Doing well by doing good: how a cause-related marketing program can help you win the universal tug-of-war for members.

How a cause-related marketing program can help you win the universal tug-of-war for members.

An association is its members, and the ability to protect existing membership and attract new members is at the core of each organization's mission. Association executives are invited to explore an emerging, exciting, and highly sophisticated membership marketing strategy - cause-related marketing - to respond to these competitive and challenging times.

Armed with creativity, strategy, purpose, and a sincere commitment to a social cause or issue, associations are best prepared to do battle in this universal tug-of-war for members with limited dollars and a multitude of membership options.

A social cause or issues-based program can bring an association's mission to life and provides a compelling purpose that sets it apart from competitive organizations. Strategic cause-related marketing begins with a clear mission and is intended to leverage marketing resources to achieve organizational goals: to build and differentiate an organization and its services; enhance and protect image; generate incremental revenue; enhance membership recruitment and retention; solidify member loyalty; and broaden member base through a compelling purpose or mission.

How do you differentiate your association? How do you create pride among members and enhance membership visibility within the local community? How do you get your members actively involved in your organization? If you ask Florists' Transworld Delivery Association, Southfield, Michigan, one of the largest cooperative business associations in the world, you do well by doing good. FTD serves as a prominent example of an association that successfully married its marketing efforts to a social cause.

FTD, a longtime participant in the Pasadena Tournament of Roses parade, recycled roses "picked" from virtually all of the Rose Parade floats by more than 800 local children and FTD members. It created an officially licensed product, Genuine Tournament of Roses Potpourri, for the benefit of The Children's Miracle Network to be sold at participating FTD member florist shops. All proceeds support this highly visible network of children's hospitals. More than $250,000 has been raised, and an estimated 136 million Americans have witnessed the good works of FTD florists nationwide.

Armed with a compelling strategic purpose, FTD enhanced relationships with its more than 23,000 member florists, instilled pride within the industry, showcased association capabilities and contributions to society, and strengthened the bridge between members and their communities.

The program helped extend national and regional print and broadcast media exposure for FTD members just prior to the all-important Valentine's Day selling season. The cost of buying the air time and print space that FTD received in response to this program is estimated at several million dollars. Additionally, this innovative program enabled FTD to raise funds it had already committed to the Children's Miracle Network without requesting additional financial support from members. Most noteworthy, it is estimated that a 10 to 1 return on FTD's investment in the Tournament of Roses Parade was achieved. FTD achieved membership satisfaction and retention goals by bringing to life an existing marketing program through the power of cause-related marketing.

Building relationships

Without question, thousands of associations bring tremendous value to society. For example, the United Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Association, Alexandria, Virginia, established a food bank foundation to provide food to victims of natural disasters. The Future Fisherman Foundation, Gainesville, Florida, started the "Hooked on Fishing, Not Drugs" program in 1986 that uses sport fishing and environmental education topics to highlight an alternative to drug use. The Wisconsin Manufactured Housing Association, Madison, provides refurbished mobile homes to low-income families across the state.

But how many associations use their good works to help bolster their image, improve member satisfaction and pride, and increase membership diversity? When I ask association executives to define cause-related marketing, the answers vary: marketing that supports an altruistic purpose; the public marriage of commercial interest to a public-service-oriented enterprise for the financial benefit of both; any marketing effort that promotes the "greater good" value of a purchase; a marketing program related to environmental or social issues.

The all-important additional element of the definition is the role of cause-related marketing in creating and enhancing relationships with key audiences. A strategically crafted program provides vision, character, and a substantial platform to build relationships that are critical to the success of every association. It offers an opportunity to align your association with its members and get them actively involved in your organization. People want to be part of a group that represents their values. A cause-related marketing program reinforces this bond.

Guiding principles

In more than a decade of working with corporations and associations on cause-related efforts, I have witnessed the evolution of cause-related marketing from promotion to a highly sophisticated marketing strategy. Some critical guiding principles underlie successful cause-related marketing programs - ones that are legitimate, credible, and effective.

