What Do You Stand For?

Warming Up to Causes Online

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 00:00:00 -0500

Temperatures are dropping and the holiday season is approaching, causing an outbreak of the warm and fuzzies. Yes, the giving season is upon us, and this year is already proving to be the most digitally driven to-date. Nearly every holiday cause campaign underway has an online component, thanks, in part, to growing consumer comfort interacting with brands via new media up 32 percent from 2008.

Despite all the glittery online promotions, its important to recognize consumers are still hesitant to donate online. The 2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study showed some American new media users are concerned whether their donations will have an impact and others would rather donate offline. But thats not to say online donations cannot be powerful. A leading holiday fundraiser and one of Cones Nonprofit Power Brands, the Salvation Army overcame the odds when, in 2008, online fundraising for its iconic Red Kettle campaign contributed an additional $10 million to annual revenues. However, the nonprofit was savvy enough to use new media fundraising as a complement to its offline efforts, ensuring donor comfort and convenience whatever the medium.

To help build confidence and trust among your online supporters this holiday season, keep in mind some best practices for new media fundraising:

Demonstrate tangible impact: illustrate for consumers how their donation is being put to work by showcasing goals achieved in real-time
Tap emotion: demonstrate why your cause is important to donors through emotionally compelling storytelling
Provide value to contributors: dont leave your donors hanging once they open their wallets make them feel special by providing a badge of honor to display on their social networks or offer additional opportunities to support the cause
Make it social: incorporate tools that make your campaign easy to share and pass along

The Big Warm Up installation, Boston

Doing its part to warm communities, Lands End recently launched the Big Warm Up to encourage winter coat donations to the countrys homeless. The campaign embodies many of the best practices, having a robust online campaign that marries with its offline efforts - and, it just happens to be installed right outside our office windows.

The Power of Positivity

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is taking a results-driven approach to promoting American investments in global health efforts by releasing an advertisement centered on impact. The video, part of the Living Proof Project, will strike a chord with policy-makers, philanthropists and citizens alike not by centering on unmet need, but by highlighting true and measureable change: Polio cases reduced by 99%; Mother-to-child HIV prevention in 16 million pregnancies; Malaria cases down 50% in 29 countries. This approach instills confidence that funding saves lives.

Aimed at policymakers to sway additional funding, the positive message will reach stakeholders beyond those already engaged with the project. The Gates Foundation hopes the commercial, and specifically the measured results, will encourage grant makers and individual philanthropists to give where it counts. As Bill Gates points out, We see that these things are working, and were willing to continue to make investments. I think then other people say, Okay, it must be working or people wouldnt put their own money into it.

Additional messages on the projects Web site encourage advocates to pass along the positive thinking and to Dispel the myths. When you hear someone say Its just money down a hole, or Saving lives just leads to overpopulation, tell them why theyre wrong. These investments work. They empower people, and theyre appreciated."

In the bevy of important social and environmental issues that ask stakeholders for financial support every day, programs that show impact are in high demand. The pressure is now on nonprofits to show the ROI.

Nonprofit Taglines Enhance Brand Power

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Last week, 13 winners of the 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards were announced, giving due credit to this often-overlooked but powerful marketing element.

Over 4,800 nonprofit professionals voted for taglines that best delivered the vision and mission of the organization, putting power in the hands of practitioners who live and breathe nonprofit branding. Winners spanned a range of issues and represented organizations that focus on local, national and international causes, indicating that any nonprofit can benefit from a clearly communicated brand.

A theme among the winners is a clear connection to the organizations mission. Essentially, the winners followed the simple yet often disregarded best practice of say what you do. In fact, Cones research showed nonprofits who clearly state their issue focus in their brand names reaped the benefit of stronger consumer relevance a key component to strong reputation. For more tips on how to foster a strong nonprofit brand, check out the "10 Essentials for Enhancing Brand Power," part of The 2009 Cone Nonprofit Power Brand 100 report.

For the full list of tagline winners, check out the Getting Attention blog.

