Doing good. Distilled.
As the business of doing good becomes more of a standard practice, many companies are adding Cause Marketing to their tactical mix. Conversations in Cause Marketing is focused on helping marketing and business professionals understand the important distinctions between cause marketing, cause-related marketing and corporate social responsibility in meeting their objectives, and will highlight those who are effectively engaging in these activities. This series will also serve as a forum to share thoughts, insights and best practices in creating a blueprint for successfully integrating your product or service with a relevant cause to achieve maximum results.
Marcello Manca, VP & General Manager, UL Environment
Marcello Manca is Vice President & General Manager of UL Environment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories (UL), a global leader in product testing and safety certification for more than a century. UL Environment (ULE) was launched in January 2009, and the organization has more than doubled in size over the past year. Read on for Marcello’s insights into the future of environmental standards setting and claims making.
John Laumer: What is UL Environment and what does it do?
Marcello Manca:UL Environment is an environmental evaluation company which provides independent confirmation of claims, certification to standards, and develops standards to provide transformation to the marketplace.
We are:
• A part of the UL family of companies.
• A local business with global capabilities.
• Interested in helping companies bring products to market.
• A trusted source for environmental information.
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield November 5th, 2009View Comments
I haven’t been blogging too much ’round these parts lately, mostly because I’ve been busy creating the types of videos and films I’m about to feature, but Liberty Mutual’s latest short, “Good Vibrations” made me stop in my tracks so I decided to make the time to share it with all of you. (No need to thank me.)
It’s part of their Responsibility Project to get consumers to act more responsibly. Obviously, it serves an insurance company well to have responsible policy holders, but if you look deeper, you’ll realize that these messages, ensconced in entertainment, actually serve the greater good, too.
The video below had me positively riveted for the full four minutes, a mix of that awkward laughter that unexpectedly bursts out when someone trips and the cringe of the inevitable guilt that follows. It’s funny and sweet, and leaves you newly inspired to keep the karmic flow of the universe going.
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield October 26th, 2009View Comments
Over the summer, I featured a remarkable woman, Sloane Berrent as part of my Philanthropy in Five series, who has literally dedicated her life to doing good, spreading good and seeing the good in others. It’s rare to find someone who walks the walk and talks the talk, but Sloane definitely puts her money where her mouth is — or, in this case, where her birthday cake is!
This year, to commemorate the big 3-0, Sloane, along with her friend, Doug Campbell, who was also turning 30 within days of her birthday (October 3rd and 5th, respectively), decided they wanted to do something memorable that not only celebrated life and the beginning of their 30s, but also included a strong charitable component. Both are avid social change agents, Doug most known for a worldwide tour raising money for nonprofits called ‘The Tuxedo Travels’ and Sloane whose latest cause adventure took her to the rural Phillipines for a 3-month fellowship with the microlending nonprofit, KIVA, so a cause campaign was a no brainer for this dynamic duo of do-goodery.
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield September 11th, 2009View Comments
A few weeks ago, I featured Walden University’s new advertising campaign, centering around their social change-focused brand positioning: “A higher degree. A higher purpose.” I was instantly struck by their TV spot because they put their money where their tagline is in demonstrating the end result of a Walden University degree, and spotlighting the change that is possible when you choose an institution aimed at serving the greater good.
The goal is to attract like-minded individuals whose core values align with Walden’s, and they are, in turn, committed to equipping those agents of change with the practical tools they’ll need toward becoming the leaders of tomorrow. The campaign is inspirational without coming off cheesy, so I decided to learn more about the vision behind it in an informative interview with President, Jon Kaplan. And with the level of dedication they put forth in facilitating avenues for positive change, the next time you meet someone who’s making a difference, they may just have a Walden University diploma hanging on their wall.
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield August 25th, 2009View Comments
There’s no denying that there are few things more influential than Hollywood. From blockbuster movies to TV shows to the latest in celebrity fashion, these things inform popular culture, and leave an emotional impact on us. So, imagine the vast possibilities of harnessing the power of the entertainment industry to generate awareness of important social and environmental issues and make a difference. The American Red Cross recognizes the tremendous opportunity to seize a mainstream audience through entertainment, and in partnership with the CW’s promotions for their new series, ‘The Vampire Diaries,’ they are launching a full scale blood drive. The campaign’s tagline is ‘Starve a Vampire. Donate Blood.’ and will “take place on more than 230 high school and college campuses around the country,” according to Stephanie Millian, director for biomedical communications at the Red Cross in Washington.
