Cause-Related Marketing: Embrace Doing Well By Doing Good

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Ironically, the first steps toward doing a lot of good didn't come from a dramatic moment. They came from an absurdly outsized dumpster bill.

I'm the founder of a Wisconsin remodeling and installation company that specializes in—you guessed it—windows. In 2016, our trash service was costing a fortune—every window installation requires the removal of the old sash—and all that bulky material had to make its way to a landfill.

Over the years, and after creating several other programs, I've learned that cause-related marketing is an extremely powerful tool that benefits a company, its customers, and its community.

Traditional marketing strategies focus on highlighting product features and benefits. Still, an increasing number of companies are embracing cause marketing to forge deeper connections with their customers in ways their traditional operations don't. Cause marketing is a strategy that aligns a brand with a social cause with the aim of benefiting both. This partnership helps raise awareness and funds for a cause, enhances the company's brand image, builds customer loyalty, and can even boost sales. It also often turns the customer into a co-producer.

Many high-profile brands have successfully implemented cause marketing campaigns that resonate with their customers and employees while adding to their businesses' profile, positioning, and performance.

Similarly, Starbucks engages in an annual RED campaign , during which it donates a portion of its proceeds from specific products to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and malaria.

Windows for a Cause began with a simple idea: instead of discarding old windows removed during installations, we would repurpose them as canvases for local artists. These art pieces were then auctioned off, and the proceeds went to support individuals and causes.