Money Where Their Mouse Is

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Cones latest research, the 2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study, shows consumers are actively engaging with companies and nonprofits through new media channels but are they putting their money where their mouse is? The answer is divided.

When it comes to corporate responsibility practices, 62 percent of new media users polled believe they can influence business decisions by voicing opinions via new media channels. And although they report contributing their point-of-view on an issue (24%) or contacting a company directly to share feedback and grievances (23%), new media users are equally or more likely to bypass dialogue and act with their wallets:

30 percent indicate they have made a purchase based on POSITIVE information learned about a product, company or brand; and,
23 percent indicate they have switched brands or boycotted a company based on NEGATIVE information learned about a product, company or brand.

Yet, in the area of cause, consumer engagement and awareness is not fully translating into dollars. Although nearly eight-in-10 (79%) new media users believe companies and nonprofits should use these channels to raise money and awareness for causes, fewer than one-in-five (18%) have made a donation.

And some argue thats quite OK.

As About.coms nonprofit expert Joanne Fritz points out, using new media is about making friends, not getting donations. If nonprofits focus on engagement first, the donations will come. A sentiment nonprofit blogger Nancy Schwartz shares, saying she sees new media as more about friendraising than fundraising.

Do you agree is it sufficient that new media is driving powerful awareness today, even if donations arent always quick to follow? Share your point-of-view by casting your vote in our latest blog poll.

For more information about the study, read the press release and download the fact sheets.

2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Do consumers want to engage with companies and brands through new media?
Do they think they can influence corporate responsibility practices online?
Are they supporting social and environmental causes via new media?

According to the 2009 Cone Consumer New Media Study, the answer is a resounding yes with a few caveats along the way. The new research released today explores American new media users interactions with brands, their engagement with corporate responsibility practices and their support of social and environmental issues.

This survey builds on Cones 2008 Business in Social Media Study, but this year, we expanded the research to explore the diverse ways in which consumers are engaging with companies and nonprofits through new media.

Key findings include:

Brand Marketing: Almost 80 percent (78%) of new media users interact with companies or brands via new media sites and tools, an increase of 32 percent from 2008 (59%).
Corporate Responsibility: Sixty-two percent of users polled believe they can influence business decisions by voicing opinions via new media channels.
Cause Branding: Nearly eight-in-10 (79%) Americans who are active on new media believe companies and nonprofits should use these channels to raise money and awareness for causes. Yet, fewer than one-in-five users (18%) have made a donation through new media.

Read the complete release here, and visit www.coneinc.com/consumernewmediastudy to download all three fact sheets.

Watching TV is Good For Society

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Its 8pm. Do you know what your children are watching? Or your friends, your neighbors or your co-workers for that matter? Beginning Monday, theres no need to worry because theres a strong chance its something good.

For two weeks, major networks including ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, Disney, CNN and more will unite in the Entertainment Industry Foundations I Participate campaign to flood the airwaves with do-good messages. Dozens of popular shows - from sitcom to reality, from The Office to Dr. Oz - will infuse their regular programming with relevant messages about volunteerism and giving back to the community. The diversity of shows will reach multiple audiences with do-gooder messaging that would be hard to achieve without the collective effort.

Photo Credit: iparticipate.org

Some will weave the message into scripts, others will feature celebrity PSAs or promotional graphics and voiceovers, but in any case, the effect is sure to reverberate. As Evan Hochberg, national director of community involvement at Deloitte (Cone client), said in his recent op-ed in the Chronicle of Philanthropy, When Steve Carell and his co-workers on The Office are touting volunteerism, it's fair to say we have reached a tipping point in the service movement.

And its not just TV that is setting out to inform and inspire. USA Today and the Huffington Post both launched new platforms this week that provide a forum for stories and discussions that motivate and uplift. And yesterday, the blogosphere came together for another annual Blog Action Day to address climate change, hoping to spark attention and discussion of the global issue.

