So much of the CM research I've seen in the last few years has rehashed the same old insights, I'd begun to doubt anything really useful would cross my desk.
Well, last week it did.
The Cone Cause Evolution Study sheds light on quite a few issues much debated by our community. (
Click here to read a summary and to download your own copy.) 
Here are three topics that jumped out at me:1) Cause Focus or Let The People Decide?
The buzz around Pepsi Refresh and the American Express Members Project has led some to wonder whether all CM should soon be crowdsourced. The Cone research indicates NO.
Sixty-one percent of consumers say they would prefer to see a company make a long-term commitment to a focused issue vs 39% who would rather the company allow them to vote on monthly or yearly cause selections.
"Putting the charitable dollars in the hands of consumers has, no doubt, been the standout cause strategy of the last two years," said Cone EVP Alison DaSilva. "But although these campaigns are notable, they are not building long-lasting brand equity. They are big and bold today, but in one year, or five or 10, they won't have clearly defined what the company stands for, and it may be hard to gauge social impact. This will require greater focus and more meaningful consumer engagement beyond the click of a button."
2) Tie Giving to Sales or Highlight a Big Gift?
Many cause marketers feel compelled to build their campaigns around donations linked to purchases in order to engage consumers. Do transactional campaigns have a lot more consumer oomph than those built around substantial donations?
The Cone research gives only a slight edge to transactional campaigns. Fifty-three percent of consumers prefer programs that allow them to impact the donation by tying it to a purchase vs. 47% who favor programs in which companies give big lump sums.
3) What Does Mom Think?
This isn't the first time that research has compared Moms to the general population, but it is the clearest. Moms "are the epitome of the cause consumer," as Cone puts it.
93% of Moms are likely to switch brands based on cause associations vs. the 80% national average.
92% of Moms want to buy a product that supports a cause vs. the 81% national average.
