Cause Marketing Metrics
Supporting a charity as part of the online retail experience can be an impactful way to connect your business with a cause your customers care about. It can also have a big impact on some important eCommerce metrics
Cause Marketing Examples
Conversion Rates
Average Order Value
Customer Lifetime Value
Customer Acquisition
What is Cause Marketing?
Cause marketing or cause related marketing is a business approach that involves a company aligning itself with social and environmental causes. It is a great marketing strategy as it mutually benefits the company's image as well as the cause or causes it is supporting.
There are many ways to take part including direct donations and partnerships with nonprofit organizations as well as involvements in awareness campaigns or working to make a business more environmentally friendly.
Cause Marketing Examples
When thinking of great cause marketing examples a ton of great companies and initiatives come to mind including Patagonia and their environmental conservation efforts as well as Toms donating shoes to those in need.
However, one of the best examples of cause marketing is one of the first. In 1983 American Express ran a cause marketing campaign with proceeds supporting the Statue of Liberty and its much needed Repain.
As part of the campaign - American Express donated 1 cent towards its restoration every time someone used onf of their cards. This campaign not only helped to raise $1.7 million for the statue's repair,but it also resulted in some great metrics for the company with card usage increasing by 27% and in increase in new card applications of 45%.
Benefits of Cause Marketing
Cause Marketing is a great way to connect with consumers and build strong Brand Values. While there are a don of intangible benefits of being an ethical business including brand perception, employee satisfaction, etc. There are also some direct benefits of cause marketing that eCommerce brands can track.
Conversion Rates
When a customer trusts a business and feels good about their purchase businesses can expect to see an increase in conversion reates, here are a few examples.
Giving from all Products
When a business supports a charity and donates a set percentage of revenue towards the cause it is a clear way to show customers that you care and this can have a direct impact on conversion rates.
A study by Cone Communications found that businesses supporting a cause they care about can see an 10% increase in conversion rates.
When the Virtue Brand PAWDAW of London started supporting Dogs on the Streets they saw a 24% increase in conversion rates.
Dedicating an Item to a cause
By aligning a product with a clear impact (like cleaning the oceans or planting trees) customers can clearly understand the commitment to tackling issues - and this can have a massive impact when selling an item.
A Study by Cone Communications found that 79% of consumers are more likely to buy a product that is committed to solving social and environmental issues.
Customer Donations at Checkout
While this is not directly giving as a store - businesses that let their customers add a donation as part of the checkout process are a very powerful way to give back.
Especially strong when the store is also supporting a cause - a study by The Giving Institute found that checkout donations can increase conversion rates by up to 2%.
Average Order Value
When a customer knows that a company and a product support good initiatives they are willing to spend more on the items.
A study by Nielson found that 66% of global customers are willing to pay more for products and services committed to positive social and environmental impact. At the same time, another study by IBM found that customers are willing to spend up to 70% more on those products.
Customer Lifetime Value
When supporting a good cause your customers will see an increase in customer loyalty. The Cone Communications survey also found that 75% of consumers are likely to stay loyal to a brand that supports a social or environmental cause.
Customer Acquisition
In a similar vein to customer loyalty - having strong values is a great way to acquire new customers. According to a study by Cone 86% of customers saying they will switch to another brand if they believe the company is not committed to social responsibility.