Make sure the issue is relevant to members and your organization. A truly successful cause-related marketing program needs to be relevant to target audiences: members, potential members, employees, government, the community, and other key influentials. The challenge is selecting a cause that will have maximum meaning for target audiences. The issue or cause selected must resonate with your organization's mission and represent a tangible social problem or issue that members want solved.

Consider, for example, the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association Foundation, Washington, D.C., which launched the "Look Good . . . Feel Better" program in 1989 in conjunction with the American Cancer Society, Atlanta, and the National Cosmetology Association, St. Louis, to help female cancer patients restore appearance and self-image through make-over workshops. Since its launch, the program has reached more than 125,000 women across the United States. The program offers members of the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association and the National Cosmetology Association a meaningful and visible vehicle to give back to their customers - to strengthen their relationship with women. The program clearly provides a tremendous value to the membership package.

Another organization, the American Optometric Association (AOA), St. Louis, has provided needed eye health and vision-care services without cost to more than 175,000 low-income workers and their families through its Vision USA program, begun in 1991. An estimated 40 percent of the 20,000 practicing optometrists who are AOA members participate in the program.

AOA members can take pride in their work and the services they provide and in the association to which they belong. Pride in the association is clearly a basis upon which members will choose to retain membership. The program provides an added benefit of membership that bonds the member community and reinforces the mission of AOA.

Pinpoint areas for action. A quantitative national research study of 1,981 men anti women aged 18 and older commissioned by Cone Communications, Inc., Boston, with Roper Starch Worldwide indicates there is a gap between what businesses are focusing on and where consumers think our society needs the most help. The greatest gaps exist for crime, homelessness, child abuse, poverty, and hunger - illustrating that many people think business could be doing more to help solve these problems.

There is no map that will lead to the "right" cause. In fact, there is no right or wrong cause if the commitment is sincere. However, an organization and the issue that it has aligned itself with will reap greater rewards if the marriage is strategic. These are the steps I've found to be most helpful in exploring an issue or cause:

1. Conduct a thorough audit of your organization's strengths, available resources, and mission.

2. Survey target audiences and identify concerns.

3. Look for any obvious overlap to gain direction.

4. Evaluate existing corporate involvement and support of the chosen cause or issue to avoid "issue crowding."

5. Align with a credible organization that can complement limited resources. If you are like most association executives, you have limited time, staff, and financial support obstacles that can be overcome with a strong "cause" partner. Look for a partner that can provide added support through multiple office locations, staffing, and a strong volunteer network.

For example, the American Society of Interior Designers, Washington, D.C., launched a joint program with Best Western International, Phoenix, Arizona, to bolster the condition of transitional housing. Named Shelter Resource Partners, the program has aided more than 500,000 tenants served by transitional shelters.

Take advantage of the talents of both organizations' members. Empower members and use them as your arms and legs to get the word out.

Think of your cause-related marketing program as an evolutionary process. Programs come in all shapes and sizes. A successful program does not have to be expensive and demand tremendous personnel commitments. Create a targeted program that meets your objectives, but does not overshadow your resources.

Make a sincere and long-term commitment, and have a "champion." You must earn the accolades to gain the greatest benefits to your association. According to the Cone/Roper survey, 62 percent of adults want to see companies committed to a cause for a year or more.

A successful cause-related marketing program takes time, sincerity, commitment, and a "champion" with clear vision and passion who can continue to drive the process in the face of doubt. This type of marketing is often the least understood of positioning strategies. A champion within top management is essential to keep objectives and strategies on track.

Use integrated marketing to create awareness and action and to communicate value. Perhaps your association is an active member of the community. Perhaps community involvement and good works are inherent to your association mission. If this is the case, you already have alliances and programs in place. Have you looked for opportunities to leverage your good works for the benefit of your association? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Is your association's mission clear to existing and potential members?

