When cause marketing is authentic and is not simply the result of a transactional relationship, it can be a huge win not only for non-profit organizations and the communities that the cause supports, but for the corporations that are involved, as well. On a panel yesterday at the ‘14 CSE Sports Marketing Symposium in N.Y., professionals from both sides of the marketing table agreed that when organizations and corporations partner with causes that they both care about and share similar goals with, the result can be a huge success. CSE Senior VP/Cause & Diversity Marketing Flo Bryan said, “You can’t just take a check and say, ‘Fine, use my logo.’ 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.” MasterCard Senior VP/Global Sponsorships Michael Robichaud said that there also has been a shift in thinking among the causes in the industry as well. “It used to be the case that when the one person who cared about the cause left a corporation, that’s when the check stopped coming,” he said. “Cause-based organizations now understand that the partnership has to be mutually beneficial over time.” Boys and Girls Clubs of America Nat'l VP/Corporate & Cause Partnerships Chad Royale-Pascoe said that one of the most important steps on the road to that beneficial relationship is to be very clear on the goals of each party. he said, “Each partner we work with has different goals and results in mind regarding our relationship, and it’s much better when we’re up front and honest about what sort of goals we have in mind.” Royale-Pascoe highlighted his organization’s relationship with Buffalo Wild Wings, in which the restaurant chain is measuring the success of its partnership by the number of kids who sign up for team sports.
Quick Hits:
**MLB VP/Community affairs Tom Brasuell said that while there has been even more interest from sponsors in being aligned with the league for a cause, as well as from the causes themselves, it’s now choosing those relationships carefully. “We actually have a lot fewer than we used to have, as we have decided that we wanted to go with partners that are really interested in the specific causes,” he said.
**Robichaud, regarding the extended reach of cause marketing, noted that MasterCard’s sports cause marketing partnerships have resonated with the female audience, a result that wasn’t necessarily intended but proved to be something the company is proud of.
**Bryan, on shared success between company and cause: “You can do good by doing good, and there’s nothing wrong with that.”
