I was one of the estimated 29 million viewers in the United States who rolled out of bed to watch the royal wedding at 3:00am last Saturday morning.
By all accounts, it was a history-making event—filled with “fascinators” and delightful touches one wouldn’t expect from a traditional, aristocratic, Anglican service set on the most “royal” of stages.
For me, the most powerful moment of this beautiful wedding came when Bishop Michael B. Curry delivered his fiery, impassioned, sermon about the power of love.
“If you don’t believe me, just stop and imagine…
Think and imagine a world where love is the way.
Imagine our homes and families where love is the way.
Imagine neighborhoods and communities where love is the way.
Imagine governments and nations where love is the way.
Imagine business and commerce where this love is the way.
Imagine this tired old world where love is the way…”
You could literally “see” the imaginations ignited on the faces of some of the world’s most influential people as they leaned a little bit “more forward” in their pews when Bishop Curry delivered his thought-provoking message.
My imagination was re-invigorated too—in a hundred different ways—imaging the immediate impact of putting forward and receiving greater love, both personally AND professionally.
It’s the professional side I want to discuss here.
As a brand and loyalty marketing professional, I am a daily witness to the ever-changing, technology-driven, shift of how consumers interact and engage with the companies they love—and even more so—how they relate to other members of their brand-tribes in virtual and real “shared communities. “
Today, research and data proves that customers want more from brands than discounts, quality merchandise, and good customer service. We want to feel a sense of shared value, a sense of community, and a sense of “pride in affiliation.”
As businesses, we have a golden opportunity to harness the power of giving back, to weave social consciousness into our brands, and to gain more loyalty from our most loyal fans in the process. Spreading more love gets you more love these days.
Plus, it’s lovely at the same time. Win, Win, Win.
For businesses with active loyalty programs and highly engaged loyalty members who have things in common, the opportunity is even greater. Can you imagine the sense of community you could grow by activating and uniting your loyal members in a shared cause, that had an incredible outcome they all felt part of?
If this is all true, then why don’t we see MORE social driven efforts becoming an integral part of marketing plans and loyalty programs these days? At Pinpoint, we’re hoping more of our clients take up a cause or two in the coming year. I know we plan to as a company, as well! (More on that in another post…)
In the spirit of weaving ‘Cause Marketing’ into your overall planning for 2018/2019, I wanted to give a shout-out to one of our clients who’s done an admirable job in their cause marketing efforts, how they approached it, and how they tied it into their overall brand.
Dr. Christopher Godek
The Personal Enhancement Center & Bella-Derma Medi Spa
Toms River, NJ
We’ve worked with Dr. Godek for over a decade and have seen his practice unite their staff and customers on several highly successful cause initiatives, including natural disaster relief for Hurricane Sandy, and “Coats for a Cause,” their annual campaign to outfit children in need with warm clothing during the Holiday Season.
This year, Dr. Godek and his staff decided to unite to raise awareness and money to help end breast cancer during Breast Cancer Awareness month. They formed a team to participate in a local American Cancer Society event in October and welcomed staff, family, friends, and patients to join in.
Pinpoint helped the practice create and distribute an e-blast to their list, soliciting both event participation and donations on their team page.
Then we created a quick and simple logo for TEAM GODEK that was silk-screened onto long sleeve t-shirts for team participants to wear at the event.
This cause event was promoted on their social media properties to build excitement, support, and participation for the event—both before and AFTER.
Did you know?
There are many events you can organize around a cause—especially for women. Following is a list of days and events celebrating women and women’s causes, just for starters to get your ideas flowing.
For help with other potential events and tie-in’s, we’re always here to brainstorm.
- International Women’s Day | March 8th
- Women’s History Month March | (each year since 1987)
- Mother’s Day | 2nd Sunday of every May
- Women’s Health Week | May 14th – 19th (every year)
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month | October (every year)
- Go Red™ Heart Disease Awareness| First Friday of February (often celebrated the entire month)
- National Sisters Day | First Sunday of August
- National Grandparent’s Day | First Sunday of September
Check out another cause campaign we helped build for Sciton…
Project Pink diVa generated over $40K for the Young Survival Coalition in October, 2017. Check it out