The 2012 Cause Marketing Forecast

CAUSE MARKETING TODAY

January 2012

Greetings!

Citing economic crises worldwide and an unstable U.S. recovery, IEG's Annual Sponsorship Report reveals that corporate marketers are tightening their budgetary belts.

In its 27th year-end review and forecast, IEG reports that overall sponsorship by North American companies grew 5.5% in 2011, not quite hitting the organization's prediction of a 5.9% increase.

Cause Clings to its 9% Share
For its part, cause sponsorship clung to its 9% share of overall sponsorship spending, hitting $1.68 billion in 2011, up 3.7%. Corporate spending on cause sponsorships is expected to increase by 3.1% in 2012 to $1.73 billion.

Sports ($12.38 billion in 2011) and entertainment ($1.85 billion in 2011) grew at the fastest clips last year and are expected to do so again in 2012 (4.6% and 4% respectively.)

Nonprofits would be wise to heed IEG's analysis that many risk-averse sponsors are attracted to packages offering bundled services such as media exposure and activation via retail, digital and on-site marketing. How to create win-win opportunities is a theme we'll focus on at CMF12 and throughout the year.

What ideas do you have to enhance your cause marketing programs in 2012? Share them with us on our LinkedIn group via this poll.

And be sure to share your execution of big ideas in 2011 by entering the Cause Marketing Halo Awards this month.

Happy New Year!

David Hessekiel

President

Cause Marketing Forum

TIMELINE: 10 Years of Cause Marketing

Thousands of campaigns have launched since the first Cause Marketing Forum conference. We've assembled a list of the most talked about campaigns. AOL 365

Which do you remember and which would you add to our list?

See the List and Add Your Two Cents Here

January Webinar: Five Steps to Effective Corporate Disaster Giving Campaigns

1:30 - 2:30 pm ET on January 12

In the last year alone, we've seen major earthquakes, tsunamis, famines, hurricanes, fires and floods. In the days following a humanitarian or natural disaster, many companies are compelled to help but do not have a disaster plan that can be easily activated. The moment a disaster strikes is not the time to be formulating a unified corporate response. That groundwork must be laid in advance to ensure that the right people, resources and messaging are deployed at the right time.

This webinar will help you think through your disaster planning and:

Provide a 5 step disaster plan framework
Showcase case studies from corporations such as Capital One, Dell and Yahoo!
Present data on disaster giving trends

Free to CMF Members, $99 Non-Members

Register Now

Speaker Profiles

Kate Olsen co-manages the corporate partnership practice at Network for Good, a nonprofit social enterprise that empowers nonprofits and corporate partners to unleash generosity and advance good causes. As Senior Manager, Kate helps companies extend the reach of their cause-related initiatives and better engage with consumers and employees through charitable giving.

Amy Lenander is the Vice President of Loyalty and Rewards at Capital One. A Fortune 500 company, Capital One has one of the most recognized brands in America and serves more than 43 million customer accounts worldwide. Since joining Capital One in 2003, Ms. Lenander has led product development and marketing teams in the domestic credit card and installment loan businesses.

Register Now

February Webinar: Cause, Celebrities and Commerce: Generating Blockbuster Results

1:30 - 2:30 pm ET on February 28

It's not just about walking a red carpet or recording a PSA anymore. Celebrities want to do good in a relevant and powerful way. Likewise, brands want to grow their business while raising funds for their cause partners by expanding their programs beyond an on-pack promotion. By triangulating their value and support with a mission, celebrities, brands and causes can extend their reach while raising more funds.

In this webinar, you will learn the steps to take to maximize your celebrity efforts and:

Reach new consumers for the brand
Extend fan bases for the talent
Expand awareness and grow the donor base for the cause

Case studies will include: Sharpie's Ink it Pink Promotion and Live Nation's Hope, Love and Rock & Roll merchandise promotion.

Free to CMF Members, $99 Non-Members

Register Now

Speaker Profile

Fran Rizzi oversees celebrity partnerships at City of Hope, a global research, treatment and education center focusing on cancer, diabetes and HIV/AIDS. As Senior Director, Fran works with the institution's celebrity partners to build meaningful programs that support City of Hope's mission and raise awareness of the pioneering research being done there. Fran holds a BA in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles and an MBA from Pepperdine University.