IT Professionals: Would This Consumer Cause Marketing Ad Influence Your Buying Decisions?

Can you effectively advertise a consumer cause marketing campaign in a B2B publication? That’s the rhetorical question I had when I saw this ad in the September 29, 2010 of Information Week magazine.

B2B cause marketing can work. But this isn’t a B2B cause marketing promotion. Instead it’s basically the same consumer-driven transactional cause marketing campaign that Samsung has be doing through its Four Seasons of Hope, which has generated more than $20 million in charitable donations since its founding n 2002.

When you buy Samsung electronics at one of the regional retailers listed at the bottom of the ad, Samsung will donate a portion of the sales proceeds to the Dan Marino Foundation, which “provides integrated treatment programs, outreach services and research of chronic illnesses and developmental disabilities in children.”

It probably goes without saying that it's highly unusual to see business to consumer cause marketing advertised in a B2B publication.

So what’s Samsung doing advertising this in Information Week, whose mission is “to help CIOs and IT executives define and frame their business technology objectives.”

Maybe the agency that places Samsung’s advertising thinks that IT executives are more likely to participate in the promotion. Maybe they got the ad for free or for a bargain-basement price. Maybe Dan Marino’s green eyes and easy smile are so hypnotic that even IT guys can’t resist Samsung’s offer.

I’m anxious to hear your ideas. The funniest one gets a free subscription to Information Week magazine, my treat.

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