Cause Marketing

Cause Marketing is another great guerrilla marketing weapon, and one that seems to be underutilized in the small-medium business community.In fact, when I look around, I see very few entrepreneurial businesses using this tried and true tactic although I do see a number of larger companies using it extremely well.So, what is cause marketing, anyway?At its heart, cause marketing is a form of fusion, or joint venture marketing in that it links two organizations together to market for the greater good of both.And, when one of those companies is cause-oriented, magic can happen! Below are three of my favorite examples of great cause marketing.  If you are interested to know more, take a look at Cause Marketing.

An  author-friend of mine recently held a book signing at the local American  Red Cross Office.He donated part  of the proceeds on every book purchased to the Red Cross.Both he and the Red cross heavily  promoted the event and both came out as big winners.People who purchased a book were also  big winners since they got a signed copy of a great book ("7 Principles of  Public Speaking") and left knowing that they had given something to a  great cause.Everyone won that day. Another  great example of cause marketing is my friend Colin Lewis who lives across  the pond in Poland.His company, Wisdom Notes, delivers  beautifully written key points and quotes from numerous inspiring and  thoughtful books.Now, here's the  great part - from the annual subscription fee that he charges, he is  donating 100% to the Chiva Foundation which funds orphanages in  Poland.His goal is to raise $1 million in a  year.How could you not feel great  about that. A  pizzeria near where live donates a portion of their proceeds every Tuesday  night to a local organization benefiting victims of domestic abuse and  violence.Their restaurant is  packed on Tuesday nights now, and all for a good cause! These are just a few of examples of great cause marketing.These don't have to be highly complex agreements, but there are a few things to keep in mind. Find an organization that you are personally passionate about and believe in. Make sure that all participants have a clear (written) understanding of the financial splits. Agree in advance as to what specific marketing actions each participant will take on (direct mail, email, web content, web banners, public service announcements, press releases, flyers, etc.)All parties should be invested in the marketing process in order to get maximum results. 

Promote, promote, promote! 

This is just another example of how to use your time, energy and imagination rather than big bucks to guerrilla market your business. For more detailed information, visit Cause Marketing.