The Cause Connection

How compelling is a cause? Many of us have causes we connect with and because of this we donate our time, talents and financial resources. But, how do we view companies that are connected to causes and does it impact whether we buy from them or recommend them? Cause marketing has been in the marketer’s toolbox for two decades now and recent statistics clearly show its value and why it has staying power as a smart strategy.

The 2013 Cone Communications/Echo Global CSR Study found that 91% of global consumers are likely to switch brands to one associated with a good cause, given comparable price and quality. And, Nielsen saw in its 2013 Consumers Who Care Study that 29,000 respondents said companies that integrate social impact into the heart of corporate strategy connect better with customers and inspire more loyalty.

So if you’re considering having your company connect with a cause, here are a few things I’ve learned along the way that you can keep in mind:

1. Make it known – make the cause and how it connects to your brand, culture and values prominent on your website, social channels and internal communications channels/vehicles so that your stakeholders know why it matters to you.
2. Make it easy – for people connected to your company to donate, volunteer or otherwise support the cause; for example, some companies have made it easy to donate at the register when you check-out at a retail store, or text to donate, or click to donate from a website icon.
3. Make it connect – choose a cause that makes sense for your brand, either based on what you sell, or how you view the world, or what you value; for example, Pizza Hut participates in the Annual World Hunger Relief Campaign and Southwest Airlines supports Make-A-Wish because more than 70% of all wishes involve travel. When you pick a cause that makes sense for your company, you make the connection that much easier for your customers to understand.
4. Make it count – quantify and articulate the impact of your support of this cause by sharing with employees, customers and partners the ways your financial and/or volunteer resources have helped people in need, changed lives and made a difference.
5. Make it last – the Hunger Relief work I mentioned Pizza Hut is doing has been going on for seven years; brands benefit from longevity with a cause because customers start to expect cause updates from that company, and the positive story of the cause becomes intertwined with the positive brand image of the company.

If you’ve had success connecting your company with a cause, we would love to hear about it. Or, if you’re trying to figure this out for your business, maybe we should talk. I love to see companies that are doing well, but also doing good.

Marketwave employees and friends volunteering at Entrepreneurs for North Texas/North Texas Food Bank event.

Putting Energy Into Community Connections

 

One of Marketwave’s core values is giving back.  As a company, we have a service mindset and want to serve others in our community by giving of our time, talents and resources when we can.  One way we do this is through our membership in Entrepreneurs for North Texas (EFNT). EFNT facilitates community involvement and philanthropy for small and mid-size companies that want to make a positive impact in their communities, and we’ve greatly benefited from their help identifying and organizing the ways our team can plug in and give back.

As we’ve been connected to EFNT it has made me take notice of other companies who truly make the effort and put the energy into community service.  And, with that energy in mind (and since we do a lot of work with energy clients), I decided to give a quick shout out to a couple of energy companies that are really doing it right when it comes to community involvement.

I know first-hand about what Dallas-based natural gas company, Crosstex Energy, is doing in their communities because they are a client and we’ve helped them shape their approach.  They have something called the Connectors Program that provides resources and training for field personnel who interact with community stakeholders daily. This program allows Crosstex to be closely connected in the communities where it does business.

Also, although they aren’t a client, I’ve admired Reliant from the sidelines and what they’ve done from a community service standpoint.  Recently we had the pleasure of interviewing Manny Rodriguez, VP of Sponsorship and Community at Reliant. We talked in-depth about how important it is for them to give back; not just as a company, but as individuals. In 2011, Reliant’s employees donated more than 13,000 hours to charity! Some of the recipients of these hours were The March of Dimes, American Heart Association and Rebuild Houston, where they are headquartered. As a company, Reliant participates in the Scholarship for Champions, which recognizes and rewards students who achieve a balance of academics, athletics and community service. They also offer “Beat the Heat” centers which serve as community centers to engage, support and assist the elderly and lower income households with programs during the hot Texas summers. In addition to offering food, water and air conditioning, Reliant employees host breakfasts or lunches throughout the year at these centers.

Reliant’s executives are encouraged to participate on the boards of non-profit organizations. Manny is an active board member of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in Houston. “In addition to giving back to the community, Reliant believes in supporting the research and treatment of diseases. Houston has outstanding medical facilities, and as an 11-year survivor of Leukemia, it’s personally important for me to actively participate on the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society board,” stated Rodriguez.

What does your organization do to give back to the community? If you aren’t involved in or connected to a non-profit in your community, but want to be, here’s a great website to search for organizations in your area: http://www.volunteermatch.org/.

Bob Ross Remixed: A step in the right direction for PBS

If you haven’t seen this video, you should.

It would have been funny – probably viral – if some Joe Schmoe had autotuned Bob Ross. But the fact that it was done by PBS, as a series of autotunements, made it brilliant.

PBS realized that it had to connect to and engage with a young audience, because its traditional programming lineup of Nova and NewsHour didn’t do the deed. Enter PBS Digital Studios, a grand effort to reach that generation by resurrecting and autotuning the retro programming of yesteryear.

And it captured all the classics in its YouTube series – from Reading Rainbow, to Julia Childs and Mister Rogers – and repackaged them into fun, catchy tunes that will outlive their air dates for years to come.

If you’re looking to connect with a younger audience, take a nod to PBS. They were fearless in crafting an innovative, light-hearted marketing campaign that has attracted the hearts, eyes and ears of the young and the reminiscent.

Plus, every day’s a good day when you paint (and sing about it).

4 things I learned from “The Art of Client Service”

At the beginning of the year, Melissa Gullickson, Marketwave’s Director of Client Services, tasked the team with reading “The Art of Client Service,” by Robert Solomon. The book lists 58 things that Solomon, an account management and client service expert, believes every advertising and marketing professional should know.

Some of the Marketwave team, after reading and discussing “The Art of Client Service.”

These are my top takeaways:

1.      Respect what it takes to do creative work.

An account executive’s job is “to improve the work, not approve it.” At an agency, each employee has an area of expertise – creative, sales, account service, administrative – and each requires different strengths and talents. It’s important to respect the strengths of each employee and recognize the challenges they face. This fosters teamwork within the agency – an essential component of delivering great work to the client.

2.      Listening is more important than talking.

As marketers, we like to talk. But meetings, presentations and brainstorms should never be a one-way street. The goal is not to make every point on an outline – it’s to encourage an open dialogue that “leads to a sharing of ideas and opinions,” and a successful plan of action.

“The Art of Client Service”

3.      You can’t lead an account from your desk.

In a world of cubicles and office seclusion, physical interaction in the workplace is rare. Put down the phone, stop typing emails and limit virtual conferences – instead, get up and interact with clients and colleagues. As Solomon says, “Account work is fieldwork. You need to visit your clients regularly, no matter if they are on the next street or in the next time zone.” Face time is important; it helps solidify better marketing and build relationships.

4.      Judgment overrides any rule.

There is an exception to every rule. Don’t be afraid to make a mistake, because you will. The important thing is to learn from it. “The account people with the best judgment are the ones who made mistakes and learned from them. Their good judgment comes in part from previous bad judgment.”

So turn on R-E-S-P-E-C-T, listen more, walk away from your desk and break some rules. Read the book and let us know your top takeaways!