Cause Marketing - When To Ask For The Money

 So your brand has decided to team up with a charity, or perhaps you have your own cause marketing campaign.

When's the best time to ask someone to pull out the cash, checkbook or credit card?

The answer - when the cash, checkbook or credit card is already pulled out.

When someone is already spending money, adding on a donation is much easier than having to make a whole separate transaction.

Brooks Brothers - Make A Wish Example

Here's an example from Brooks Brothers.  They teamed up for a campaign with the Make A Wish Foundation.

During the checkout process you can add a donation to Make A Wish right there in your shopping cart.  Brilliant.

Animal lovers will recognize this same strategy at Petsmart when they're buying treats for their cats and pooches.   When you swipe your credit card, you see a screen asking if you'd like to donate to Petsmart's charity with suggested amounts - and they're small, like $1 or $2.  How can you say no?  You're already spending money.  (especially if you're like me with a Boston Terrier who routinely disembowels his stuffed animals.)  If I'm already spending, say, $45, what's another one or two for a good cause?

The secret is - you're already engaged in a buying transaction.  Adding on a few bucks more for charity is easy, almost a no-brainer.

I think this is especially important for women. If she's feeling any guilt at all about spending money, adding in a donation to a good cause can  make her feel better about her purchase.

If you're working on a cause marketing campaign, look for ways to ask for money during an existing transaction.  This way even small donations can add up quickly.

Comments

[Chris Busch]

"The answer - when the cash, checkbook or credit card is already pulled out."

This should be obvious, but it's surprising how often people in the non-profit world forget this great piece of advice.

I'm going to share your article with a number of our clients. Thanks.

[Holly Buchanan]

Thanks Chris. Yup, usually the best ideas are the most obvious.

[Web Design Solutions]

Thanks for the details.Quite an interesting concept you have discussed over here.Always get to learn a lot of new things from your posts about marketing.Doing a bit of charity any which way always gives a sense of satisfaction.