Not only do they offer high end looking fashion eyeglass frames, but they sell them for a fraction of what us discriminating four-eyed spectaclistas are used to spending. For instance, you can snag a chic new pair of shades with lenses for just around a hundred bucks! And if you’re hesitant to purchase your goggles online, no problem. You can receive up to five sample pairs before you buy them.

But here, my Cause Marketing visionary, is perhaps your favorite part. Such a nice thing, it might actually bring a tiny tear of joy to your eyes.

Every time you buy a pair of glasses from Warby Parker, they’ll donate one of their trendsetting shades (filled with prescription of course) to RestoringVision.org to help others see and live fuller lives.

It’s kind of like getting a “two-fer” – One for your eyes and one for your heart.

Keep in mind that this is my definition of cause marketing. (There are other definitions out there.)

Cause marketing is a partnership between a nonprofit and a for-profit for mutual profit

A few things about my definition.

First, my definition is focused on cause marketing, not the marketing of causes. Cause marketing for me is not about advertising campaigns for causes.

Just this year I’ve come to appreciate why some cause marketers still use “cause-related marketing” to distinguish transactional cause marketing from cause advertising. While I admire the precision of the phrase, the expression is so clunky I can’t bear to use it!

Second, the word partnership means something. The relationship is work-work and win-win. No one is getting a free ride, an unexpected check, or a cursory thank you in the mail.

Finally, the profit in cause marketing comes in two forms, first for the nonprofit and second for the for-profit.

For the nonprofit, the profit is money AND branding/visibility. St. Jude’s raised tens of millions this fall through Thanks & Giving. Last year, Komen raised around $30 million. Cause marketing also offers causes valuable branding and visibility. There is no better example of this than Product RED, which has built a top philanthropic brand through its cause marketing pacts with partners like Gap, Starbucks, Apple, and now, Nike.

For the for-profit, the profit is greater favorability with consumers and, potentially, increased sales. The premise is a simple one. Consumers buy from companies they like and respect. Cause marketing is a conduit to earning their favor.

There are three tactical approaches for cause marketing:

Point-of-Sale. For those of you who know me, you know I’m all over this. Just do a search on my under “pinups.” These are programs that happen at the register with pinups, paper icons, scannables, paper plaques, call them what you will. The MDA Shamrocks are the classic example.

Percentage-of-sale. These are products or services from which a dollar amount or percentage of the purchase price goes to a good cause. One of my favorites is the New Balance/Komen partnership. New Balance donates 5% of the MSRP of all items from the Lace Up for the Cure Collection with a minimum guarantee of $500,000. In 2009, Komen received a million dollars!

Licensing. This approach is dominated by the big charities and companies. A longstanding licensing pact is Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use Commendation for the Advil Caplets Easy Open Arthritis Cap.

Three clarifications on cause marketing.

#1 – Sponsorship is different from cause marketing. But not in definition. I agree that sponsorship can involve a partnership between a nonprofit and for-profit for mutual profit. The difference lies in execution (i.e. point-of-sale, percentage-of-sale, etc.).

#2 – Cause branding is different from cause marketing. Chris Mann from New Balance makes an excellent point on this in the comments below. Read it and my response. But let me say: Cause branding, like corporate social responsibility, is a strategy. Cause marketing is a tactic that falls under cause branding and CSR.

#3 – Cause marketing is not pure, altruistic philanthropy (gasp!). Like the name says, it’s, eh, marketing (which I define as the things we do to get and keep customers). One of the goals of cause marketing, especially as I define it, is money for a cause. But it’s not the only goal and it’s certainly not given without strings attached, for both partners.

It’s not giving. It’s SELFISH GIVING.

Now that we’re clear on that, what questions do you have?

**Hat tip to @grantgriffith for encouraging me to write this post!

Thanks to Joe Waters of Selfishgiving.com for contributing this article. A foremost authority on the subject, Joe is also the Director of Cause Marketing for a Boston nonprofit.

