Between Breakfast and Dicky's

The Dutch vs. Cause Marketing
2012 has just started, so let’s take a look at where we want to see Cause Related Marketing in the Netherlands by the end of this year. This gives us around 11 months to make a difference; big or small, national or local, that doesn’t really matter. Just make it happen.

The Dutch. A strange breed to begin with. Edelman Goodpurpose research shows that 84% of the Dutch say that corporations should put equal weight on society’s interests and business’ interests. On the other hand a ‘mere’ 35% say that they are actually more likely to buy products and services from a company of which they know it has brands that support good causes (compared to 79% in India). On the other hand we are true champions in donating money. Research of the national newspaper De Volkskrant shows that donations in 2010 increased with 4.2% (compared to 2009) to €706 million!

The annual ‘Alpe d'HuZes’ biking competition (where sponsored participants climb the well -known mountain of terror of the Tour de France, the Alpe d’Huez) raised €20 million in 2011. This is an €8 million increase compared to 2010.

Just recently the annual ‘Serious Request’ campaign of national radio channel 3FM for the Red Cross, raised a record breaking €8.6 million in just one week! This was €7.4 million in 2010. What crisis? One of the key drivers of this success is the hundreds of separate little initiatives that are being created to support the bigger campaign.

 

So, we like to donate, we believe in societal objectives of companies, but we don’t necessarily buy a specific brand of soda, just because it supports a cause. Even though, compared to rest of the E.U. and even the world, we have a relatively high level of trust in NGO’s and business (2011 Edelman Trust Barometer).

Are you still there? Trust high, purchasing low, donations high…What’s going on?!

What is clear that the real successful campaigns (like the ones described above) are not sponsored or linked to specific commercial companies (3FM is a public/non-commercial station). The beneficial NGO is the key eye-catcher.

This can be tricky when it comes to cause related marketing campaign, where you (among other aspects) use commercial products and services to increase aid and awareness to benefit the partnering NGO.

Therefore, let’s all help the Dutch with getting used to cause related marketing by making use of baby steps. We have to ease into the process. When I visited Cambodia last November, you could support a cause on every corner of every street. You could eat, drink and get your hair cut for charity. Here’s an opportunity for us Dutchies, since we like to ‘do for dollars’ (or maybe in our case: ‘ready, set, go for a Euro’).

Companies should encourage us to do for the cause, instead of buying for a cause. Ask consumers for online videos to promote the cause (you could sponsor ‘likes’), ask them to raise money through an event for the cause (you could match the amount raised). Make us active, engage us in supporting the cause, be creative!! Now that’s something we will buy. Now go, there are 11 months left…..

By: Maarten Simons