Cause-Related Marketing

Increasingly, companies are supporting myriad causes through diverse marketing activities that are intended to enhance a company’s reputation. Cause-related marketing is an umbrella term that is often used to encompass these activities. [Page 105]A variety of other terms are used as well, including corporate social marketing, corporate societal marketing, cause branding, cause advertising, mission marketing, and passion branding. Irrespective of the term, these activities are [Page 106]marketing initiatives in which the resources of companies are used in the service of a cause. The resources may include professional time and know-how (e.g., marketing or advertising expertise) and/or other resources including access to media, money, in-kind contributions, and grassroots volunteer support. It is important to differentiate cause-related marketing from social marketing, which is the marketing of causes ...