See which of your favorite shows will incorporate volunteer messages next week, and as you watch, consider: Did the messages stand out? Enhance or interfere with the show? Resonate with you? Inspire you to do more? Come back and share your thoughts.

Blog Action Day 2009: Y Care About Climate Change?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the worlds bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. The 2009 topic is climate change.

Is climate change todays Y2K? A hyped-up, get-on-the-bandwagon cause that is misguiding our limited attention and dollars? Or, is it the struggle of our generation which will be the root cause of expanding poverty and political instability? We know its the latter, so how can any of us make a difference and ensure consumers see it with the same urgency? Its our responsibility to go beyond the numbers, beyond 350 parts per million, to inspire people to believe that they too can have an impact on something that feels so big and intangible.

The threat is real, the science is in, and we must change our perspective and our actions. As consumers, we need to rethink how we consume - from the products we buy for our kids to the investments we make in our homes. As marketers, we need to build the case for urgent action. Our new sense of pragmatism with the economy is today's opportunity. If cost savings is the driver, let it reign. Whatever it takes to make a difference for planet Earth.

Blog Action Day 2009: The Corporate Travel Budget Time to Include Cost for Carbon?

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Corporate managers are very used to working within budgets. They carefully plan for the costs associated with meeting their departments annual objectives and executing strategies. Their budgets likely include the costs of employees traveling across the country or around the world. But what about the carbon emissions associated with this type of travel? Whos accounting for these?

If emissions associated with corporate travel were regularly included in carbon footprints, they could account for some 20 percent of a companys total emissions. In fact, Motorola included business travel in its most recent carbon footprint. If my math is correct, the companys business travel accounted for 20.5 percent of its overall footprint.

Today, most companies calculate their carbon footprints by only including direct and indirect emissions from their manufacturing facilities and internal operations known as Scope 1 and Scope 2 while not including emissions from corporate travel, which falls into Scope 3. But things may change soon, as new emissions regulation and carbon disclosure standards are on the horizon.

For now, corporate managers may want to start rethinking how they budget for employee travel expenses by including a cost associated with travel-related carbon emissions. The city of San Francisco is ahead of this curve. Last February, the mayor ordered all city departments to not only declare how much they plan to spend on air travel, but to also pay 13 percent of their air-travel costs into a city carbon-offset fund, which will be used to pay for local emission reduction projects. This is a good tactic that may actually work to trim corporate travel and related emissions in the future.

- Liz Gorman, Vice President

Wisdom from the Dalai Lama: for Business and Personal Relationships

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

On October 1, 2009 Carol Cone had the unique honor of speaking at the EngageNow Conference in Calgary, Canada directly following the Dalai Lama. She was so moved by the experience that she decided to share her thoughts here. To view a brief video clip of her speech, visit the event blog.

Now that I have met His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, and he has deeply touched my head and heart, I continue to look to his wisdom. So many have asked what it was really like to meet him, so Id like to briefly share my experience with you.

The first time I saw him in person was among a crowd of 15,000 spectators. When he entered the arena, I felt a warm white light inside of me. Really. Truly. It calmed me and filled me with serenity. The arena full of people was so completely mesmerized; you could hear a pin drop. As he talked, his comments on universal responsibility gave me hope for mankind, to make peace with one another and the planet.

The second meeting was in a more intimate setting among a group of 1,200 at the Telus Centre in Calgary, where I would follow him on stage. While his energy was a bit lessened, (even the Dalai Lama who travels 300 days a year, with a jam packed schedule of multiple speeches and meetings a day, combined with 5+ hours of meditation can become burnt out) his message deeply penetrated the audience. Be kind to one another. Help others to gain peace inside yourself.

When I met him and he grabbed my hand, I felt so humbled, and grateful for just a moment of his presence. His look into my eyes deepened my resolve to share his message through my work, speeches, friendships and acquaintances.

When I came across blogger Justin Dixons list of 20 Quotes from the Dalai Lama, I wanted to share them. So much wisdom from a simple monk.