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield August 7th, 2009View Comments
Rob Robinson helping clean-up Mtn. Agamenticus in York, Maine at Tom's of Maine Mission Day, July 2009.
Tom’s of Maine is one of those companies that’s a shining example of social responsibility done right. It’s never been about flavor-of-the-month cause marketing or flashy ad campaigns or even gimmicky product extensions like bubble-gum flavored toothpaste. It’s always been about quality products, customer service and a core mission to giving back. And they are extending that commitment through a community-driven cause marketing initiative that gives their customers an opportunity to directly help their favorite charity. Tom’s is putting up $100,000 to be evenly distributed to 5 charities across the 50 states, submitted and voted on by customers.
I particularly like this campaign because it gives exposure to not just one random company-selected charity, but hundreds of worthy organizations where the submitting users have a deep, personal connection to the cause. It also helps build the local community by giving customers relevant causes to support right in their own backyard. And with a universe of users logging on to vote, they’re also getting exposed to a world of charities in need, so Tom’s of Maine becomes the benefactor of raising consciousness overall. Even the charities who aren’t awarded the $20K grant will still receive valuable exposure among consumers through visibility on the website during the voting process. It all seems too good to be true. Where’s the catch? So, being the cause marketing sleuth that I am, I reached out to Tom’s of Maine to determine if this campaign is really as good as it seems, and my conversation with Rob Robinson, Director of Common Goods Partnerships proved that it is as authentic as it is aspirational. And 100% catch-free.
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield July 21st, 2009View Comments
Follow @TheChildFund to Donate Gifts to Kids Around the World Nonprofits have had much success harnessing the power of the social web (specifically, Twitter) in generating awareness for their causes and motivating action. From Stacey Monk’s Tweetsgiving initiative to the multi-location Twestivals, and countless campaigns in between, Twitter has become a viable cause marketing channel for building communities around important social issues and causes. To tap into this viral mecca in promoting their new name, Child Fund International created an online giving program where all users have to do is follow them on Twitter to help children in need.
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield July 16th, 2009View Comments
A “plant-a-tree” campaign doesn’t necessarily leap to mind as the pinnacle in innovative cause marketing. In fact, when I first heard about Government Solutions Group, a company that facilitates cause-related marketing between brands and state parks, it conjured images of elementary school students filing into fields with their seedlings tucked inside paper cups for a group planting. I had no idea of the magnitude of GSG’s work and how strategically sound their programs are in authentically uniting brands with a cause that literally touches every community, every generation and just about every environmental issue you can think of from water to wildlife. Shari Boyer, CEO, took some time to expand my view on state park programs, and share her unique insights on how to effectively align your brand with a cause that’s as close as your own backyard.
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield July 6th, 2009View Comments
Over the weekend, I caught a commercial for Walden University, one of the many online education institutions that’s popped over the past decade. But unlike the other universities that boast the benefits attending classes online and accelerated degree programs, Walden focuses on cultivating the social change leaders of tomorrow.
Their new positioning, “A higher degree. A higher purpose.” is designed to attract those who want to make a difference in the world, and the 60-second spot focuses on the traits of those whom embody this mindset and the changes students can make using their Walden degree.
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield July 1st, 2009View Comments
Last week I featured Greenwala founder, Rajeev Kapur in my Philanthropy in Five series, and I was impressed with his goals for the site as well as his ideas for helping to push eco consciousness into the mainstream in fun, creative ways. Well, he just rolled out one such endeavor with “Greenwala Contests,” a series of contests designed to actively engage consumers on important causes and environmental issues.
“We implemented this contest platform not just to give away prizes, but to get people to engage and think about Green in a way that is fun and not doom and gloom,” explained Rajeev. “The real important piece to the overall experience, however, is the unique supporting of causes. One of the premises that Greenwala was founded on is that of social responsibility. That if we, as a society, help those helping others, not only will we be greener, but we will also live richer and more fulfilling lives.”
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield June 30th, 2009View Comments
This month, Hamburger Helper launched their ‘Land A Helping Hand’ campaign in partnership with Feeding America, featuring Beyonce as their official celebrity spokesperson. Causes often use celebs and high profile figures as a way to reach the mainstream market and quickly generate mass exposure, so I wasn’t all that surprised to see the golden-flocked femme fatale of hip hop flash across my screen. But the commercial looks more like an ad for America’s Next Top Model or one of those artsy shoots for The Gap than a charitable cause, and if you view it quickly, you likely won’t even know that it has anything to do with Hamburger Helper, let alone Feeding America or the growing hunger crisis in this country.