Looking at it from a business marketing point of view (my day job), I see nothing wrong when a company wants to share their profits in exchange for a contractual right to align with a brand important to its customers, ie: women.

But, as a consumer and your average joe-ette off the street…and someone, who thanking my lucky stars, fingers crossed has never faced the disease that one out of every nine women reportedly get, I see things a little differently. My problem is more with Komen, the nonprofit, and their non-discretionary way of accepting, it seems, any and all business sponsors on the face of the planet. This issue is addressed in a well written and researched Boston Globe story, “Sick of Pink.” (Another reason, we still need good newspapers and real journalists.) The Boston Globe reports that while Komen raises money for breast cancer through merchandising partnerships, it often Pepto pinkishly candy coats a serious disease and thus, offends those (breast cancer victims) it’s trying to support.

What’s more, Komen has hijacked the color pink. A color that used to be associated with Audrey Hepburn’s movie “Funny Face.” There’s a fabulous song in the 1957 Paramount motion picture when the publisher of a Vogue-like magazine sings “Think Pink” as she contemplates the next issue. But now, pink is well, a plague and a symbol of “do you care about women or not?” Stuff that’s a little too heady for such an innocent and precious color if you ask me and Chloe Pink.™

Sadly too, I believe, the prosperity of pink ribbon marketing has taken away some of our collective and valuable brain space. Thoughts in one’s head while sitting at a traffic light behind a soccer mom’s SUV with a pink ribbon on it could compassionately linger elsewhere. Like towards the prevention of heart disease or “Should everyone be entitled to health care in this country?” No wonder though. How alluring is the vision of an aortic valve or the Aetna logo?

I have a theory that one — just ONE little reason that Susan G., Avon and the likes of have been so successful. It’s this. Nothing sells better than sex. And nothing is sexier than than those lactating organs of women that men don’t have and thus, women take such pride in. This could be several more feminist related blog posts, but I digress.

Instead, let me end here and just say, personally, I applaud anyone’s efforts in walking for and raising money for breast cancer. No question it’s a sad and serious affliction.  I also have no problem with New Balance putting a pink ribbon on its shoes — or Starbucks giving some centage to RED from every latte I drink in December or whatever month it is they do that. Just know that when I drive to my favorite coffee spot this morning, you won’t see any “Save the Tatas” bumper sticker on my rear. And when I get home, I just might watch a little Audrey and Fred on my DVD player. And remember the good ol’ days when pink was (only) my favorite color.

The petroleum company will be giving not just 10%, 25% or 50%, but 100% of all coffee sales from its Georgia stations–including seven in Gwinnett–to Camp Sunshine. And it’s not just for one day, but three: Monday, December 21 through Wednesday, December 23.

The idealic Cause Marketing Campaign, is a win/win/win for everyone. RaceTrac deservedly earns brand equity by showing us, Gwinnetian java lovers it does more than sell gasoline. RaceTrac’s customers can enjoy a great cup of joe knowing they’re supporting a wonderful charity. And Camp Sunshine gets much needed funding for its North Georgia haven dedicated to helping children with cancer and their families.

“This is a really important cause to our company and CEO, and we hope that everyone needing gas or coffee can help the effort,” explains David C. Smith, Assistant Brand Manager for RaceTrac. He adds, “Our CEO, Carl Bolch, Jr., and his wife sit on the board of Camp Sunshine. The organization is facing a very severe financial deficit this year, and this was an opportunity to help close that gap.”

When: December 21-23rd

Where: All RaceTrac stores in Georgia, including the following in Gwinnett:

• 3840 Stone Mountain Hwy., Snellville
• 3405 Sugarloaf Pkwy., Lawrenceville
• 2682 Buford Drive, Lawrenceville
• 906 Pleasant Hill Road, Lawrenceville
• 5700 Peachtree Ind. Blvd., Norcross
• 3195 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd., Suwannee
• 2592 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth

Cost: Nothing beyond the normal cost of the coffee with all proceeds going to help children with cancer.