Enjoy.

----------------------------------------------------------

Happiness is not something readymade. It comes from your own actions.

Tips for Getting Involved with Controversial Subjects

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

As the market is getting saturated with cause-related programs, the leap to support new and more controversial issues may grow enticing. Below are some tips to carefully consider before taking the plunge into politically, socially or culturally controversial issues:

Be authentic: When choosing a controversial subject, be sure that it fits completely with the companys values and mission. The larger the gap between the issue and the values of the company, the more room for backlash.
Be honest: Consider why youre really getting involved. Is it to display a public commitment to an issue that matters or is it to garner media attention? If the issue does not relate back to the companys mission, it will be perceived as insincere and considered a media stunt.

Stand your ground: Be willing and able to support the issue completely. If youre going to take a stand, you must support it through and through.

Be prepared for negative feedback: Not everyone is going to agree with your stance, or the fact that youre taking one. Consider how your position will affect your partners, employees and customers. Realize that your actions may cost you customers in the end.

It may seem easy enough, but when getting involved with controversial issues that put your company on the line, it can be hard to pull the trigger. However, it can be done successfully. For example, Cone recently helped Ben & Jerrys take a stand in support of the legalization of gay marriage in its home state of Vermont.

For the month of September, the iconic ice cream company symbolically changed the name of its well-known Chubby Hubby flavor to Hubby Hubby. Ben & Jerrys has a long history of commitment to social justice issues, including gay rights, so supporting the controversial issue was a natural fit for the brand.

By tying into a timely event and communicating in the brands authentic tongue and cheek manner, the announcement increased awareness of the issue by garnering extraordinary media attention and furthering debate, which is exactly what Ben & Jerrys intended.

- Mark Malinowski, Vice President

Making a (Collective) Difference

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Its the little things that count - when you add up the small efforts of many, they can create real change. As consumers, we adopt simple behaviors that can make a collective difference; turn off the faucet, pick up a piece of trash, buy a product that donates to a cause, recycle a soda can. When times are tough and cash donations are in short supply, how can companies adopt this concept to make a difference in society?

While cash remains critical to any nonprofits ability to fulfill its mission, this recession has led to innovative examples of companies leveraging assets, beyond cash, to solve social problems. Patrick Rooney, executive director of the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University notes that many companies wanting to conserve cash have shifted from financial donations to in-kind contributions taking a little and making it into something bigger.

Some companies offer employees a few hours time to volunteer for nonprofits, which combined can amount to hundreds of hours in professional services otherwise unaffordable. Others are donating new or unused materials that meet the needs of nonprofits, which when taken collectively can have big results.

In an interesting new approach to in-kind, a group of airline financiers has established a program called ISTAT AirLink that allows easy donation of unreserved airline seats and cargo space to causes who need to get volunteers and supplies abroad. The program brings together several airline carriers with excess space, offering valuable resources to nonprofit organizations.

A key part of this programs success is the centralized organization, which allows aid agencies to list people, medicine and supplies they need shipped on a Web site, and permits airlines to post spare seats or cargo space. The result; nonprofits get people and resources on the ground, and companies are able to put to harness space which would otherwise be vacant. There is small added investment for the airline extra cargo handling or passenger service but the benefit to the nonprofit is huge. As airline financier and founding member Bob Brown notes, "If we can save an NGO a dollar in cost, that should flow right through to the people they're serving."

What excess capacity does your organization hold, and how can it be put to use for the greater good?

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To Follow is to Lead

Wed, 07 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Aristotle once said, He who cannot be a good follower cannot be a good leader.

While I cant say he was referencing Twitter, the wise philosopher certainly knew what he was talking about. In the age of new media, following is an increasingly overt component of leadership. Leading companies take advantage of Facebook, myspace, Twitter and the like, to follow the conversation about their brand and business opportunities and engage with stakeholders in transparent and courageous dialogue resulting in mutual gain.