2. Are members aware of association outreach, and is there opportunity to get involved?

3. Do outreach efforts reach the eyes and ears of other key constituents, including the community and governmental agencies?

If your "cause" partner is the only one familiar with your good works, you have not truly implemented a cause-related marketing program. Look for existing opportunities to demonstrate your organization's commitment and mission and create new opportunities to get your message out.

Send news releases to the local media and trade publications, and write articles in your own association publications. Establish a speakers bureau and include speakers on the program at association meetings. Showcase program highlights at appropriate trade shows.

Establish clear objectives and measurable goals. Understand what it is that you want to achieve - for instance, to enhance loyalty, grow the membership base, or influence governmental constituents. Set goals that will help determine program successes and identify areas that require revisions. Depending on objectives, be prepared to ask yourself these questions:

1. Is our message breaking through to target audiences?

2. Have we increased membership retention and loyalty?

3. Have we increased new member enrollment?

4. How is our cause-related marketing program perceived by key constituents?

Increased responsibility

The 21st century will bring rapid change and fierce competition for those in the association industry. It will also bring a strong cry for increased responsibility from all to help right society's wrongs.

A strategic cause-related marketing program can respond to society's cry for help by providing far-reaching and long-lasting benefits to all involved.

RELATED ARTICLE: HIGHLIGHTS

* Strategic cause-related marketing begins with a clear mission and is intended to leverage marketing resources to achieve organizational goals.

* A social cause or issues-based program provides a compelling purpose that sets an association apart from competitive organizations.

* A strategically crafted program provides vision, character, and a substantial platform to build relationships that are critical to the success of every association.

RELATED ARTICLE: How to Enhance Loyalty and Retention

Avon Products, New York City, serves as a prominent example of a company that has successfully employed strategic cause-related marketing. Avon works much like an association. The company, with an independent sales force of 415,000 women, continually reviews and enhances its loyalty and retention strategies - key concerns for many associations today.

Avon's proprietary research with women identified breast cancer as a top health concern. The company launched the Avon Breast Cancer Awareness Crusade and successfully occupied the common ground between product and personal issues, and between customer and sales force concerns and values. The Avon sales force embraced the program. Selling their customers breast cancer awareness pins face-to-face and providing brochures, information, and supportive talk clearly created an opportunity for the sales force to build enduring relationships with existing and potential buyers of Avon products. It also gave the sales force an opportunity to become part of a greater mission than selling cosmetics.

In the first three years of the crusade, Avon representatives raised more than $13 million for breast cancer early detection programs. Sales representatives are highly enthusiastic about the campaign. The company's five-year commitment serves as the model for similar Avon programs around the globe.

RELATED ARTICLE: Some Who Are Doing Good

Countless associations are spear-heading programs that extend their organizations' mission and support society's needs. Here are a few examples:

* The National Milk Producers Federation, Arlington, Virginia. Worked with the American Veterinary Medical Association, Schaumburg, Illinois, to develop guidelines for milk producers and veterinarians to help prevent animal drug residues from entering the milk and dairy beef supply.

* United Cerebral Palsy Association, Washington, D.C. Developed the "ADA Report Cards on America" to gather baseline data and monitor America's progress in successfully implementing the Americans with Disabilities Act.

* American Institute of Architects, Washington, D.C. Developed teacher workshops that use local design examples and prepared resources to help teachers incorporate design concepts into their classrooms.

* American Psychological Association, Washington, D.C. Developed its Disaster Response Network to provide immediate psychological assistance to disaster survivors. More than 2,000 psychologists provide free, on-site mental health services.

* Massachusetts Software Council, Inc., Boston. Started the Fellowship Program to help experienced professionals laid off from the hardware, defense, and electronics industries obtain jobs in the software industry.

Carol L. Cone is chief executive officer of Cone Communications, Inc., Boston, a strategic marketing consultancy firm.