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How to Change the World Marketing For Good By Marie Elwood, Brand Marketing Consultant  November 2, 2010 - Speed Dial Issue 55

... secrets that every marketing professional must know to build brand awareness, customer loyalty, lasting success.

I’ll share those secrets with you in a moment. But to make these insights and implications even more vivid, let's begin with case studies on two very different charitable causes: the American response to breast cancer, and
Peace One Day, a global humanitarian initiative.
 

CASE STUDY #1: THE AMERICAN RESPONSE TO BREAST CANCER

There are two reasons why breast cancer is one of the most popular charitable causes in the US:

	The incidence of the disease and
	The success of the marketing strategies that have been used to support breast cancer initiatives.

The Incidence of Breast Cancer: Strength in Numbers

Breast cancer gets such a large degree of attention because of how prevalent it has become in the US. The sheer number of breast cancer cases provides the opportunity for the disease to become a high-profile cause. According to the American Cancer Society:

	The US has the highest incidence rates of breast cancer in the world.
	Breast cancer is the second-most prevalent cancer (after skin cancer).
	Breast cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death (after lung cancer).
	Breast cancer is about 100 times more common in women than it is in men.

The Role of Marketing in Raising Breast Cancer Awareness

But the numbers alone don’t account for why breast cancer charities have become so visible. While breast cancer
claims the lives of over 40,000 Americans every year:

	Heart disease kills ten times as many women as breast cancer.
	Women are more likely to contract skin cancer than breast cancer.
	Lung cancer has a higher mortality rate than breast cancer.

Breast cancer receives such strong national attention is due to marketing initiatives that have been leveraged in support of the cause over the past 35 years. Who are the brand champions behind breast cancer awareness, and what insights can we gain from their marketing experiences?


Insights Into the Modern Breast Cancer Movement

As prevalent as the breast cancer awareness movement is at this time, the openness with which the disease is addressed is actually a modern phenomenon in America. Forty years ago, breast cancer would not have been considered an appropriate topic for polite conversation, much less a national dialogue.

The change in America’s approach to breast cancer began with three women, all of whom are still alive today:

	Betty Ford
	Nancy G. Brinker
	Evelyn Lauder

Nancy G. Brinker

Nancy G. Brinker Created the   Biggest Brand in Breast Cancer

In 1982, Nancy G. Brinker created the Susan G. Komen Foundation in honor of her sister Susan, who had just lost her battle with breast cancer. According to www.komen.org, Brinker’s work began “with $200 and a shoebox of friends’ names to call on for help.” The Susan G. Komen Foundation is now the largest breast cancer charity in the world, with over $1.5 billion raised to fight the disease.

Whether intentionally or not, Brinker has also created the biggest brand name in breast cancer: the Susan G. Komen Foundation Race for the Cure. A study conducted by my firm, Avalaunche, confirms this assertion. When asked to mention an organization associated with breast cancer:

	Over 63% named the Susan G. Komen Foundation (unaided awareness).
	The Susan G. Komen Foundation was mentioned almost six times more frequently than any other breast cancer-related charity (“pink” & “pink ribbons” were the next most popular answers).

How did she do it? As a marketing strategy consultant, I attribute these three factors to Brinker’s early success:

- Leveraging a Trend. The jogging craze of the late 70s and early 80s was in full force when Brinker
  launched the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Observing this, she organized a 5K run in 1983 with
  a compelling name & clear focus- - “The Race for the Cure”- - that attracted 800 runners in Dallas, Texas.

- Understanding a Sociological Phenomenon. The initial Race for the Cure events were open to female
  runners & walkers only. Why did this make a difference to Brinker's early success? At the time, American
  women were surging into the workplace and chipping away at the “glass ceiling” that prevented them
  from rising into higher ranks of public & private enterprise. Women were experiencing a renewed sense of
  empowerment and sisterhood- - a feeling that they and their causes deserved to be heard, rallied around,
  and fought for. The Race for the Cure became an expression of this sociological shift.