But who should you follow? It depends on your target audiences and needs. For companies promoting corporate philanthropic programs, a few ideas on who to follow and why are below.

Nonprofit Partners: Learn what theyre doing, who theyre working with and how you can help. Dont forget to encourage them to promote your program using new media.
Employees: Connect with your employees online and outside of work to create internal and external program ambassadors, solicit feedback on the program and identify volunteer opportunities.
Customers: Gauge consumer interest in your cause of choice, monitor for program commentary, and spread awareness by activating consumers virally online.
Issue Leaders: Stay abreast of the latest trends from the mouths of the movers and shakers; identify opportunities to engage and collaborate on the next big idea.
Issue Competitors: Keep track of the newest programs other companies are implementing that impact your issue, discover best practices and apply them to ensure your program becomes the best.
Convening Organizations: Learn about upcoming conferences and events and program promotion opportunities and identify the value of participating.

- Jillian Wilson Martin, Senior Account Executive

What Can Business Learn from the Dalai Lama?

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Recently I spent two days with the Dalai Lama at the EngageNow conference in Calgary, Alberta. Hosted by the University of Calgary, the focus of the event was to inspire and create active participation in local communities throughout that city.

I was asked to speak at the conference, joining a global roster including F.W. de Klerk, Sir Richard Branson, Stephen Covey and His Holiness. Certainly I was honored to join such accomplished individuals. When will I speak? I asked the event organizers. Directly following the Dalai Lama. Humbled and curious, I inquired, Why? The answer was that they felt my lifes work and message about the power of business authentically embracing social issues would provide a perfect bridge for the audience.

A request like that causes one to deeply reflect. I reviewed my work spanning over 25 years guiding companies to genuinely embrace social issues. Our clients approached this strategy quite personally. Paul Fireman at Reebok, Jim Preston at Avon, Bruce Rohde at ConAgra, and more recently, Clarence Otis at Darden, Jim Rohr at PNC, Christina Gold at Western Union and Steve Loranger of ITT. Each desired to authentically and sustainably engage with a cause. Intuitively they knew this could be a powerful way to inspire employees, engage more fully with customers while enhancing their reputation and make a social impact.

In each case, the work with these companies resulted in innovative and long-term commitments to many causes, new awareness and increased funding, with each showing significant results. The issues and approaches varied: human rights, breast cancer, childhood hunger, youth enrichment, economic opportunity for migrants and access to clean water. While each CEO explained his or her vision in a different manner, they all had one thing in common: compassion.

Compassion? Frankly, in the years of our work, I never thought of it as the expression of compassion. That is, until I spent two days with this self-proclaimed simple monk.

Indeed, I had to ask myself, Could business be compassionate?

Pink is in the Air

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The Sunday paper is filled with pink circulars; breast cancer is trending on Twitter; the shelves are stocked with pink ribbon products; ah, it must be October. Every year, National Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings exciting momentum to the issue, and this year, some campaigns are taking on an edgy tone as they strive to reach younger women and men with information about this serious disease.

Yoplaits* newest initiative is titled Know Your Girls, aimed at encouraging young women to understand what is normal for their own breasts, or their girls, and recognizing important changes. The campaign features video and print materials focused on Gen Y females.

Rethink Breast Cancer has released two controversial PSAs that take an unconventional approach to breast cancer. A bold new take on awareness, the campaign hopes to engage a younger generation of women and men.

Other breast cancer campaigns in the marketplace include:

Following the recent introduction of limited-edition mikes hard pink lemonade,* the malt beverage company is launching Share Some Pink, a promotion on Facebook. Mikes will donate 10 for every virtual mikes hard pink lemonade gift passed, in addition to a $250,000 donation already made to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation in memory of Jacqueline S., a part of the Mikes family since its founding who lost her battle with the disease earlier this year.
Taking a girl-power approach to awareness, womens health care company Hologic, launched the Promise to Me campaign. On the programs microsite, women pledge to take care of their own health and encourage women in their lives to do the same.
Delta Air Lines lit up the JFK air traffic control tower in pink lights as part of its ongoing support for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. In addition, lucky passengers were treated to a surprise in-flight concert by Melissa Etheridge, a breast cancer survivor.
Today is the 14^th anniversary of the annual Lee National Denim Day, which is revitalized this year with celebrity ambassador and survivor Christina Applegate and interactive online communication components.