RaceTrac operates over 525 retail gasoline convenience stores in 12 southeastern states. RaceTrac’s roots go back over 75 years to 1934 when Carl Bolch, Sr. opened independent gas stations. His strategy was to be independent of major oil companies and to consistently offer lower-priced gasoline to the public. A standard RaceTrac features 20-24 fueling positions and a 4,000 plus square foot convenience store, featuring over 4,000 items.

Camp Sunshine enriches the lives of children with cancer and their families through recreational, educational and support programs allowing them to share similar experiences and to participate in activities that promote normal childhood development as they cope with the challenges of childhood cancer. For more information about Camp Sunshine or the numerous programs offered, call 404-325-7979.

Seriously. Ambitious business people have joined the  two way conversation on Twitter and Facebook. They know it’s not about a one way ad or a brand anymore. It’s about talking to your customers in an informal, informative way. It’s about sharing information with them that’s helpful so they’ll remember you when they need your service. Yes, you could be marketing your business more cost and time effectively with today’s FREE social media tools. And getting more results in the long run.

So, why haven’t you started? Is your business idea not all that different than the guy’s next door? Do you not enjoy writing? Is it hard to find time to commit to a social media plan? And yet, you feel it’s all up to you even though you don’t really have a professional or creative marketing background? C’mon be honest with yourself. If you haven’t worked for an ad agency as a copywriter, art director or account person, or, as an in-house marketing or communications person, you don’t have professional advertising experience.  I do. I started Peace of the Pie because I believe small businesses should have access to the same professional and creative advertising that big companies do, therefore giving them the ‘piece’ or amount of business that they deserve. And the “peace of mind” that comes with succeeding in the marketplace.

I have 15+ years experience as an advertising copywriter–writing tv, radio and print for national, regional, small business and business to business clientele. 25+ years marketing experience including 2 years in P.R and social media. So how does that translate to your needs. Well, for example, my current employer has received TV, newspaper, online and business partnership publicity through a goodwill program in its second year I created for them. I know how to come up with “the big idea” and make the word spread.

I love to help small businesses. I can show you how to do it yourself or do it for you. It could be a consultation for only a few hours. I could work with you on a project basis or a few hours a week if need be. Let me know your budget and where you think you could use help. Free consultation if you buy me a Starbucks. Then, I’ll you give you a proposal. Whatever you need. It doesn’t have to be complicated. You just have to be committed to your business and know that expert marketing help will make a difference.

I can help you understand and effectively use:
Twitter
Facebook
Blogging
Enewsletters (Constant Contact)
Logo design
Promotional pieces and ads
You name it

Please email me for specific website, PR and copywriting samples.
Sharna Fulton
www.peaceofthepie.com (personal cause marketing blog)
www.talkgwinnett.com (contributor)

404-663-8450
sharna.fulton@att.net

The definition of Cause Marketing is when a nonprofit and for profit business work together for mutual benefit. In this case, F.A.C.E.S., the nonprofit will receive donations of 10% of all Moe’s (in LV) sales that day. Plus, they’ll benefit from free publicity (such as this blog post and the ”highlight” posted on their friends’ Facebook pages this morning). As for Moe’s, the ”for profit” partner, they get to show the citizens of Loganville and neighboring towns that they’re vested in their community. This creates goodwill and, chances are, rings up increased sales in the long run. Moe’s employees also feel good about themselves and their employer, knowing they’re making more than a burrito that day. They’re also making families of Autism more hopeful.

Moe’s is the neighborhood burrito place offering flavorful Southwestern fare with a healthy twist. With nearly 400 locations across the country, Moe’s Southwest Grill serves only the freshest ingredients prepared right before your eyes.

F.A.C.E.S. Mission is to provide education, information, and a sense of community and fellowship to families, friends, caregivers, and others affected in a variety of ways by Autism/Asperger’s. For more information about the Walton County chapter, contact waltonfaces@yahoo.com And that’s a wrap!