08 Nov Launch Your Cause Marketing Campaigns with Facebook Deals
When Facebook announced last week the launch of Deals – in effect, the missing business component of their Places location-based check-in functionality – almost lost in all the buzz about mobile coupons and loyalty programs was talk of what I think may be one of the most exciting opportunities for brands: Charity Deals.
In contrast to more traditional offers such “check in for 20% off your next purchase”, Charity Deals create a simple yet powerful way for your customers and fans to trigger a donation on behalf of your brand to your slected charities. Of the 21 initial launch partners announced by Facebook, five launched with Charity Deals:
- 24 Hour Fitness: Donating $1 to Kaboom to support children’s health for everyone who checks in to its fitness clubs.
- McDonald’s: Giving $1 per customer to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.
- North Face: Donating $1 to the National Park Foundation for every person who checks in at a North Face store or National Park.
- REI: Donating $1 to a local conservation non-profit when you visit its stores.
- Starbucks: Donating $1 per guest to Conservation International.
In each case, the charity selected aligns well with the overall brand image. 24 Hour Fitness supporting children’s health, REI and Starbucks supporting environmental causes, etc. The North Face takes an interesting twist and gives $1 for check-ins not only at its own retail store locations, but at any one of the 400+ US National Parks – so if you’re standing atop Half Dome at Yosemite, happen to have mobile data reception (can you email me your plan?) and your smartphone handy, you can simultaneously brag to your homebound friends while doing something positive for the parks.
Why is this important, and why are Charity Deals such an opportunity for brands? As reported by Adweek this fall, a recent marketing survey revealed significant benefits for brands who explicitly support causes:
- 41% of the people surveyed said that they’ve bought a product or service in the previous year because it was associated with a social or environmental cause;
- 81% said they want companies to “give them the opportunity to buy a cause-related product;”
- 83% agreed that “I would like to see more of the products, services or retailers I use support worthy causes;”
- 85% agreed with the statement “When a product or company supports a cause I care about, I have a more positive image of the product or company;”
- 61% said a link to an appealing cause would make them more willing to “try a new brand or one they’ve never heard of.”
There’s nothing terribly new about the value of cause marketing to brands of course. But Facebook’s Charity Deals introduce a new wrinkle, and become such a powerful tool for cause marketing because they invite your customer or fan into the giving process: by clicking “check-in” on their Facebook mobile application, they are directly involving themselves in your brand’s charitable giving through their own actions, developing deeper loyalty and satisfaction with your brand. And because they are doing it while presumably standing in or near your own retail location (North Face’s example notwithstanding), that act of giving in your brand’s name stands to have an even greater and more immediate impact in terms of new sales and new customers.
Of course, that charitable act carries even more weight thanks to the social aspect of Facebook, which is really what makes Charity Deals – and Facebook Deals all up – such a powerful tool for brands. While each charity check-in ideally creates positive feelings towards your brand, and maybe some spontaneous in-store buying in the afterglow, it also shares that bit of charity (and your store’s location) with the extended friend networks of each person who checks in. Given the average Facebook user has 130 friends, and over 200 million users access the social network through their mobile devices, the numbers – and potential impact – involved in a cause-related location-based marketing campaign using Facebook Deals quickly add up into real opportunity.
This is our third post on Facebook Deals so far. For more insights, please read the others: How Brands Can Benefit from Facebook Deals and Four Types of Facebook Deals.
