Principles for Cause Marketing

Our class was asked to consider the following:

In an age of instantaneous visibility, sharing and viral-ity social media presents a unique opportunity for brands to simultaneously further social causes and build their own credibility, however, the specter of inauthenticity or worse, opportunism, always lurks in the shadows. What do you consider to be the key principle or principles for a brand to adhere to when furthering / partnering with a social cause?

I think the first principle is: Just be real. Assume many of your consumers know what’s going on here.

I did an internship after my freshman year at college at Coca-Cola China, and wrote their very first corporate social responsibility report. That summer gave me to a chance to think critically about corporations and charity, and I came to the conclusion that as long as a company doesn’t bullshit consumers, corporate charity is fine (and potentially very good).

If you (the company) gave money to charity, that is wonderful. You have every right to run marketing campaigns about how you did that. Then the consumer, based on how generous your actions seem to him/her, has the right to take note of your generosity, and factor that into his/her view of your brand and their next purchasing decision.

I personally feel that for many big corporations, contributing to social causes are simply a part of marketing. Sometimes it is a part of corporate culture and employee engagement (which I think is a great reason). Sometimes it is to ensure good relationships with the community regarding certain issues (i.e., Coca-Cola cared about health and water, among other issues, because those are areas in which they are criticized for harming communities). As long as a company is honest about their charitable work, and not being dishonest about their motivations, then I see no reason to resent the fact that the company seeks a return on their marketing dollars.

So in summary, as a skeptical consumer who cares about social issues, I want…

• to hear that you’re honest and not over-inflating your generosity toward a cause.
• you to not overdo it on expectations that just because you were charitable, I have to buy your products, or praise you endlessly. Let me decide how much praise (and my consumer spend) you deserve.

Another recommended principle I have, but which is one I think most companies would hesitate to do since it gives them less control over their message, is that it is also always better to get earned media about your company’s good actions. Principle #2: Let other’s celebrate you, don’t celebrate yourself. Having the information come from a source that isn’t directly from the company will probably lead consumers to feel there was a lot more authenticity in your actions. In the age of social media, the most authentic and grassroots content, is often the most successful in spreading virally.

This post is part of a blog series for a class I’m taking at MIT Sloan called “Social Media Management.”