Not long ago, the customer used to be the king. Today, customers are confused and struggle to make the right choices from the myriad of products available. On top of that, customers are bombarded with zillions of messages that urge them to select particular products or services. No wonder they have become suspicious of marketing!

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	Cause marketing has spread like a wildfire with businesses and is, by far, fulfilling their objectives.

Now that customers have become very selective, businesses are trying new ways to sell their products and services. The latest tool is cause marketing.

Cause marketing is about businesses supporting social causes they believe in to connect with their customers. Companies, big and small, are using it as a tool to win customers and their loyalties, to present themselves as a responsible organizations, to boost employee morale and loyalty, and, of course, to generate funds for social causes. Getting associated with a cause through popular non-profit organizations gives them free publicity and increased sales-not to mention a tax-deductible expense!

Cause marketing has spread like a wildfire with businesses and is, by far, fulfilling their objectives. The main reasons for its popularity are that it touches an emotional chord with customers, which is a surefire way to win them over; it earns businesses tremendous goodwill and respect in the eyes of their customers for their roles as socially responsible companies; and it doesn't cost them anything, saving thousands of dollars on promotional marketing.

It is interesting to note how a business selects a cause to market its brand. Some of its considerations are whether the cause undertaken by the non-profit organization fits the image of the business, whether the cause is able to pull the strings of the customer group which the business targets, and whether it will be a lucrative marketing tool for the business.

It is not surprising, then, that whether or not support is given to a cause is decided in terms of the ROI it generates for the business. The association is evaluated by giving equal weight to both the incomings from the deal and to the good it will bring to society.

Cause marketing can be a symbiotic relationship between the non-profit organization and business houses. In some cases, businesses profit from of the deal much more than they need to shell out.

Where does the customer fit in all this? A number of recent surveys reveal that customers soften up to organizations that use cause marketing. So much so that they are willing to switch their loyalties from businesses or brands that do not employ cause marketing. This is because pledging their loyalties to socially sensitive brands makes customers feel good about themselves. They see it as a way to contribute to the world.

So in the end, all parties involved go home happy and satisfied that they have made a positive change in the lives of the needy. Perfect!

On the net:

Can branding save the world?
www.brandchannel.com/features_effect.asp?pf_id=87

Doing Well While Doing Good
ideasthatspread.com/blog2/category/cause-marketing

Key Findings Media
www.keyfindings.com/advertising/default.htm

What is cause-related marketing?
foundationcenter.org/getstarted/faqs/html/cause_marketing.html

When the cause is just
www.psaresearch.com/bib4313.html

"Cause-Related Marketing": Why Social Change and Corporate Profits Don't Mix
www.prwatch.org/node/4965

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