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield June 29th, 2009View Comments
Last week, Cone Inc., the leader in cause branding, research and innovation, in partnership with Intangible Business, unveiled their latest study,”‘The Nonprofit Power Brand 100,” marking a departure from more traditional financially-valuated rankings. This first-of-its-kind research explores the unique relationship between nonprofit brand image and financial performance, and revealed that some organizations may be leaving millions of dollars in potential unearned revenue on the table. This proprietary new brand valuation is aimed at providing nonprofits with the information – and inspiration – they need to make their brands work harder.
“Through this valuation, we want to help nonprofits better understand how to protect and evolve their brands to generate as much revenue as possible,” says Alison DaSilva, Executive Vice President of Knowledge Leadership and Insights at Cone. “Valuing their brands gives them a license to demonstrate to companies and other partners that there is an established and justified cost to aligning with their organization.”
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield June 25th, 2009View Comments
This week, the blogosphere was a buzz with the launch of Alice.com, a direct-to-consumer start-up committed to helping you never run out of toilet paper again. And a whole bunch of other consumer packaged good items that are always a hassle to run out to the store for. From Tech Crunch to Mashable to Venture Beat, and just about every other blog in my Google Reader, the new Alice.com brand was splattered all over the news.
But I had the advantage of knowing (read: being a complete and total fan of) Rebecca Thorman, a brilliant writer, observer and Gen Y entrepreneur who just happens to be the in-house marketing superhero at Alice.com. And yes, a Gen Xer can be a fan of a Gen Yer.
About a month ago, she got my attention (yet again). But this time, not for her no-holds-barred insights on social media or masterfully poignant posts; it was for a cause marketing campaign she was running as part of the pre-launch efforts for Alice.com. So, rather than tout all of the benefits of the service that the tech set have already duplicated ten times over covered, I decided to chat with Rebecca about the cause marketing initiative and Alice.com’s plans to bake social good and consciousness into their ongoing plans. Hey, I write a cause marketing series – what did you expect?
Posted by Gennefer Snowfield June 10th, 2009View Comments
It’s no secret that Microsoft is often on my list as examples of big corporations still wrapped in an old way of thinking under the guise of faux consciousness. And I haven’t been overly impressed with Microsoft’s innovation platform or social responsibility efforts… until now. With the launch of their new decision engine (and the hefty 7-figure advertising budget that goes with it), bada BING, they finally seem to be getting it. Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
At first I was skeptical of an ad spend in the multi-millions to promote Bing, but now that they’re using a sizable portion of it to give back, Mr. Gates is starting to sway me. Plus, their integration with video and entertainment experiences also hints at things to come. Could the pocket-protector wearing PC geek protecting his piggy bank finally be re-emerging as the charismatic captain of the football team with the coolness factor and a philanthropic spirit?
NY: Mar. 24 FT Investing in a Sustainable Future - Learn how investors are using new techniques to generate returns on responsible investments and hear about the latest trends in CSR activities.
SF: Apr. 14-16 Navigating the American Carbon World - Looking at the status of climate policy in 2010 and how climate initiatives will move forward with or without new policy.
Chicago Apr. 28-29 LCA Sustainable Supply Chain USA How To Measure, Prioritize And Reduce Social And Environmental Impacts In The Most Effective Manner
SF: May 20-21 Microfinance USA 2010 - The place where microfinance practitioners, investors, and enthusiasts meet.
Monterey: Jun. 7-10 Sustainable Brands 2010 - Explore The Power of "And" at this year's highly anticipated SB10 conference - a 3p favorite since it's inception. Join more than 700 business and brand strategists, designers and sustainability executives for three days of extraordinary conversation.
July 29-30 GRI Certified Sustainability Reporting Course - Get the tools needed to fully assess the sustainability of business activities and to reduce the negative impacts of day-to-day operations.
LA: Sept. 1-2 Women in Green Forum - Recognizing the achievements of women across the vast range of environmental industry sectors.
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Posted by Gennefer Snowfield November 5th, 2009
I haven’t been blogging too much ’round these parts lately, mostly because I’ve been busy creating the types of videos and films I’m about to feature, but Liberty Mutual’s latest short, “Good Vibrations” made me stop in my tracks so I decided to make the time to share it with all of you. (No need to thank me.)
Nonprofits have had much success harnessing the power of the social web (specifically, Twitter) in generating awareness for their causes and motivating action. From Stacey Monk’s 
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