Matching Cause and Sponsor in Cause Marketing

Today we return to the subject of matching cause and sponsor and cause marketing.

Without resurrecting every post I’ve written on the topic there’s basically seven approaches for sponsors…

Pick a cause that’s a direct fit: for instance, a restaurant or a grocery store sponsoring a food bank.
Pick a cause that’s an indirect but related fit: McDonald’s sponsorship of the Ronald McDonald House.
Pick a cause that’s meaningful to company stakeholders: Many sponsors of the various breast cancer charities fit this criteria.
Pick a cause that has tons of popular appeal: Target’s sponsorship of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is an example.
Split the baby and pick multiple charities but with a single theme. JC Penney focuses much of its giving on after-school causes, for instance.
Pick multiple charities without a unifying theme.
Pick a charity the CEO or executive staff likes.
Pick a charity for no rational reason.

Looking at this campaign from July 2009 benefiting Mother’s Against Drunk Driving, I’m not so sure that OXY, an over-the-counter acne treatment, doesn’t fall under approach number eight.

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