Cause Marketing

The Entertainment Industry Foundation , a federated charity founded in 1942 by Samuel Goldwyn, Humphrey Bogart, James Cagney, and the Warner Brothers, has always held a wonderful fascination for me. Nowadays you’re likely to know about the EIF because of the National Colorectal Cancer Research Alliance, co-founded by Katie Couric after the death of her husband Jay Monahan to colorectal cancer, and administered under the auspices of the Foundation. But EIF’s other major initiatives include their Women’s Cancer Programs, National Arts and Education Initiative, and Diabetes Aware. But IEF also has a number of other minor initiatives as well as donor-advised funds supervised by such luminaries as rockers the Blackeyed Peas, former Bondman Pierce Brosnan, the Animal Actors Guild (I can only assume Lassie barks her orders at board meetings), American Idol softy Randy Jackson, and others. Their mission statement goes like this: “The Entertainment Industry Foundation, as the leading charitable...

Web 2.0 Cause-Related Marketing Back in February I wrote about Project Pink a cause-related marketing campaign benefiting Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation from Munchkin, Inc. Now they’ve added a Web 2.0 twist. “Munchkin Inc.,” I wrote makes innovative products for parents, children and pets.” They started their support of Komen because “Serena Gillespie, the wife of the company’s vice president of marketing, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 at tender age of 31. She had two children under age four at the time.” “The privately-held company rallied around Serena and her husband Doug Gillespie. But they went a step further and developed a cause-related marketing campaign with two goals. One goal was to raise money for the cause. But the larger goal was to encourage young mothers to get screened for breast cancer.” Before now, Munchkin’s campaign “made use of pink bath ducks which were available in stores and online for $2.99. They chose ducks for their double-meaning, a remi...