A Cause Is Now A Significant Brand Factor
New research from Cone, Inc. has found that, when price and quality are about equal, 77 percent of consumers will choose a brand that supports a cause. (See Cone’s DoYouStandForSomething blog for the link to that study).
I’d venture to say that if a brand’s cause "fits" with its overall corporate mission, all the better. And, if the brand has been committed to its cause for longer than the few months before the holidays, consumers will appreciate it all the more.
Timberland is one company that has been cause-connected, consistent with their other brand attributes, for quite some time. So you may want to look, learn and start to think about your 2008, and beyond, commitment.
Finally - if you are long-since cause-connected or just getting started, make sure you put the backstory on your site! The Cone study found that more than 7 in 10 consumers are not familiar with what companies are doing to support social issues. Whose fault is that?
When you do find a cause and invest in it, wholeheartedly, consumers will take note and perhaps start to feel the nudge to pick your product over the other guy’s next holiday season (if not before!).
