Cause Marketing Best Practices

1 to 1 Magazine has an article by Jeremy Nedelka on best practices in cause marketing.  I was just struggling with this issue so appreciated his list of 5 cause marketing best practices for how to appeal to socially aware consumers:

1. Set goals - set objective and success measurement criteria
    - Employee Morale
    - Branding
    - Sales

2. Community Resources - Think about how to engage your customers and possibly encourage celebrity participation.   Dedicated resources are required to ensure sound implementation including budgeting.

3. Find a Link - It should only take customers 3 seconds to make a link between the company and the cause.  In the case of Mimeo.com, an online printer, environmental issues and recycling are obvious choices.

4. Search for models - Emulate successful approaches from other companies.  Nekelda points out how Amex asks customers for projects to fund.

5. Expect Results - Demonstrate that customers chose your company because of its approach to cause marketing.