- Choosing a Consistent Focus. From the very beginning, Brinker did one thing and did it well:
  a 5K run/walk whose proceeds would be donated to the fight against breast cancer. As it expanded
  from city to city and country to country, the Race for the Cure never deviated from this core concept.
  It is now the world’s largest series of 5K runs/walks, with nearly 2 million participants every year.

Evelyn Lauder 

The Breast Cancer Movement in America - With Success Comes New Challenges

Pink has become an instantly-recognizable branding tool used by individuals and organizations to symbolize their association with the breast cancer movement. Many charities fly under the pink banner, including the Susan G. Komen Foundation, National Breast Cancer Foundation, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, the American Cancer Society, BreastCancer.org, and the American Breast Cancer Foundation- - just to name a few.

While pink has a powerful association with breast cancer support, it has blurred the distinctions between the charities themselves. To prove this point, test yourself: can you match the corporate sponsor with the charity it supports? 

Lack of Differentiation/ Positioning Problems

As the quiz above illustrates, it can be extremely difficult for the average consumer to identify which breast cancer-related charity a particular company is supporting. It can be inferred that:

	Aside from linking pink to the fight against breast cancer, most consumers have no idea which specific charity a corporate sponsor is aligned with.
	In breast cancer promotions, the corporate sponsor gets recognition, the general “fight against breast cancer” gets recognition, but the specific breast cancer charity itself remains largely anonymous.

A high degree of awareness is a good thing for breast cancer in general, but it presents a problem for the numerous breast cancer charities that are not well-known or top of mind. The results from our October 2010 survey are sobering. Given the question, “when you think of ‘breast cancer charities’, which organization or organizations come to mind”, our respondents gave the following answers:

	Susan G. Komen Foundation or Race for the Cure: 63%
	“Pink” or “Pink Ribbons”: 11%
	“None”: 5.5%
	American Cancer Society: 3.5%
	Avon Walk: 2%
	Miscellaneous (each response mentioned only once): 14%

  Source: Avalaunche Survey, October 28 - November 2, 2010, n=82.

For non-profit organizations with obligations to their employees and funding recipients, this lack of differentiation is cause for concern. Breast cancer awareness is high; unaided awareness of specific breast cancer charities- - besides the Susan G. Komen Foundation- - is alarmingly low.
 

“Pinkwashing”

Corporate support for breast cancer causes is based upon a simple premise: pink sells. Consider the results from this 2008 Cone/Duke University Behavioral Study:

	When price and quality are equal, 79% of Americans will switch brands to support a cause they believe in.
	Cause-related marketing initiatives can increase incremental sales by as much as 74%.

With no guidelines for any company wanting to use pink to demonstrate its participation in the breast cancer movement, there is an opportunity for some corporations to take advantage of consumer goodwill by “pinkwashing”- - making trivial donations to breast cancer funding in exchange for disproportionate bumps in sales.

The media and watchdog organizations like www.thinkbeforeyoupink.org have begun covering “pinkwashing” more aggressively, highlighting perceived issues with:

	Yoplait, whose parent company agreed to donate ten cents for every yogurt lid sent back in to the corporation- - but the postage stamp required to do so costs more than four times that much.
	Swiffer, whose per-product donation was so low (two cents per package) that ‘Newsweek’ contributor Joan Raymond quickly determined that she would need to purchase 500 Swiffers in order for Swiffer’s parent company to make a $10 donation to breast cancer research.
	The Susan G. Komen Foundation, which is now aligned with more than 200 corporate sponsors, for being willing to associate itself with fast-food outlet KFC (obesity is a risk factor in the incidence of breast cancer).

Despite isolated incidents, “pinkwashing” does not seem to be a pervasive issue nor a major concern for consumers. As long as no high-profile abuses occur in rapid succession, “pinkwashing” is not likely to dampen consumer support for breast cancer charities.

