| Consumers are becoming more conscious of price | | | | time-saving set-up. BiddingForGood, the largest online |
| and having a greater sense of wanting to give | | | | cause-commerce platform in U.S., offers a turn key |
| back. According to Forrester Research, most | | | | cause marketing strategy for top brands with a very |
| consumers care enough about the environment and | | | | low barrier for entrance into the marketplace. |
| the community that they consider these concerns | | | | BiddingForGood works with 41 of top 100 NPO |
| when making purchase decisions. A small but | | | | brands and hundreds of prestigious private schools |
| committed portion of consumers will even pay more | | | | and growing at 30%+ year. By mid 2010, the |
| for products that are produced with green or socially | | | | company will have raised over $100 million for causes |
| responsible practices. Those consumers who are | | | | and generated hundreds of thousands of new |
| willing to pay extra for products in line with their | | | | customers for brands. |
| ethical concerns earn more money and are more | | | | BiddingForGood connects charity auctions, affluent |
| brand-loyal than average. | | | | consumers, and marketers with an online marketing |
| According to a recent article in the Wall Street | | | | program that turns charity auctions into a |
| Journal, consumers say they worry more about social | | | | measureable marketing platform that delivers |
| and environmental values than ever before. In | | | | customers, leads, and deep engagement awareness. |
| surveys by DYG Inc., a Danbury, Conn., | | | | Virtually every major brand is represented in their |
| market-research firm, the proportion of respondents | | | | system including DKNY, Four Seasons Hotels, |
| who say they have shopped for products for "social, | | | | Reebok, and Kimpton Hotels to name a few. |
| political or environmental reasons" rose by 10 | | | | The company also holds a proprietary database with |
| percentage points, to 51%, over the past year. | | | | the latest trends in cause commerce (what brands |
| It is becoming more apparent that cause-commerce | | | | are up vs. down, who is selling for highest % of |
| is becoming an important strategic marketing | | | | retail, avg. losing bidder value, what categories shine |
| opportunity as firms like Mckinsey, who advise F500 | | | | and which ones bomb) and a case study on how a |
| CEOs, are putting out white papers on corporate | | | | brand can work the cause commerce channel to |
| social responsibility. Smart brand strategists in all B2C | | | | acquire new customers, get leads, and generate |
| verticals will need to incorporate environmental and | | | | measureable awareness. |
| social responsibility into their products to help drive | | | | So as consumers make their new years resolutions |
| differentiation, incremental revenues, customer | | | | to become better citizens and smarter shoppers, |
| acquisition and brand loyalty. | | | | brand marketers better be gearing up to serve this |
| There are companies out there that are helping | | | | socially responsible group which seems to be growing |
| brands to easily set up cause-based marketing | | | | exponentially. |
| platforms with low cost, low administration and a | | | | |