It’s Pinktober! You know, that time of year where there is pink E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E – pink shampoo, pink referee uniforms, pink buildings – you can’t miss it.
Of course, this is all done in the name of social good. Each year, Pinktober rallies millions across the globe to fundraise, educate and advocate around Breast Cancer Awareness.
It has also become the go-to example for cause marketers from any and every industry. How can a company effectively partner with a charity to advance the mission of the cause, while generating brand loyalty to their product?
More than ever, social media is playing a pivotal role in the success of these campaigns. From Yoplait’s Save Lids to Save Lives to Avon offline walks and online rallies, many companies and charity-partnerships are doing it right.
But for many others, you may like your cause “pink,” but your digital strategy should be fully-cooked. Below we offer up 3 must-have online ingredients to create a fully-baked cause marketing campaign that will leave your social good efforts perfectly well-done.
THE MEAT: Call to Action
Okay, let’s cut to the chase: the recipe for a successful cause marketing campaign must have a compelling Call to Action – something that online advocates can really bite into. While “buy this pink product,” by definition, is a call to action – online advocates often want more. Ideally, if done right, your cause marketing campaign will use online platforms – like Facebook and Pinterest – to drive further action. This can be as simple as pushing consumers to a website for more information on the cause, providing mechanisms for donating to charity online or showcasing templates for reaching out to policymakers. Why is this important? Because to the advocate-consumer, it’s not about you or the product; it’s about the social good of the cause. Focus on the cause and you may just see more brand loyalty for your product.
THE SAUCE: Transparency
Your digital strategy should be completely doused and marinated in 
transparency. Social media can keep companies and organizations honest and open. Use it to your advantage. An effective cause marketing campaign uses social media to inform consumers where the money is going, for what programs and for what amount. Don’t leave your consumers out to dry by not sweetening up your good intentions with full transparency.
THE CHEESE: Cause Branding
While sometimes a bit cheesy, cause branding – when done right – can really show the heart and soul of the campaign. Some of the most successful cause marketing initiatives do not sell the “pink” or “green” or “[insert your color here]” product; they sell the “cause.” To most cause-conscience consumers, they are not “buying a t-shirt;” they are “investing in social good.” Social media creates the perfect platform for relaying this message. Through viral videos, powerful imagery, and personal story-telling online, social media can help convey to consumers WHY this matters, WHY your company cares and WHY its means something MORE than just cheesy marketing.
What do you think? What other ingredients are necessary for a cause marketer’s digital strategy?
Also tune-in for today’s #C4Gchat brought to you by Companies for Good. The Twitter hangout will feature insights from the Cause Marketing Forum, YourCause and Armchair Advocates.
Pinktober: A Month of Cause Marketing
#C4Gchat | Hosted by @Companies4Good
Tuesday, October 16 at 1pm
I think you have hit on the key elements of a successful campaign, our experience helping customers launch campaigns is in addition to the campaign creation, the team needs to ensure there is a marketing plan in place that is executed daily that drives traffic to the campaign throughout the lifecycle of the campaign. We also help set clear goals for the campaign to measure against – traffic measurements, new advocates, shares, donations, etc.