A New Generation Marketer

After reading David Hessekiel’s article on AdAge on the Most Influential Cause Marketing Campaigns and speaking with @JoeWaters, blogger for selfishgiving.com , I was inspired to comment on how cause marketing is evolving today with the help of social media and word-of-mouth.

I think cause marketing campaigns are an amazing way to gain public support for your profit or non-profit’s initiatives. And with the emergence of social media outlets to disseminate information, it seems like a perfect opportunity to combine the two. In addition, Generation Y consumers can be the ambassadors of these efforts, if done properly.

We are a generation that likes to stand out and make a change for the better. We tend to get criticized for being ‘misinformed’ or ‘uncaring’ about hot topics of news, but that is not the case. We just may not have the same passions and interests as others. If you have a campaign that we would be affected by, such as green energy or healthy eating efforts, we will be much more willing to support and spread the world about your organization’s humanitarian project.

A very recent example of cause marketing was the Red Cross’ mobile marketing campaign to raise funds to assist Haiti. $20 million was raised within a week through social media and mobile advertising alone. Mashable reported about the amazing outpour of support with an interview with the Red Cross. “The speed and quantity with which the American public retweeted and posted to Facebook the need for donations to help with relief efforts in Haiti was (for anything we’ve seen at the Red Cross) unprecedented” reported Wendy Harman, American Red Cross’ social media manager.

Another recent example of cause marketing which I find very captivating and interesting is Pepsi’s Refresh program. They use younger consumers in their ads, play interesting music, and make a clear link to the website campaign. This flawless integration of Internet, social, and mainstream media to reach all generations, and Generation Y in particular, has allowed it to become a much-discussed project. What do you think of their program?

(From YouTube) You’ll notice if you visit their website for this campaign, there is a prominent link to share this great cause, hence social cause marketing.

Another great cause marketing campaign that is supported by word-of-mouth is Nike and Lance Armstrong combining to create a powerful campaign that has been socially advocated for years. This commercial was found on YouTube.

The ownership of Livestrong bracelets skyrocketed a few years ago and everyone was talking about the cause and selling bracelets. This shows the power of influencers and buzz in regards to supporting a meaningful cause.

What are some of your favorite cause marketing efforts? Do you think social media advocates can help advance these projects?