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Greetings!
This should be another banner year for corporate
cause sponsorship, according to the IEG Sponsorship
Report.
Cause sponsorships are expected to grow
to $1.44 billion from $1.34 Billion, a 10.5% jump.
Similar to 2006, causes will acount for 10% of North
American sponsorship spending, making it the third
largest category after Sports (66%) and
Entertainment, Tours & Attractions (11%).
IEG notes that more and more spending is falling into
untraditional categories and formats -- certainly true
for many, if not most, company/cause alliances.
Apropos of that, "Embracing Change, Growing
Together" is the theme of our fifth annual
conference in May. Be sure to register by March 15 to reserve your
space at the lowest rate.
David Hessekiel
President
Cause Marketing Forum, Inc.
| The Latest Thinking from Harvard |
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As we see it here at CMF, cause marketing is a great
way to give voice to a company's corporate social
responsibility initiatives.
In the December 2006 Harvard Business Review,
Michael Porter and Mark Kramer attack the core issue
of why companies should concentrate on corporate
social responsibility in the first place.
Critical of fuzzy CSR, rationale, the authors say that
societal issues relate to companies in one of three
ways:
- Generic Social Issues have little long- or
short-term impact on the company's
competitiveness
- Value Chain Social Impacts
are "significantly affected" by the company's
operations
- Social Dimensions of Competitive Context
are external factors that have major impacts on
the company's competitiveness
A company's relationship to an issue is very industry
and location specific. Supporting an arts
organization may not be core to an electric utility,
but it could be an important part of the competitive
context for American Express due to its involvement
with the high-end entertainment, hospitality and
tourism industries. AIDS in Africa may not have high
relevance for American Apparel (which produces its
clothes in Los Angeles), but it is important to The
GAP which depends on local labor to produce clothes
in Africa.
Companies should categorize and rank social issues
and focus on those on which they can not only
mitigate harm, but also "reinforce corporate strategy
through social progress."
Two examples of outstanding, strategic initiatives:
Toyota's creation of the Prius in response
to environmental issues and Marriott's programs to
train, hire and retain the chronically unemployed.
"When a well-run business applies its vast resources,
expertise and management talent to problems that it
understands and in which it has a stake, it can have
a greater impact on social good than any other
institution or philanthropic organization," Porter and
Kramer conclude.
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| CM 101 for Nonprofits teleclass series starts Jan. 18 |
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Here's a great way to acquire new skills in the new
year. Master teacher Mollye Rhea leads three
one-hour sessions on 1/18, 1/25 and 1/30.
Receive great materials plus a one-on-one
consultation for only $295 (only $195 for current CMF
members)
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| The 1st Run Walk Ride Fundraising Conference |
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Nonprofits raise in excess of a billion dollars annually
via walks, runs, rides, swims and other participatory
athletic events. Up to now, each of them has had
to “reinvent the wheel” in developing their programs
because there’s been no place to share best
practices.
If you’re involved in running a “thon” to support your
charity, you won’t want to miss the inaugural Run
Walk Ride Fundraising Conference. Presentations by
leading practitioners and facilitated discussions will
help you improve your fundraising results, generate
greater awareness for your cause, more successfully
activate corporate sponsors, and better recruit and
retain participants.
Learn more and register
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Enter The Cause Marketing Halo Awards by Feb. 2 |
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On May 17, the best cause marketing campaigns
of 2006 will be honored at a world-class celebration
of
doing well by doing good.
One of them could be yours.
Entering is simple and the benefits are cause for
celebration:
Coverage in Ad Age
Recognition at a gala
A CMHA trophy
Application Deadline: February 2,
2007.
Entering will put you in the running for valuable
kudos
and support the growth of cause marketing in
America,
an outcome that benefits us all.
Learn how to enter
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