So apparently I was onto something before I ever realized it
was something. More often than not when I
put together an event I chose a charity and figured out a way to give
back in some way to this cause. It
officially has a name though, It's called cause marketing and it's a
growing trend. The act of giving to the less fortunate is as old as time and
spotted everywhere from the Bible to bloggers. What exactly is cause marketing?
A few descriptions I was able to find online are "A relationship that bridges
commerce and cause in ways that benefit both parties" and "doing well
while doing good." Simple really. The laws of abundance reward those that
actively give. What does this look like in our world? I hosted several events
at my salon that combined the opportunity to give back with the opportunity to
spread the word about my business. Here is the anatomy of one of my cause
marketing events.
I was moving locations and decided to hold a combination
open house and charity event. Several months before the move I secured the
charity I would be working with. I chose the local Women's shelter that was
building a new facility . I pounded the pavement for weeks securing gift
certificated from area businesses. I asked for gift cards from coffee shops,
clothing retailers, chiropractor, book store and restaurants at nearby
locations. In total I secured donations from thirteen businesses. This was
actually pre Facebook so I asked them to put up a poster in their location and
share the event with their customers. Now I would create the event and have
each company post it on their wall with a link to the charity. Win, win and
win. I agreed to place an ad in the local paper naming each business that
participated as well as invited the local media to the event. All business
owners and their staff were invited and I also had a representative from the
shelter attend with literature about their services. Attendees could purchase
raffle tickets for a dollar each and we drew winners all evening. I included
several gift cards to the salon as well. All told we raised several hundred
dollars for the shelter and created a buzz for all participants. It was a great
feeling knowing that I helped their cause in some fashion and created awareness
in hopes of continued support. Partnering with a charity is good for business
and good for the soul of your business not to mention, smart marketing.
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