Cause Marketing

In June I profiled Orkin's Fight the Bite campaign , which benefits the UN's effort called Nothing But Nets, a cause that purchases insecticide-treated mosquito nets for people in Africa so as to stave off malaria, a vicious killer on the continent. In the wake of that post, I asked Martha Craft, the VP of public relations and communications at Rollins, Inc., Orkin's parent company, to 'open the Kimono' on the campaign. Ms. Craft was kind enough to respond. 1. How did the campaign come about? Fight the Bite was a natural fit for Orkin because it directly relates to our business and our ongoing commitment to protect public health. This commitment is two-fold: 1) we have strategic partnerships with organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and 2) we educate our customers on the threats/risks that pests can pose. In 2007, we learned about the UN Foundation’s Nothing But Nets campaign – a global, grassroots effort to save lives by preve...

Research and experience demonstrate that cause marketing works best when customers can easily see and understand a logical fit between the company and the cause. Too often when I tell audiences this, I struggle to find good examples, although I can always think of really bad examples. Orkin’s Fight the Bite is a good example. When you buy Orkin’s mosquito service , the pest control franchise will make a $10 donation to Nothing But Nets. One hundred percent of each $10 donation will go to purchase and distribute insecticide treated mosquito nets to people in Africa. In 2008 Fight the Bite generated $135,000. Orkin has guaranteed a minimum of $150,000 in 2009. Malaria, which is transmitted by mosquitoes, infects 350-500 million people each year, and more than 1 million people die each year from the scourge. Ninety percent of deaths due to malaria happen in Africa , with a disproportionate share of the deaths occurring among young children. Estimates put the loss of GDP in Africa due to m...