Key Takeaways:
Understand what cause-related marketing is and its benefits.
Learn some practical ways to choose a cause that aligns with your brand and target audience.
Equip yourself with strategies to start applying cause-related marketing during the holidays and all year long.
As the holiday season approaches, there’s no better time to reflect on how your brand can make a meaningful impact. Today’s consumers don’t just prefer but expect businesses to give back to their communities and support important causes. 77% of consumers are motivated to buy from companies who are committed to making the world better, as confirmed by research from an AFLAC CSR Survey.
Cause-related marketing isn’t just about holiday spirit. It’s an opportunity to forge deeper connections with your customers and build a lasting legacy. Starting now, your brand can create a ripple effect of goodwill that continues to resonate, driving loyalty and positive change well into the new year and beyond. Here’s how embracing cause-related marketing can strengthen your brand and build relationships that last.
Why the Holidays Are a Prime Time for Cause-Related Marketing
The holiday season, with its strong spirit of giving, offers a unique opportunity for your business to build deeper connections with your customers through cause-related marketing. Cause-related marketing is a strategy where you partner with charitable causes or nonprofits to achieve mutual benefits. By aligning with causes that matter, your brand supports local or global initiatives while also resonating more deeply with your audience.
During the holidays, this approach has an amplified impact. As customers embrace the season of giving, they’re more likely to support brands that reflect their own values by contributing to charitable efforts.
Customers have high expectations for brands to give back during this time. Meeting these expectations can be a powerful way to foster loyalty and engagement. Campaigns launched now reach a broader audience as customers become eager to spread the word about brands making a positive difference.
Ultimately, embracing cause-related marketing during the holiday season will enable your brand to align with customer values. You’ll build a memorable and enduring impact that goes beyond sales.
3 Creative Ways to Support a Cause and Engage Customers
This holiday season, there are many ways to give back while involving your customers in purposeful ways. Here are some creative ideas to make a positive impact together:
1. Donation Matching Campaigns
Offer to match customer donations to a charity throughout the holiday season. This doubles the impact and encourages customers to participate, knowing their contributions will go even further.
2. Charity-Linked Purchases
Run a campaign where a percentage of each sale supports a specific cause. Clearly communicate the impact of each purchase, letting customers feel the direct effect of their support.
3. Volunteer Initiatives Involving Customers
Invite customers to join your team for a local volunteer event, like a food drive or neighborhood cleanup. Shared experiences like these build stronger bonds with your community and make the season’s spirit of giving even more memorable.
“82% of shoppers prefer that a brand’s values match their own.”
Harris Poll and Google Cloud data
Picking and Promoting a Cause That Resonates with Your Customers
Aligning with a cause that resonates with your customers is a powerful way to build engagement and loyalty. By choosing a cause that reflects your brand’s values and listening to customer feedback, your campaign will feel more genuine and meaningful. Here are some tips for selecting a cause:
Align with Your Brand Values
Pick a cause that naturally supports your brand’s mission to create a campaign that feels authentic.
Listen to Your Customers
Surveys and social media polls are effective ways to discover which causes matter most to your audience. According to new research from Harris Poll and Google Cloud, 82% of shoppers prefer that a brand’s values match their own, or they’ll search for a different brand to support.
Local vs. Global
Decide between a local charity, which strengthens community ties, or a global initiative which appeals to a wider audience. Depending on your business’s objectives and target audience, going with a local cause might be the smarter choice. Per a recent study from DDB U.S., 74% of people prefer to donate to local charities rather than to global causes. The same study also found that 49% of those surveyed would shop for a brand that gave back to local charities.
Once you’ve chosen a cause, share the story behind it to increase customer involvement. Promote your campaign across channels like email, social media, and in-store to maximize reach. Lastly, highlight the customer impact by sharing stories or testimonials that show how their support is making a difference. This reinforces their connection to both your brand and the cause.
3 Steps to Build a Long-Term Strategy: Turning Holiday Giving into Year-Round Loyalty
Keep the momentum from your holiday giving efforts going by integrating cause-related initiatives into your business year-round. Here’s how:
1. Be Consistent
Think of your seasonal emphasis on giving back as a launching pad for a continued initiative. Customers value brands that show long-term commitment to causes, not just short-term support. As Starbucks’ former CEO Howard Schultz said, “If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.”
2. Follow Up After the Holidays
Send an email or post on social media to showcase the impact of your holiday campaign — share funds raised, volunteer hours, or other milestones. Highlight the role your customers played, deepening their connection to your brand.
3. Incorporate Causes into Loyalty Programs
Offer options for customers to donate their loyalty points to a charity, or match points with a donation. This keeps customers engaged and allows them to contribute to a shared purpose all year.
“If people believe they share values with a company, they will stay loyal to the brand.”
Howard Schultz, former CEO of Starbucks
The Ripple Effect: How Supporting a Cause Can Extend Beyond the Holidays
Supporting a cause during the holidays creates a ripple effect that goes far beyond the season. When customers see your brand’s genuine commitment to making a difference, they’re more likely to advocate for your business, sharing your story and inspiring others to support the cause. This deepens their loyalty and keeps them engaged well after the holidays.
What’s more, as loyal customers continue to purchase from you, they indirectly contribute to the charity you’ve chosen to support, amplifying its impact. Consistent cause-based marketing creates not only a ripple effect of customer loyalty but also a ripple of good, driving meaningful change now and in the future.
Find Your (Brand’s) Purpose
Need help starting or fine-tuning your cause-related marketing strategy? Connect with the TTG pros!
