Amongst ‘Stuff Bothering Me Lately’ is the fact that brands often keep their charity partnerships in a dark, dusty backroom watched over occasionally by bearded CSR types whilst they keep their sponsorships in a shiny penthouse with panoramic views of the sea and on-tap butler service from only the best and slickest staff.
As we’ve seen from recent events (see my last post) charitable giving is all the rage. And from a brand perspective it’s just as effective at pulling in the punters as the latest and greatest sport, talent, music or cultural sponsorship. This is partially because people ‘get’ charity and fundraising much more than they used to.
I’m a 70s child. Before I was born, charity hadn’t really hit the mainstream. It was all RNLI lifeboats that did fun things when you put a coin in and life-size ‘Guidedog for the Blind’ doggy banks. Then the 80s happened and the likes of Comic Relief (how old do I feel: http://bit.ly/8pCPEd) and Children in Need hit our screens. Charitable giving grew up. And ever since then we’ve got used to hearing about poverty, need and giving. Quite simply, we’ve all grown up with charity and it’s become as much a part of our lives as sport, music and celebrity.
And the old hackneyed charity tactics are long gone. New technology abounds. The Cricket Foundation’s Chance to Shine uses online technology as well as any brand (http://bit.ly/ds1MjL). De Paul’s ‘iHobo’ app explores technology as a means of educating people about homelessness (http://www.ihobo.org/). Some brands, like Ralph Lauren, tap into the creative industries for charity (http://artstars.polojeans.com/). Some become official partners (http://www.sportrelief.com/about/partners/sainsburys).
The possibilities are endless. But the critical thing is that for a brand, charity can be as much about hard commercial benefit as it is about creative engagement and fluffy feel-good.
A cleverly designed charity association can drive hard sales – just ask Sainsbury’s how its sales look on Red Nose Day or Pampers how its UNICEF campaign (http://bit.ly/cTI4He) has driven brand preference.
If you’re looking to boost your brand and business, charity could be the solution you’re looking for. And if you already have a charity association, dust it off and have a have a think about how it might work harder for you.
It probably deserves more respect.
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