Cause marketing is a business strategy in which a for-profit business supports a non-profit organization or charitable cause to advance its social responsibility efforts and build customer loyalty. Research shows that cause marketing is an increasingly necessary element of a brand.
- 40% of consumers seek out companies that align with their values.
- 66% think brands should take a stand on social and political issues.
- 81% say brands need to earn their trust.
For retailers in particular, there is a direct connection between cause and cash register. Brand strategists at Main & Rose found that 71% of consumers who observe a focus on social impact are more likely to buy from that company. Likewise, 60% of consumers have purchased from a brand that was unfamiliar to them simply because of its support of a cause they believe in.
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The 4 Keys to Cause-Related Gift Cards
Gift cards are an integral component of the marketing mix for many retailers. They can, and should, be incorporated into a retailer’s cause marketing strategies as well. Here are four ways to ensure that your gift card program will advance the cause you have chosen to support – and ultimately lead to a positive impact on retail sales.
1: Card and Carrier Design
The first step is to design a gift card that clearly reflects the non-profit organization or charitable cause being supported. Both the card itself and the card carrier should utilize colors, images, logos and symbols that are immediately associated with that organization or cause.
2: Omnichannel Integration
A gift card on its own, no matter how well designed, will have limited impact. Instead, make sure your new cause-related gift card is part of broader company marketing campaigns. Every touchpoint the customer has with your brand is an opportunity to promote the cause – and the gift card you are offering to support it.
- Website content
- Direct mail campaigns
- Social media campaigns
- Search and display advertising
- POP signage
- Event marketing, and more
3: Cause-Related Education
A gift card program creates a natural platform for ongoing education. Content marketing tactics such as podcasts, articles, webinars and videos can be added to the communications supporting the program. These content sources, in turn, can be used to shine a spotlight on the non-profit or charity itself.
4: Cause-Related Rewards
To make a meaningful real-world impact, the gift card program should incorporate a reward or benefit specific to that cause. For example:
- Donate X% of the value of the gift card to the charity being supported.
- Enable customers to accrue points that can be directed to the foundation or organization behind the cause.
- Give the gift cards to customers who donate $X to the charity.
The possibilities are endless. The important thing is to create a direct financial link between use of the gift card and support of the cause.
Taylor: A Trusted Source of Gift Cards
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Taylor is one of the world’s largest producers of gift and loyalty cards and offers a true end-to-end solution. Everything needed to devise, design and deliver a cause-related gift card program is available through a single source.
- Program strategy and ideation
- Gift card and card carrier design
- Data management and security
- Card production and packaging
- Card fulfillment for B2C, B2B or business-to-store
Looking for a way to align your corporate social responsibility goals with your gift card marketing efforts? Contact us to learn more about Taylor’s industry-leading gift card capabilities.
