TriGreen Equipment, a John Deere dealership with locations in Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, wanted to do something to show support for Nashville after the flooding there this spring. Our team helped them donate a Gator vehicle to the Nashville Rising charity concert. The vehicle was signed by all the performers and auctioned off for charity (yes, that is Faith Hill in the photo). The dealership’s employees, the shoppers, the product and the event were all a natural fit.

Everybody wins when a brand aligns itself with a good cause. Charities receive material support and increased awareness, and corporations gain a healthy culture of altruism. However, a poorly planned effort could do more harm than good.  Before jumping in, take time to consider your approach:

1. Pick the right cause. You need to support an issue that you, your employees, and your shoppers can get behind. It could be a charity that has a natural affinity with your product or service like the Tide “Loads of Hope” program that helps families clean their clothes after a disaster. Maybe it is a local issue near your headquarters, or maybe it is a charity that your shoppers have a personal connection with like the Nashville flood and TriGreen.
2. Have the right motivation. Do not support a cause for publicity. Your support should be a natural extension of your corporate culture. Have a genuine heart for the issue and let others promote your contribution. Shoppers will recognize and reward authentic generosity. Ben & Jerry’s ice cream brand is famous among shoppers for its earnest activism, and has earned strict loyalty among its core consumers.
3. Follow through with the right execution. Make sure to execute your support with the same level of excellence that you would put into marketing your own products. Make sure that all levels of senior management are behind the cause, and try to put personal “skin” into the effort. For example, Cisco employees have personally helped build over 400 homes with Habitat for Humanity since 2001.