CAUSE MARKETING TODAY

September 2014

When you think of the most philanthropically-minded industries, the direct selling industry may not pop into mind...but it should.

With a global reach into 100 countries and 96 million independent sales professionals, the industry posted $178.5 billion in sales in 2013. Nearly 3 out of 4 engage in cause-related activity according to the Direct Selling Worldwide Corporate Philanthropy Report.

$2.50 will be donated from each sale of the Journey of Dreams fragrance to support the Mary Kay Foundation's shelter grant program.

The Mary Kay Foundation focuses on fighting cancer and violence against women with programs that have contributed $54 million over the years. Each item in the Beauty That Counts line generates donations to the company's foundation.

The roots of cause marketing run deep in the industry, Mary Kay CSR/Corporate Communications Director Crayton Webb told Direct Selling News. "In a way, our industry has set the bar and set the trend."

Avon is the industry's cause behemoth. Their two-day Walk for Breast Cancer series and Pink Ribbon products have raised more than $500 million for breast cancer programs since 2003.

Roosevelt the Rabbit (partner March of Dimes) was so popular it sold out and had to be reordered to meet demand.

But cause marketing is not limited to the oldest players in the field. It has been a big success factor, for example, for Scentsy. With nearly 200,000 consultants selling candle-warmers and other home fragrance products using a party-based model, the company has strengthened its sales and raised $3.2 million for partners with cause-branded products since 2010.

Scentsy brand manager Dan Orchard shares an approach common in the direct sales industry, "One of our biggest sales tools is the printed catalog. When cause products are released, they're featured in the centerfold to ensure prominent placement and consultant participation. We've found that this placement has paid off: cause products are very often the season's best sellers. These products enable our entire field to rally behind a cause and they encourage consultants to share best practices."

The power of creating initiatives that turn on sellers and consumers means that the list of substantial examples (e.g. Amway's Power of 5 child nutrition program, The Pampered Chef's Help Whip Cancer, Mannatech Mission 5 Million) should continue to grow.

David Hessekiel

President

Cause Marketing Forum

P.S. Save the date for the 2015 Cause Marketing Forum Conference! We'll be back at the beautiful J.W. Marriott in Chicago May 27-28, 2015.

September Cause Marketing Masters Webinar

A Tactical Roadmap to Avoid Employee Engagement Potholes

September 23, 2014, 1:30pm ET

Today, the words "employee engagement" are among the hottest buzzwords in CSR and cause circles. Why? Well, according to Gallup, companies with engaged employees outperform those without by 202%!

Cause Consulting's Mark Feldman has been helping companies engage their employees for over twenty-five years. In this webinar, Mark will walk you through the strategy and process he has used to develop best-in-class employee engagement platforms. Not only will you hear from Mark, you'll hear from corporate executives from Aramark and Samuel Adams that have successfully followed this process (and maybe even hit a few potholes themselves along the way). Together they will share practical tips for avoiding these potholes and strategies to take your employee engagement efforts to the next level.

FREE to CMF Members or $99, nonmembers.

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Cause Marketing Jobs

Multimedia Designer

World Wildlife Fund

Washington, D.C.

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