The Super Bowl XLVII just got wrapped up with the Baltimore Ravens pinning down the 49ers in a close call 34-31 face off. As always Super Bowl is the "mecca" of marketing brands who get a launch pad like none other all season.

Speculations were rife that the sought after "commercial slot" viewed by millions of football fans all over America, did not suffice the cause marketing agenda too well.

What's this cause marketing we speak of?

Cause marketing is not a new concept by any standards. To put it simply it is the conscious association of a "pro-profit" business enterprise with a cause-based organization. The relative advantage of such a partnership is obviously a "feel-good" tag that helps brands promote themselves better, while the cause in question gets some limelight of its own.

To draw a simple analogy, consumers are real takers for those business brands that are socially devoted. It is rather a two-way process. While the brands gets visibility among the target audiences, the consumers too can proudly say that they "did something good".

Well not exactly. CSR comes with its own dog-tags attached.

In most cases, CSR is a mandatory company policy that is engaged in to avoid tax liabilities by corporations while doing some social good in the backdrop. Cause marketing is more of a choice that harks upon a prudent business promotion strategy.

The bottomline, however, is that both CSR and Cause marketing are risky ploys to engage. It can literally make or break company reputations.

Here is some wisdom that we would love to share in this regard:

1. The first thing to keep in mind while entering a cause marketing project is the nature of your business. Causes aside, compatibility of your business typology and the welfare measure that is being championed, is very important. Why? The simple reason being that unless the consumers see a logical reasoning between what they are buying from you and a larger cause that you might be associated with, they simply won't give it a go-ahead. Money or donations are not the only ways of supporting a cause; mass involvement and consciousness drive help a cause.

2. A closely related pointer in the schema is how committed your collaborative partner is. Cause marketing is but a extension of the cause that reflects the firms conviction in it. Unless the company whole-heartedly believes in what cause it is promoting, it will not ring the right bells for the consumers. The thing to remember is that the firm is loaded with a dual task here - promoting their own product/brand and the cause in itself. This calls for an unwavering commitment, not just logistical help.

3.Having said these things, the larger success of the project involves accountability at all levels. Opacity cannot be the adage since it involves finacial transactions. An open marketing policy i.e how and where the money collected will be invested, needs to be there - "Put it on price tags, marketing materials, everywhere". Moreover in the age of social media boom, doing this is no difficult task.

Every business needs to actively involve with the larger society. Profits come and go but customer base is what keeps a business running. Moreover such promotion tactics help bridge the gap between the firms and their clients.

So are you ready to be a cause marketing business too?

Tell us by leaving a comment in the section below.

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