Cause Marketing

Comments I made to the Los Angeles Times small business reporter Cyndia Zwahlen about cause-related marketing and small business were published in yesterday's paper. My experience with the LA Times online edition is that articles don't stay around for very long, so I'm going to excerpt a part of it below. For as long as it's up, you can read it here . Finally, tip of the hat to Jennifer Staplelton at Bread for the World, a member of the cause-releated marketing GoogleGroup . How can you make sure that your good intentions lead to good results?" They have to do the same thing they do with their cash flow; they have to manage it," said Paul Jones, a cause-related marketing consultant and principal at Alden Keene & Associates in Sandy, Utah. He also writes a blog on the subject. As with any business strategy, skimping on planning or the tactical steps probably will result in disappointment for the small business and the charity. To avoid that, here are tip...

On May 16 Oliver’s Artisan Breads in Los Angeles announced that it will donate 10 percent of net profits from their store line of breads to the Bread for the World Institute , the first case of a CRM campaign benefiting an advocacy and public policy charity I can think of. Oliver’s Artisan Breads sells a line of organic bread in stores like Whole Foods and Wild Oats ( which have merged ) in Arizona, California, Hawaii, Oregon, southwestern Nevada and Washington state. The term of the agreement is for one year with an option to renew. Oliver’s has guaranteed an undisclosed minimum donation. The money will go to support the Bread for the World Institute, a 501(c)(3) public charity division of Bread for the World. Bread for the World is an advocacy group, a “nationwide Christian movement that seeks justice for the world’s hungry people by the lobbying our nation’s decision-makers.” The Bread for the World Institute has more of public policy bent, engaging “in research and education on ...