On many occasions in the business world a corporation is approached about sponsoring a nonprofit organization and, in exchange for a check, simply says “yes, you can use our logo in your advertising.”
While most nonprofits wouldn’t exactly turn down that money, professionals from both sides of the table agree that, when it comes to cause marketing, if an organization and a corporation that they partner with share the same goals, the results can be much more successful.
Flo Brian, the senior vice president of cause and diversity marketing at CSE, told Sports Business Daily last month that when it comes to cause marketing “it has to be authentic, and it needs to be a story that is integrated well. It’s all about being able to hit multiple passion points for the consumer.”
The fact is, when a nonprofit organization approaches a corporation about sponsorship for their cause, it’s important that both the organization and the corporation they wish to partner with are very clear on their goals.
That’s one of the takeaways from a recent professional panel on cause marketing. Another was the fact that corporations should have a true interest in the organization and cause that they are sponsoring in order for both sides to come away happy.
The panel also noted that, in some cases, the reach of cause marketing extends beyond the initial projections, which can sometimes lead to beneficial results on both sides.
The biggest takeaway from the panel is that, when it comes to cause marketing, it’s not just a matter of simply writing a check but actually caring about the cause itself. When that happens, the results can be fantastic.