“Slacktivism”

It’s a powerful cycle- - the more awareness and support there is for breast cancer initiatives, the more likely corporate sponsors are to become involved... which in turn drives consumer awareness further... which once again increases how appealing it can be for companies to use pink to sell their products and services.

Eventually, however, there must be a saturation point, a point where consumers are lulled into thinking that a problem has been ‘covered’ sufficiently- - and it can be hypothesized that America is reaching that point.

As Samantha King, a professor at Queens University and author of ‘ Pink Ribbons, Inc.’ points out, “People often say to me, ‘I’m really busy, and this is something small I can do.’ But the problem is, it’s not really clear what kind of positive effect it’s having overall.”

When slacktivism occurs and individuals reduce their active support of a cause, the financial implications have serious ramifications for charitable organizations: “four percent of the charitable dollars given out in this country come from the corporate world; roughly 75% come from individuals”, notes Ken Berger, the president of Charity Navigator. For mature charitable causes like breast cancer, this means a continual challenge to find ways to re-energize their supporters.

Breast Cancer Awareness in America - Summary

In less than 40 years, the breast cancer movement in the US has made significant strides. The incidence of the disease as well as the marketing initiatives charitable organizations have pursued have made breast cancer awareness a high-profile cause. Thanks to the efforts of pioneers like Betty Ford, Nancy G. Brinker, and Evelyn Lauder, who have attracted national attention, added strong brands, and secured financial support for their movement, American breast cancer charities have much to celebrate.

We’ve examined the journey breast cancer awareness has experienced in the US while also reviewing some of the challenges it now faces as a mature, highly-visible cause. Our attention now shifts to a considerably different case study, as we explore the issues faced by a young, relatively-unknown charity as it attempts to achieve the incredibly difficult goal of widespread global awareness.

CASE STUDY # 2: PEACE ONE DAY – A WORLD-WIDE HUMANITARIAN INITIATIVE 

An Introduction to Peace One Day

When Avalaunche surveyed adults from the US, the UK, South Africa, Ireland, India, Japan, Canada, & Australia on October 28 - November 2, 2010, only one person out of 82 was aware of Peace One Day. To make this case study and its accompanying insights become more vivid for you, click here to watch Gilley describe his vision, deliver humanitarian aid, and enlist the support of Kofi Annan, the Dalai Lama, Angelina Jolie, Sir Paul McCartney, others:

Click Here to View Video 

Idealistic Vision, Pragmatic Successes
With ‘world peace’ as a motivator, it would be easy to dismiss Gilley as a naive dreamer and Peace One Day as an idealistic endeavor with little hope of success… until you see this list of real-world accomplishments:

	Over four million children in Afghanistan have received polio vaccinations
	20,000 children in China, India, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Uganda, Tanzania, Nigeria and more have been vaccinated against measles, diptheria, tuberculosis, and other life-threatening diseases
	Insecticide-treated mosquito nets were distributed to 600,000 children in Congo
	60 tons of food have been delivered to Sudan
	One million people in rural Africa have been provided with pumps for clean water
	Wheelchairs & shoes have been distributed to residents of Georgia and Tajikistan
	100 families received new homes in Mongolia
	And the list continues: http://www.peaceoneday.org/en/savinglives/life-saving-activity-archive

“It’s not a pipe dream, it’s a reality”, asserts UNICEF UK Ambassador for Humanitarian Emergencies Martin Bell Obe.
 On September 21, 2010, the day I first learned about Peace One Day,

	88 humanitarian or life-saving activities
	were undertaken by 28 organizations
	in 31 countries- - all in support of the International Day of Peace.

Awareness - The Primary Problem for Peace One Day

Even so, there is very limited awareness of this organization on a world-wide basis. As Avalaunche's October 2010 survey suggests, Peace One Day is virtually unknown: although one person had heard of the organization, 95% of our respondents were certain that they had never heard of Peace One Day, and the remaining 4% were “not sure.” Source: Avalaunche Survey, October 28 - November 2, 2010, n=82.

