A strategy that is used often by companies to draw customers to them is cause marketing, and they do this with a purpose. A corporate social responsibility study done recently by Cone Communications indicated that 92 percent of consumers buy products from companies that also care about social and environmental causes. The study further found that 84 percent of these consumers also will recommend these businesses to friends, family and co-workers.
Those are powerful statistics in favor of establishing a strategic corporate giving program and using cause marketing to bring it to your customer base. But consumers aren't the only group that can benefit from and appreciate a well-executed cause marketing campaign. Consider these statistics:
According to a study from Rutgers University, 53 percent of workers and 72 percent of students say a job where they can make an impact is very important or essential to their happiness, with the students ranking it third in overall importance and only 1% behind marriage. Taleo Research shows that increasing the engagement level in a 10,000-person organization by 5% can boost profits by an estimated $40+ million.
Getting employees at all levels involved in cause marketing is the best way to get employees engaged and committed. This can be done by laying out a range of potential causes and producing a structure for the decision making where everybody is involved and they can support fully, and this is the business strategy to follow.
Each and every employee may not be comfortable participating in this and it is impossible to make them do it. However, by giving different options and thinking creatively can definitely boost enthusiasm and participation in a specific cause marketing campaign.
A creative option can be donating a percentage of company profits to a local homeless shelter that the company supports, and this can be a good example. Automatic deduction donations made by employees through payroll deductions can provide an easy way to give. Two employees spending half of their day at work working at the shelter each week can also be arranged by the company.
In addition, why not plan a fun run for your cause? This could be a 5K event that your company sponsors to raise money for the shelter in question. Many shelters hold an annual event to raise money for their organization, so you might donate gift cards or actual products for a silent auction or as prizes. You also can reward employees that donate time outside of work by providing prizes for these employees.
An empowered employee will be an engaged employee. When someone gets excited about a cause, it's natural that they want to share it with others. Online social networks make that natural desire thousands of times more powerful than it was in the past. You can take advantage of that fact and engage your employees in the process by encouraging them to share information about your cause marketing activities with their Facebook friends or Twitter followers, and especially to tout their own part in it.
Lead by example by giving the cause marketing campaign heavy exposure on the corporate social channels, including offering specific employee recognitions that they'll be thrilled to share through their own networks.
The employee engagement you have accomplished can disappear fast, just as fast as you have acquired and improved on it and acquired results. This can be a passing fad, but you have to make sure that this is not happening in your cause marketing plan.
The goal is a long-term investment in a charitable cause and the engagement of employees for a long time, as well. Employees that are engaged in long-term charitable programs tend to be more satisfied with their jobs and continue to work on improving productivity and this enthusiasm can be contagious, fostering a more collaborative team atmosphere at all levels of your company and this type of camaraderie also is quite attractive for new hires.
Those are powerful statistics in favor of establishing a strategic corporate giving program and using cause marketing to bring it to your customer base. But consumers aren't the only group that can benefit from and appreciate a well-executed cause marketing campaign. Consider these statistics:
According to a study from Rutgers University, 53 percent of workers and 72 percent of students say a job where they can make an impact is very important or essential to their happiness, with the students ranking it third in overall importance and only 1% behind marriage. Taleo Research shows that increasing the engagement level in a 10,000-person organization by 5% can boost profits by an estimated $40+ million.
Getting employees at all levels involved in cause marketing is the best way to get employees engaged and committed. This can be done by laying out a range of potential causes and producing a structure for the decision making where everybody is involved and they can support fully, and this is the business strategy to follow.
Each and every employee may not be comfortable participating in this and it is impossible to make them do it. However, by giving different options and thinking creatively can definitely boost enthusiasm and participation in a specific cause marketing campaign.
A creative option can be donating a percentage of company profits to a local homeless shelter that the company supports, and this can be a good example. Automatic deduction donations made by employees through payroll deductions can provide an easy way to give. Two employees spending half of their day at work working at the shelter each week can also be arranged by the company.
In addition, why not plan a fun run for your cause? This could be a 5K event that your company sponsors to raise money for the shelter in question. Many shelters hold an annual event to raise money for their organization, so you might donate gift cards or actual products for a silent auction or as prizes. You also can reward employees that donate time outside of work by providing prizes for these employees.
An empowered employee will be an engaged employee. When someone gets excited about a cause, it's natural that they want to share it with others. Online social networks make that natural desire thousands of times more powerful than it was in the past. You can take advantage of that fact and engage your employees in the process by encouraging them to share information about your cause marketing activities with their Facebook friends or Twitter followers, and especially to tout their own part in it.
Lead by example by giving the cause marketing campaign heavy exposure on the corporate social channels, including offering specific employee recognitions that they'll be thrilled to share through their own networks.
The employee engagement you have accomplished can disappear fast, just as fast as you have acquired and improved on it and acquired results. This can be a passing fad, but you have to make sure that this is not happening in your cause marketing plan.
The goal is a long-term investment in a charitable cause and the engagement of employees for a long time, as well. Employees that are engaged in long-term charitable programs tend to be more satisfied with their jobs and continue to work on improving productivity and this enthusiasm can be contagious, fostering a more collaborative team atmosphere at all levels of your company and this type of camaraderie also is quite attractive for new hires.
About the Author:
Sebastian Troup likes writing about philanthropic solutions for businesses and non profit organizations. For more examples of corporate social responsibility, or to find help setting up a corporate charitable giving program, please check out the Truist.com site today.
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