# Global Cause Marketing: Future-Proof Your Brand

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/books/global-cause-marketing-future-proof-brand/
- Published: 2013-11-15T15:50:00+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

**Every company wants to do the same thing. Build a good strong name, sell lots 
of goods or services and future proof the company. Future proofing your company 
means building a company name that allows you to immediately put a new product on
the shelves and have people buy it because they trust the name. **

Nike has done their job well. They built the name with lots of great image ads, 
however very few actually focus on a specific shoe or product. While Nike has done
it with big ad spending another shoe company has done it without the big media buys.

Toms, the start-up shoe company which took Asian workers soft shoes and put them
on the feet of men and women in some of the most trendy and fashionable neighbourhoods
in America, selling them for $40 and up a pair. We hear this about Toms all the 
time: “I don’t wear these shoes because they look beautiful or they are the best
things for my feet. I wear them because I like what the company is about.”

Consumers feel good about the fact that they have a pair or Toms on their feet. 
Why? Because the shoes are a symbol of good social conscience and people are proud
to display the symbol.

Toms tiny ad campaign has been based on their corporate giving programme – a pair
of shoes to a kid who would otherwise not have shoes for every pair you buy. One
for one. People will support your company if they really know you’re doing the right
thing.

That’s what a successful corporate image is about for the future. And the world 
is watching and talking about you if you do the right thing. That’s the best advertising
you can hope for. However, the world is also watching if you do the wrong thing.
And that news spreads just as fast or faster.

This is the future of marketing, so embrace it and create a sustainable image, brand
and company. The world is heading in this direction. Companies that do not follow
along will be guilty of marketing malpractice.

## ⏎ Cause marketing

Hirsch says that “American Express coined the term “**cause marketing**” in 1983
to describe its campaign to restore the Statue of Liberty. For this monumental project,
the company pledged a penny for every transaction and a dollar for every new American
Express account that was opened during a four-month period. AE customers loved this
patriotic campaign and promoted it by word of mouth, raising $1.75 million to give
the American icon a new lustre”.

He proposes a Compassionate Consumption pledge for companies:

* We give radically, live passionately, and create lives of impact, influence, success,
and significance for every one of our employees and clients, as well as their clients
and customers.

* We will help ordinary people make an extraordinary impact on their world. Whenever
possible, we enable needy people to address their own needs, rather than making 
them dependent on financial aid.

* We focus on **T3** principles in the conduct of our business. We teach our employees,
customers, and investors to give their **Time, Talent, and Treasure** to improve
the communities we serve.

## Reviews

“Corporate Social responsibility works when it is deeply ingrained in the culture
and highly connected to the strategy of a company. This is not easy to do, but pays
huge rewards for both the company, and society over the long term. Cause Capitalism
provides a game-plan for any company — whether big or small – to make this happen”.
**
Matt Flannery**, Co-founder and CEO, Kiva

“The Principles Cause Capitalism teaches will help you get the most out of life.
It is my privilege to count Peter and Bob as friends and I can share with you that
they live these principles daily and with passion”.**
Vicente Fox
, President of
Mexico, 2000-2006