Clearly, the main challenge facing Peace One Day at this juncture is widespread awareness. Gilley’s vision is for the International Day of Peace to become “institutionalized”, like Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day, so that “practical action”
can take place every September 21st.

So how can this occur?

An Action Plan for Building Awareness

Gilley has used the learnings from his interview with Dr. Rivers to focus Peace One Day’s marketing efforts into four areas targeted towards building widespread awareness and reaching that 15-20% tipping point on a global scale:

	Entertainment (film and music)
	Football (soccer)
	Youth Education
	Social Media Initiatives

Entertainment 

Football

Whether rich or poor, most countries around the world are madly enthusiastic about football. Like Nancy G. Brinker and her Race for the Cure, Gilley has made the decision to tap into this sports phenomenon and to go where the people are. He created the “One Day, One Goal” program, which is designed to bring people from different communities and backgrounds together to play matches in honor of the International Day of Peace

One Day, One Goal is working. In 2010 alone, over 3,000 matches were played in more than 200 countries.

An important outcome of the “One Day, One Goal” idea is that it attracted a major corporate sponsor for the Peace One Day organization. Puma is lending its marketing muscle to the charity, as shown in the video below:

Education

Social Media

The final component of Gilley’s four-part awareness initiative has been the use of social media. Peace One Day has created a sophisticated website & over 170 YouTube videos, all designed to encourage viral marketing & grass-roots participation.

A Movement Gaining Momentum

The initiatives that Peace One Day has been leveraging over the past five years have been building upon one another slowly and steadily, and the organization is now beginning to see a certain level of momentum.

In the early years, Peace One Day made small humanitarian strides on a rather piecemeal basis. A major breakthrough was Peace One Day’s partnership with the United Nations. When the Taliban finally agreed to honor a September 21 cease-fire and to allow polio vaccinations to be given free of charge to Afghan children, Peace One Day achieved increased credibility and viability. As a result:

	Other organizations, like Habitat for Humanity, World Food Program, and Star Syringe joined forces with Peace One Day to concentrate their efforts on humanitarian efforts on September 21st
	Additional corporate sponsors, like Coca-Cola and Skype, signed on to lend financial support and promote Peace One Day’s message.

 

INSIGHTS & IMPLICATIONS FOR EVERY MARKETING PROFESSIONAL

Introduction

As an Atlanta-based marketing strategy consultant, I’ve identified seven secrets to success in cause-related marketing as a result of my exploration of the American breast cancer movement and Peace One Day’s efforts to obtain global awareness.

While these insights & implications are especially applicable to charitable causes & non-profit organizations, marketing professionals in the private sector will be able to adapt them to their own business challenges as well.

THE SEVEN SECRETS TO CAUSE-MARKETING SUCCESS:

1) Become a Brand Champion. One of the first factors successful causes share is passionate, visionary leadership. Brinker, Lauder, and Gilley have campaigned tirelessly for their organizations. Their enthusiasm has attracted the support of other corporate leaders, celebrity endorsements, and millions of motivated invidivuals.

Brand champions are also key to success in the private sector. My favorite example of a brand hero in action is my client Scott Weisenbeck of Hormel. I worked with a talented team of consumer insights and brand management professionals at Hormel to develop an exciting new product initiative made with no additives or preservatives, but it was Scott who tirelessly championed Hormel Natural Choice again and again until it became a reality in the marketplace. Natural Choice has been a significant addition to Hormel’s portfolio, adding millions of dollars to the company’s bottom line year after year… but it wouldn’t have happened without Scott Weisenbeck.

2) Be Consistent. The second key to success in cause-related marketing is to be consistent. Consistency is expressed in three ways: visual communication, verbal communication, and by creating an “expectation” in the minds of your audience.

