Documenti di Didattica
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Sandra Obiyan
Author Note
This paper was prepared for MGMT 566 – Sustainability and International corporate
Cause related marketing seems like the ideal solution to many issues surrounding us in
the world today. Consumption philanthropy has the ability to give consumers the notion that they
are making a difference in the issues surrounding us in the world today; the mere activity in itself
is profit oriented. Ethical value is increasingly being viewed by organizations as a vital element
that could validate or potentially destroy a company’s brand (Edwards & Day 2005).
3M had every reason to further develop its strategy with the Canadian Breast Cancer
percent of consumers were likely to switch from one product to another if the second product
was associated with a good cause… (para. 2, Section Cause related Marketing). Brand value is
well rooted in ethical consumerism. Over the years, brand value has evolved as a major business
According to Wall Street Journal article, “The Case Against Corporate Social
Responsibility” it was clearly argued that while companies can do well by doing good, more
often they cannot. In my opinion, doing what benefits the society is also equal to revenue
sacrificing and it is known for a fact that change is inevitable and that inevitability is driven at
times by consumers. Knowingly or unknowingly, people tend to display some form of ethics
especially when sacrificing is involved. Take the ALS case for example; 115 million USD was
donated to help support the research. Individuals took out time to pour cold water on their heads
just to support a cause. This just proves to show that there is a voluntary willingness to
participate in an ethical cause. Counter to this, it may come as a shock as to the many
understanding how that reaction is linked to the way in which a consumer views or perceives a
brand. We start to ponder as to the reason why a customer would place a higher value on a brand
Consumers are increasingly adopting a critical attitude when making their buying decisions and
companies in some way or the other have been subjected to scrutiny to a large extent. If a
product does not meet up to its expectations, consumers would most likely boycott to other
alternatives. Companies are constantly aligning themselves to the wishes of their customers
especially based on the pressure they face to integrate their ethical predisposition into their
brand.
One of the main goals for 3M was to determine how to further activate its corporate
sponsorship relationship with the Canadian breast cancer foundation through a partnership with
the brand. A company has to have certain factors in place, these success factors for this cause
a. Fit
b. Duration
c. Financially stable
d. CSR integration
e. Communication
Cause Related Marketing based on 3M as a Corporate sponsor of the Canadian Breast
Cancer Foundation.
cause and the company must fit well. Its success is often based of its level of match or
relatedness. Functional fit meaning how the product and the cause fit together and geography
simply refers to the marketability of a brand provincially or globally. Till and Nowak (2000, p.
483) found that long-term campaigns are more likely to stay in consumer’s minds over time as
the association between product and cause has been strengthened through repetition. The
invested resources however prove a sense of financial stability to the consumers; thereby leaving
a high trustworthiness image. The length to which the marketing is done is another factor, which
must be considered in order to allow consumers establish a suitable cognitive link. All the above
parts of the cause related marketing that has to do with communications must however be simple
The programs main strength is that of popular brand recognition. There is a broad sense of
awareness amongst customers. On the other hand, its weakness is the case of retailers feeling all
“pinked out”. There was also a high expectation placed on Nexcare product, which did not
Since the realization of cause related marketing, the daunting question to mind remains
whether or not this technique is morally right by business standards or self interests (Gregory
Baylin, 2010). Controversy as to this being black or white should be considered separately as it is
Firstly, critics claim for a fact that cause related marketing reduces traditional corporate
philanthropy. Should companies use this means to contribute to the wellbeing of the society? Is
this the most suitable means? (para. 2). Secondly, critics question whether the widespread use of
cause related marketing would result in a transfer of responsibility fro supporting charitable
causes from private individuals to business institutions. Who exactly is responsible for this act of
charity? (para. 2).Thirdly, the debate swirls around aspects of cause related marketing itself and
The above mentioned criticisms of the cause related marketing align with that of 3M such
that this is what they stand for, but who then solves the problem of breaking even as a company
or not making profit at all. The fact still remains that the percentage of causes that are not
popular enough to be supported lay unsolved and unrecognized. Therefore it would not be “best
practice” per say if all causes were not addressed by all the different organizations in the world.
This is simply a practice done by companies in order to boost profits, which is seen in the case of
3M. Personally I see the cause related marketing replacing the traditional way of doing things. It
has brought about a shift in some way. Nevertheless, both have a part to play such that they both
have criteria to meet according to ethical standards. There are various types of giving, although
with corporations, philanthropy is more defined. Most companies tie their less achieved product
to a cause so that at the end of the day it is recognized and perceived by the consumer as good.
Therefore increasing sales. (Table 2 shows other companies like 3M who use cause related
marketing) Cause related marketing is no doubt a commercial activity. Society has now accepted
the fact that strategic giving can benefit society and the firm simultaneously (Freeman, 1992). In
summary there remains a desire for revenue combined with a sense of giving back has
Cause Related Marketing based on 3M as a Corporate sponsor of the Canadian Breast
Cancer Foundation.
characterized the traditional corporate philanthropy as well as Cause related marketing (Cause
Retrieved from:http://www.ibimapublishing.com/journals/MENA/2013/724720/724720.pdf
Cause Related Marketing based on 3M as a Corporate sponsor of the Canadian Breast
Cancer Foundation.
Table 2:
Cause Related Marketing based on 3M as a Corporate sponsor of the Canadian Breast
Cancer Foundation.
REFERENCES
Cause related marketing:3m as a corporate sponsor of the Canadian breast cancer foundation
Cause related marketing: ethical practice or exploitative procedure? (2010) Retrieved from:
http://thephilanthropist.ca/original-pdfs/Philanthropist-12-2-125.pdf
Ethical consumerism as a key consideration for future brand strategy development in South
http://www.unisa.ac.za/contents/faculties/service_dept/docs/ethical_SABVI12_3Chap2.p
df
Ethical consumerism isn’t dead, it just needs better marketing (2015) retrieved from:
https://hbr.org/2015/01/ethical-consumerism-isnt-dead-it-just-needs-better-marketing
Success Factors of Cause-Related Marketing – What Developing Countries Can Learn from a
http://www.ibimapublishing.com/journals/MENA/2013/724720/724720.pdf
To do well by doing good: improving corporate image through cuse related marketing (2012)