It seems counterintuitive, that companies giving money to the communities they serve can be a profit generator. The concept is called Cause Marketing, and its effectiveness depends on how the programs are executed. The fundamentals of how this works are twofold: awareness and relevance. Awareness involves how companies make their customers aware of their giving programs and how they can participate. The relevance is how customers feel about the beneficiaries of the giving. If both fundamentals are executed well, the customers will then develop positive feelings and loyalty to the brands that provide the funding or service.
If you choose one cause that is near and dear to you, create a marketing program that describes the beneficiary and how you are helping—that is a great start. This will appeal to a certain segment of your customer base. However, the one organization may not be relevant to many others who would rather you support a cause that is near and dear to their heart. What if there was a program that allowed every individual to choose the charity or school that receives the funding and they were able to create this funding based on how much they support you?
In 1999, eScrip was founded with the vision to establish profitable and sustainable relationships between commerce and community. This program has helped schools and nonprofit organizations earn more than $450 million for much-needed organizations and activities. Today, that idea has grown to benefit over 82,000 schools and nonprofits across the United States since its inception.
So how does this program help you?
- The funding you provide is directly proportional to the sales the beneficiaries provide you.
- It eliminates the administrative hassles of managing data collection and payments to hundreds of organizations.
- The organizations encourage their supporters to shop with you.
- Customers engage in your giving program branded for you through your website and store.
- You can set your own giving budget, likely an amount you already give.
What is the value of these cause-minded customers? Because the program is measured at the customer level in terms of sales metrics, comparison of these customers to non-eScrip families is possible with existing loyalty programs. The results are that eScrip families:
- Are mostly women with children
- Are higher earning households
- Spend an average of $505/quarter/customer at grocery stores
- Have an average basket of over $66
- Visits the store 41% more often
- 3 times less likely to become lost shoppers, especially at higher spending levels
Considering adding a cause marketing program to your marketing toolbox? Please contact _ for more information at __