This October, stop for a moment and observe the sheer force of this cause. It boasts an incredible roster of supporters including corporate America, nonprofits, media, celebrities and retailers. Whether the approach pulls at your heart strings or tickles you pink, thanks to the ongoing efforts of these players, breast cancer has become an issue that resonates with all audiences and is truly a movement to admire.

* Cone Client

Is My Dog a Cause?

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The world of cause is constantly evolving, which sometimes presents challenges to finding the common ground needed for coherent action. Is a cause an issue? A program or partnership supporting an issue? A vision for the future? All of the above? None of the above?

Merriam-Webster says a cause is "a person or thing that is the occasion of an action or state; especially: an agent that brings something about." According to that basic definition, my dog, Zero, is a cause. He certainly inspires action (playing, walking, feeding) and is the agent of bringing things about (love and compassion on my part, and, more frequently, irritation on the part of my husband).

Although we benefit from having Zero in our lives, perhaps that's not enough.

What if I tell you that Zero is a rescue? Does that make him a cause? Or, maybe he was a cause when he was still in the shelter, but is no longer a cause - since he's no longer in need - today. A more common view is probably that one homeless dog is not a cause, but several dogs could be.

Despite Webster's inclusion of cause agents as central to their definition, many of my colleagues would say that individuals can stand for a cause - much the way Bono tries to stand for Africa - but aren't a cause in and of themselves.

That means there's a difference between the cause ambassador and the cause itself. Zero isn't a cause, but for me, he effectively stands for an end to neglect and cruelty - an idea that can get me to hand over buckets of cash to animal rescue groups, particularly those in dire straits. (If you agree, check out the urgent appeal from these selfless folks. Do it today. Do it for dogs like Zero.)

Where was I? Oh, right: to pass our basic litmus test, causes have to touch more than one life. My husband would suggest that a hovercraft fits the bill, since he'd share it with his friends and our formerly-stray dog. (And if you want to give to his cause, he'll gladly accept PayPal.) But, I think others might rule that out, which suggests that causes also should have some kind of collective social or environmental benefit.

Beyond that, I'm not sure if there is a strong consensus. Oh, sure. You can find lots of common ground around cause marketing and cause branding and cause partnerships. But how do you define cause itself? What should count? Who decides? And what's the best definition you've heard?

Those may sound like simple questions, but if you can't really define it, how can you gauge the impact? If you dont know what it is, how can you tell if youre being effective? After all, tons of time and billions of dollars are being spent in the field, and I'd like to think that it amounts to more than Zero.

-Talya Bosch, Account Director

Best Nonprofit Taglines - Has Your Voice Been Heard?

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Voting for the 2009 Getting Attention Nonprofit Tagline Awards is now under way, and you can help determine the best of the best. According to founder Nancy Schwartz, voting will:

Sharpen your understanding of what does and doesnt work in nonprofit communications.
Inform and inspire your organizations messaging.
Give you the chance to register for the free 2009 Nonprofit Tagline Report, with 2,500 tagline examples.

What are you waiting for? Be heard by casting your vote for 13 different categories, and then register to receive the free report, including the 2009 winners. Polls close on Wednesday, September 30 at midnight, so dont delay!

Action Required: CGI Annual Meeting 2009

Fri, 25 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

The 5th Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting (CGI) wraps up today, leaving in its wake a list of new commitments to solve the worlds most pressing problems. The event is structured to spark action boasting discussions, not presentations, and requiring results. Former president and meeting host Bill Clinton states, If you dont make a commitment or you make one and dont keep it, you dont get to come back. Thats what started it, thats what makes it run.

