Have you heard of Brandon Cook, the man whose grandmother had terminal cancer and wanted clam chowder from Panera Bread (and ONLY from Panera Bread)? Brandon called on a Wednesday. Panera Bread only makes clam chowder on Fridays. However, the store manager was happy to help, and even packed some cookies for his dying grandmother. It will be the last solid meal his grandmother will enjoy, and it was a great opportunity to see how a little goodwill can go a long way.
Cook shared his experience via Socia Media and since then, Panera Bread has received an outpouring of social media love, and righteously so.
Often, companies pair up with non-profit organizations to increase their own brand awareness while donating much-needed funds and awareness to the non-profit’s cause. In this instance, Panera Bread as a whole is getting national brand recognition for a good-hearted gesture from one of its employees. But can a company plan for this type of community result? The answer is yes, and in our industry we call this cause-based marketing campaigns.
The use of this type of marketing works. Review the following numbers noted in Retail Online Integration (retailonlineintegration.com, July/August 2012):
- 47% of consumers have bought a brand at least monthly that supports a cause, representing a 47% increase from 2010
- 39% increase in consumers saying they “would recommend” cause-related brands to friend
- 34% increase to consumers who “would promote” cause-related brands
- 9% increase in number of consumers who said they would switch brands if a similar brand supported a good cause
- 55% of respondents believe CEOs need to make a long-term commitment to address societal issues.
On a personal note, we will be completing our donated work for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society this month. Man, it feels good to be a part of something great!