Have you ever seen an advertisement for a brand that actually invites consumers to participate in social actions? Cause branding is a form of public relations activity carried out by companies that have non-economic goals and are related to social welfare and use company resources or company partners. When a company chooses to cause branding, the company does not only use advertising to sell products commercially but also part of the profits made by the company will be donated to help overcome or prevent certain problems.
Cause branding is also an alternative for companies that manage many brands such as Unilever, Danone, Nestle, and others as a way of publication for corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities. The goal is related to the long-term image and reputation of the company. Image and reputation are intangible assets that need to be maintained, especially during the current pandemic, many companies, especially those in the consumer goods sector, are competing to create philanthropic programs aimed at recovering from COVID-19 in the new normal.
This strategy was taken as a way to improve the company’s reputation as an institution that also has concerns about current global problems. The benefits of cause branding are beneficial for many parties, namely the recipients (causes) of assistance and consumers. The customer has the opportunity to help the cause. The recipient (cause) of the Cause branding program will benefit the company in the form of current publicity through social media that can improve the company’s image.
In developing a cause branding strategy, the following must be considered:
- The focus of the activities is outlined in the selected themes and social issues that the company wants to raise.
- This Cause branding activity to gain the trust of stakeholders and invite the community to participate must be carried out consistently in the long term, for example for 3 months or in series, and routinely carried out.
- Cause branding activities are associated with the brand of the company with the aim of forming the identity of the brand, for example
- Naming Cause branding activities with names, logos to more easily communicate their activities to stakeholders.