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Greetings!
March marks all things green: the first signs of spring, St. Patrick's Day and environmentalism, a cause that remains risky for many mainstream companies to build campaigns around. Just ask the Lorax.
 Environmentalists cried foul when Mazda, in close partnership with Universal Pictures, announced in Seussified commercials for fuel efficient vehicles that they were the only auto-maker to receive the "Truffula Tree Seal of Approval." Stephen Colbert was among those who attacked the program, commenting that Mazda cars are hybrid in that they feature both "gas" and "oline".
Like others who've been accused of greenwashing, the folks at Mazda probably wish they'd passed on the environmental angle. In fact, the automaker's concurrent initiative donating $25 for each test drive (up to $1 million) to the National Education Association has not generated any criticism.
 Speaking of green...you can save some of yours by registering for #CMF12 before the March 15 early bird deadline. At this 10th Anniversary Cause Marketing Forum conference in Chicago this May, you'll:
- Hear from top executives from P&G, UNICEF, Zynga, World Wildlife Fund, Coca-Cola and more.
- Get briefed on critical digital topics like the gamification of cause marketing and the future of crowd-sourcing
- Strengthen and expand your personal network of cause marketing connections.
Join us!
David Hessekiel
President
Cause Marketing Forum
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March Webinar: The Keys to an Unlikely Alliance: GMC and InvisiblePeople.tv
1:30 - 2:30 pm ET on March 28
 Truck-maker GMC made quite a cause marketing splash last year when they surprised homeless advocate Mark Horvath with use of a vehicle for a year to tour Canada and the US. In this March webinar, you'll learn how this unlikely alliance between big brand and boots-on-the-ground nonprofit came to fruition, what it took to get it "sold" internally at GM and what Horvath did so right that attracted the attention of the automotive brand.Big brands know they need to become more transparent and engage consumers, but challenging the status quo can be quite an uphill climb. Small nonprofits often feel they can't seem to get on the radar of big brands In this webinar, you'll learn:
- How to ease the pain of relinquishing control by choosing partners wisely
- Why ROI shouldn't be measured in media hits alone
- How brands can build credibility for a social cause
- Why formal sponsorship proposals can be overrated
Free to CMF Members, $99 Non-Members Speaker Profiles Connie Burke, GMC
 In January 1985, a large group of pop stars descended upon Hollywood to record "We Are the World" for charity. Connie Burke was not among them. Instead, she hung her fresh college degrees, (in advertising, English and journalism) in the Technical Center offices of General Motors, where she honed her communications and PR chops. When GM needed to add a voice for their social media efforts, Connie decided it was time to step out of her darkened cubicle and into the light. .
Mark Horvath, InvisiblePeople.tv
 In 2008, Mark Horvath, now known to many as @hardlynormal, set out to film the stories of America's homeless and share them with as many people as possible on InvisiblePeople.tv. Since then, he has become an internationally recognized activist and ambassador for the millions of individuals and families who reside in shelters, motels, tents along the streets and under highway bridges across the country.
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A Steady Stream of Cause Marketing
We continue to be amazed by the volume of cause marketing campaigns in the marketplace. Are you familiar with these recent efforts?
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APRIL CMF WEBINAR: Cause Marketing Lessons from the TerraCycle Experience
April 26, 2012 1:30pm - 2:30pm ET  Since 2001, TerraCycle has risen from a dorm-room start-up selling worm poop-based plant food into a internationally-known growth business. Its focus: providing consumer packaged goods companies and retailers with cause marketing programs and nonprofits with fundraising opportunities.
TerraCycle has over 70,000 schools and charities collecting waste globally and they have earned collectively almost 4 million dollars just by recycling more! Whether you work for a large company, a start-up or an NGO, you'll pick up valuable lessons from Global VP Albe Zakes based on Terracyle's decade of turning "waste into wonder".
MAY WEBINAR: Cause Alliances in a Franchise Environment: Creating Alignment
May 17, 2012 1:30pm - 2:30pm ET
 Alignment between the national office and local locations is a challenge for cause players in both corporate and nonprofit settings. This webinar will address the challenges and provide best-in-class tips for achieving unity! Jo Ann Herold, Vice President of Brand Marketing for Arby's and Kate Atwood, Executive Director of the Arby's Foundation will share updates and insights from their partnership with Share Our Strength and the NoKid Hungry Campaign. Chad Royal-Pascoe, Vice President of National Strategic Alliances for March of Dimes will share perspectives, lessons learned and best practices for securing buy-in with chapters for delivery of nationwide initiatives. Mollye Rhea, President of For Momentum, a leading cause alliances agency, will help you translate these case studies into realistic action steps to help you create a plan for success for your franchise organization - corporate or nonprofit!
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YOUR CAUSE
in front of
13 MILLION PEOPLE
AOL IMPACT
'SHARE YOUR CAUSE' CONTEST IS BACK! ENTER TODAY! |
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#CMF12
EARLY BIRD
DEADLINE is
TOMORROW, 3/15!
Register Now!
#CMF12
May 30 & 31
Chicago
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