gad and her husband Mike are travelers on an adventure. By visiting 320 national parks, monuments, state capitals in the lower 48 and top U.S. metro areas they hope to raise awareness of childhood cancer. For details see past Diva Marketing post - It Should Have Been A Blog.
Greenfield Online is their corporate sponsor and has promised to develop a blog (hurray!). In the meantime, take a look a the website for some wonderful photos of Gad and Mike's hike into the Grand Canyon.
Read More About Cause Marketing
According to a study recently published by PRWeek/PainePR , Maximizing Cause-Related, corporate sponsorships are projected to increase 17% in the coming year.
Although cause marketing can be an effective strategy, it comes with its own unique set of challenges. Keep in mind that two different organizations, with very different cultures, are attempting to blend goals and resources. Following are a few tips based on the PRWeek/PainePR research findings.
Strategies For A Successful Corporate Cause Marketing Program
-Recognize and Embrace Differences (between corporations and nonprofits). To prevent miscommunication, be clear with goals, priorities and activities.
-Maximize PR Opportunities. The PRWeek/PainePR survey findings indicate that PR is the number-one way that nonprofits demonstrate the value of a cause-related partnership to the corporation.
-Be Realistic About Expectations. More than 75 percent of nonprofits reveal that corporations expect more value for their sponsorship than one year ago. When the relationship first starts, both parties need to outline in writing their value expectations.
-Consider the Impact of Size on Available Resources. Not all nonprofits are created equal - especially when it comes to total revenue and staff capacity - so it is important to consider the organization's size when working with them.
-Know Why Relationships Don't Work. When a partnership fails, it is usually for mutual reasons, the primary one being when both sides under utilize PR opportunities (according to 58 percent of respondents), closely followed by corporate partners having unrealistic expectations of how the partnership will benefit its business goals (according to 53 percent of respondents).
-Adapt to an Increasingly Competitive Market. With an expected increase in corporate support for nonprofits in the immediate future, it will be all that more important for corporations to make their organization and sponsorship packages stand out.
-Clarify Your Introductory Approach. Eighty-two percent of nonprofits actually approach corporations for support. Approximately 30 percent report that public relations agencies on either side make the introductions, and approximately 25 percent report that corporations approach them directly.
And who are the most admired corporations for their support of nonprofits?
-Microsoft
-American Express
-General Electric
-Ben & Jerry's
-Coca-Cola
-Ford
-Nike
-Procter & Gamble
-Target