The results of the initiative to-date prove the effectiveness of this model: $46 billion in funding has been directed toward causes such as education, climate change and healthcare since the CGI inception in 2005.

Cross-sector collaboration is the other key tenant of the CGI. This year, a record 960 attendees representing 84 countries took part, including heads of state, celebrities and nonprofit and corporate leaders a true Whos Who of cross-sector leaders and dignitaries with personal passion for societal solutions. The media buzz alone surrounding the event helped spur action by attracting attention and notable donors to important causes. This years event focused on harnessing innovation for development, strengthening infrastructure, building human capital and financing equitable sustainable future. For the first time, the event also focused on narrowing the gender gap.

Action speaks loudly. As President Obama stressed during his kickoff speech, You can't just be an advocate of someone else doing it, preach lofty goals and wait for someone else to act. You have to step up." Could his words hold true for G-20 Summit leaders gathering this weekend in Pittsburgh?

Shared Responsibility: Game Changers

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Shared Responsibility is a new What Do You Stand For? series from Cones Corporate Responsibility team that focuses on addressing the sustainability challenges of our time.

Cause-related promotions and light-hearted campaigns have dominated much of the cause landscape this year as many companies took a back-to-basics approach to cause to drive short-term sales and loyalty. However, amid all the creative cause campaigns are the stirrings of a new crop of companies who, understanding their shared role in addressing crucial world issues, are stepping up to the plate to understand, to engage, to collaborate and to solve. These are the game-changers.

Two examples in the news this week:

P&G No question, P&G is a cause leader with many of its brands executing some of the most creative and powerful campaigns in the marketplace today (e.g., Pampers One Pack = One Vaccine). But these campaigns all have their roots in a deeper corporate philosophy - P&Gs purpose-inspired growth strategy, which emphasizes the companys culture and values as drivers for innovation and sales. New CEO Bob McDonald states, We will provide branded products of superior quality and value that improve the lives of the worlds consumers, now and for generations to come. As a result, consumers will reward us with leadership sales, profit and value creations, allowing our people, our shareholders, and the communities in which we live and work to prosper.

Merck & Co. The pharmaceutical giant announced a partnership with British nonprofit the Wellcome Trust, to create affordable vaccines against diseases common in underdeveloped countries. Both partners will make equal cash contributions for the project, but what is most powerful is the shared responsibility approach this project requires. It will engage governments, charities, universities and other for-profit pharmaceutical companies for additional funding and solutions. Merck spokeswoman Amy Rose says, "The goal here is to involve a number of parties that would be interested in the success of vaccines in the developing world.

Shared responsibility is about identifying the right opportunities to engage stakeholders and to collaborate to solve the worlds most pressing issues. Its about being part of the solution, without going it alone. In these examples, company goals are not lost, but rather enhanced through collaboration, stakeholder engagement and a focus on innovation. These companies are not only supporting important social or environmental issues. They are also changing the way they and others do business.

Employee Giving: Flexible, Meet Focused

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Attention employers: your employees need some focus. OK, maybe not news to you, but were not talking about the memo that should have been done last week (hardly our business!). Were referring to your employees company-supported charitable giving.

At a time when many companies are moving toward more focused corporate philanthropy, fewer may be tapping an underutilized resource their employee giving programs. More strategic employee giving can provide a number of benefits for the company, its staff and the nonprofit beneficiaries, and like its name (strategic choice employee giving) implies, it can be both focused and flexible.

To learn about strategic choice employee giving and the role it plays in a focused corporate philanthropy program, download Cones latest insight, Corporate Philanthropy: Are Your Employees Working Hard Enough? and read on Then take a moment to participate in our poll question on this topic to the right.

Yoplait Announces New Breast Cancer Campaign

Wed, 16 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0400

Yoplait, a Cone client, announces its latest cause campaign on our sister blog, Brand Channeler. Know Your Girls is aimed at Gen Y women, encouraging them to to take an active role in their breast health. For all the details, check out the full post and watch the video below.