The Sponsor/Cause Match in Pink Ribbon Cause Marketing

Research and experience show that the match between the cause and the sponsor is an important determining factor in the success of the cause marketing campaign. There’s a few notable exceptions…namely when the cause and the sponsor are very well known. But, in general, the less time you have to spend explaining the relationship the better.

For instance, this campaign from Lula Lu and Save the Ta-Tas. When you buy one of Lula Lu’s Kallie Bras, the company will donate 10 percent of the sale to Save the Ta-Tas.

Lula Lu sells lingerie for petite women.

Save the Ta-Tas is a two-part brand. A for-profit entity sells merchandise with its name and logo. Five percent of each purchase and 10 percent of everything they license goes to the Save the Ta-Tas Foundation. The Foundation funnels the money to breast cancer research as advised and matched by the Concern Foundation.

Before ‘Eff’ Cancer came along, Save the Ta-Tas was the most irreverent brand in anti-cancer.

Now, Lula Lu isn’t breaking new ground here. Back in the day, bra brands like Madenform, Playtex, Bali, Warner’s, and the like, frequently did cause marketing efforts, although I haven’t seen one in a while.

You can understand why. Bras and breast cancer go together. No explanation is necessary. Plus, there’s a certain expectation built-into such strictly-feminine products. Much more so than, say, Ford and its longstanding relationship with Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

That said, Save the Ta-Tas is an interesting partner for Lula Lu because the cause is quite non-traditional. Unlike a cause like the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, Save the Ta-Tas is both a for-profit business and a nonprofit cause. Save the Ta-Tas and Lula Lu aren’t direct competitors. But they are indirect competitors. Plus, Lula Lu is putting a lot of trust in the placement of research dollars from the Concern Foundation.

I suspect Lula Lu just wanted to access some of that light-hearted cheek that pervades the Save the Ta-Tas brand.

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