- Visual communication. Just like the pink ribbon has done for breast cancer awareness, the development of a powerful logo or brand treatment can trigger instant brand awareness.

- Verbal communication. In a cluttered marketplace, you need to get your message across quickly and simply, just like the Susan G. Komen Foundation does with the “Race for the Cure.” Your tagline doesn't necessarily need to be clever... it just always needs to be clear. The approach taken by www.godspeaks.com is an excellent example of this approach.

- Creating an Ongoing Expectation. Consistency also means establishing a ritual, routine, or ongoing sense of recognition in the minds of your target audience. What kind of race does the Susan G. Komen Foundation put on? A 5k. When? Every year. When is Peace Day? Every September 21st. What sort of billboard God Speaks will use next? Black with white lettering.

3) Be Patient. As prevalent as breast cancer awareness is in the United States, it’s important to remember that this level of visibility is the result of several decades-worth of work. Most causes take years to mature or “institutionalize”, as Dr. Rivers reminded Gilley in his discussion of the time required to reach a ‘tipping point.’

Non-profit organizations have an advantage over corporations in this respect. The private sector is all too often short-sighted as it tries to please the financial markets. For inspiration, see how Kellogg’s patience with Kashi has paid off with ongoing line extensions and an enthusiastic, expanding consumer base.

4) Be a System-Builder. To gain momentum for your cause, begin by doing one thing and doing it well. Work out all the kinks so it can become a turn-key effort for your supporters.

Consider how the Race for the Cure is now a smooth, well-oiled machine; it is almost a "franchise" in the cities where it is held from year to year. With the help of Puma, Gilley is trying to turn his ‘One Day, One Goal’ initiative into a self-sustaining event as well. In the corporate world, General Mills’ Box Tops for Education and Campbell Soup’s Labels for Education are excellent examples of this principle in action. These programs have been successfully leveraged for decades, building loyalty for the brands they support.

Once you’ve identified these core aspirations, you need to encourage specific actions using clear, simple directives, just as Peace One Day has begun to do in considerable detail on its website.

6) Be Careful in Your Selection of Partners. One of the smartest things Peace One Day is doing to increase global awareness is to make strategic partnerships with other non-profit organizations as well as corporate sponsors. These synergistic efforts can create a breakthrough message that reaches far beyond the efforts of a single organization.

It is critical to exercise caution in selecting your alliances, however. The halo of goodwill the Susan G. Komen foundation has earned has been tarnished slightly by some of its recent choices. As marketing professor Khaled Aboulnasr remarked in a 10/31/10 USA Today article on 'pinkwashing’, “the success of cause-related marketing programs to a large extent depends on the degree of trust consumers have in these companies.”



7) Be Focused On Your Target. “You can’t be all things to all people”, the old saying goes… but every marketer is tempted to try! The final secret to cause-related marketing success is to discipline yourself to clearly define your true target audience and to pursue them with a relentless focus. Even Peace One Day, whose objective is to obtain global awareness, has defined its primary target audience as youth/young adults. The Susan G. Komen Foundation has also maintained a clarity of focus for nearly 30 years with its Race for the Cure.

When you choose only one or two key targets, you increase your chances for success exponentially. By focusing on one audience, you clarify your offering, hone your message, and find ways to develop a meaningful connection with the people who feel passionate about your cause.

It’s that connection, made by like-minded people actively working towards a clearly-defined goal, that can begin to
change the world.

Copyright 2010 Avalaunche LLC.

The insights and implications presented on this website and in this report are the
intellectual property of Marie Elwood / Avalaunche LLC.

A message from Marie:

Marie Elwood

I hope you’ve found the ideas, insights, and implications presented in “How to Change the World: Marketing for Good” thought-provoking and applicable to your own situation. This report is available online for a limited time only as a special thank you to readers of ‘Speed Dial’, the free 60-second weekly email that delivers marketing insights with a practical perspective.

Thank you for joining me today, and I’ll see you again next week on Speed Dial!

- Marie