‘Tis the season for charitable donations and spreading support for those people and causes that make a difference in the world. This year, don’t be afraid to promote the causes that your business supports. A 2008 Barkley Cause Survey found that consumers not only respond positively to businesses that give back, but 91 percent of Americans want companies to tell them how they are supporting causes.

When looking to adopt a cause for your company, try to support a cause that is relevant to you or your industry. This will be more meaningful to your business and to your customers. A powerful example of cause marketing is TOMS Shoes. For each pair of shoes sold at TOMS Shoes, one pair is donated to a child in need.

Alternatively, consumers are turned off by businesses that attempt to deflect bad publicity through calculated cause marketing. A coal-burning power plant, for example, would be unbelievable as a “green” movement leader unless it can demonstrate increased research and funding for development of “green” alternatives to coal.

It’s important to remember that consumers may not be aware of a cause that your business supports, so you will need to promote the supported cause. Post pictures and write a blog about charitable events your business attends. Include information about your cause of choice on the company web site and social media networks, via newsletters, on packaging and in-store. Here are some examples of businesses who successfully promote their support:

• Dawn Dish Soap TV Spot supporting wildlife conservation.
• Swiffer dusters created limited edition packaging supporting breast cancer research.
• jhP posted this video to social media networks to support the United Way kickoff.
• Chase credit cards is using a Facebook application to select more than 100 charities that receive at least $25,000. Facebook fans log on and vote for their favorite nonprofit organization.
• Campbell’s Soup integrates their support for labels for education into their web site tool bar.

What types of cause marketing does your company engage in? What examples have you seen that are particularly note-worthy?

Remember how exciting the grocery store checkout stand was when you were a kid? That’s where all the really good stuff was. All those bright colors and tempting candies. The one I always begged for was a parent’s nightmare – that gooey yumminess that came in a squeezable tube. I don’t recall the name, but that bright package still catches my eye.

That’s how big a difference packaging makes. I still buy gum, and many other products, based on what package looks the coolest or is most eye–catching. The same goes for services. When choosing between a car repair shop that’s tidy and in a safe neighborhood or one that’s junky and in a scary area, which do you choose? Based on the physical evidence, you’ll probably go to the first shop. Customers base purchase decisions on comfort and trust. It’s what builds relationships. That’s why packaging and physical evidence are two very important additional Ps in the marketing mix.

Packaging:

It’s about appearances. First impressions and how your product shines next to your competition’s products are crucial. Our lifetime of checkout stand experiences proves that. Packaging can be your strongest asset, or a sales killer – remember Tropicana’s recent rebrand? Consumers come to recognize and depend on the look of our products as they make their choices. So it’s essential to regularly research and reevaluate our packaging designs for impact and effectiveness.

Physical Evidence:

It’s also about facts. Physical realities allow consumers to form opinions of your services or products based on what they see. This is another reason why it’s important to gain insight from someone outside of your company. Find out what people think of your location’s cleanliness, appearance, and how they think your product looks. Is your business’ location organized and attractive? Does your product appear fresh and able to function?

In the marketing mix, sometimes you have to judge a book by its cover. That said, what makes your product or service stand out and shine above the others?

Stay tuned to find out how positioning and perception affect your brand!

In the first week of Marketing 101 we learned the four P’s of the marketing mix: Price, Product, Place and Promotion. But as time went on, we discovered there are many MORE P’s to consider for successful marketing. So which ones are important? All of them!

Briefly, let’s take a look at two more P’s we should keep in mind.

People:

How many times has a company’s employee swayed your opinion of a product or service? Maybe your opinion improved – maybe it got worse! That’s why recruiting and training the best team to represent your business is so critical. As far as the customer is concerned, your people ARE your company.

So make sure you hire people who are well-suited to their positions. And give them good training so they can enjoy doing great work for you. Are your people well positioned for success?

Process:

For several years I worked for McDonald’s. That might be your last career choice – but I loved it. Their focus on process made work fun and easy. McDonald’s processes are time-tested for efficiency and quality control, which makes your meal experience consistent whether you visit McDonald’s in Topeka or Beijing. Fast-food fan or not, you always KNOW what to expect at McDonald’s. And that’s why they’re the category leader.

What processes do you have in place? Are they regularly re–evaluated from an outside perspective? How can improved processes make your customers’ experiences more reliable?

Next time, we’ll look at Physical Evidence and Packaging.

On those Extreme Makeover shows, it’s fun when the family says, “Wow! You look so terrific, we almost wouldn’t recognize you!” But what if the makeover was SO extreme that the baffled husband said, “… who are you?” And the kids cried, “Where’s our mommy?” That’s exactly what happened to PepsiCo’s Tropicana Pure Premium Orange Juice products.

After a major package redesign, Tropicana sales dropped a whopping 20% between January 1 and February 22, 2009, according to AdAge.com. To stop the bleeding, PepsiCo, the parent company of Tropicana, trashed the new look and rushed back to the old design. So what went wrong?

1.) PepsiCo underestimated the value of package recognition.

Consumers knew Tropicana by its look. But when the re–branded packaging was put next to other orange juice brands (Minute Maid, Dole, etc.) nothing said to the consumer, “Hey! It’s me, your old friend Tropicana!” The key design elements that made Tropicana packaging iconic to loyal customers were either muted or missing. Consumers no longer recognized their favorite drink. They assumed it was gone and simply grabbed another brand.

2.) The redesign was too much too fast!

It’s often best to ease into a new logo or package design gradually. But Tropicana dove head first. The packaging changed so suddenly and radically that loyal customers looked right past it.

3.) The packaging was too generic.

Although the new packaging was attractive on the design board, it looked so bland on the shelf that it simply blended into the background. Loyal customers couldn’t distinguish between their favorite brand and generic orange juice brands.

4.) The new packaging made it hard to distinguish between varieties.

Whether you were looking for Tropicana’s No Pulp or Calcium variety, all the new packaging looked the same! Tropicana’s previous packaging had used different colors to successfully differentiate each variety. Even customers who figured out what Tropicana looked like now couldn’t find the taste they wanted.

On February 23, after losing millions of dollars in sales, PepsiCo announced they were ditching their new look and reverting to the previous package design. Clearly, they learned a valuable lesson or two. What would you have done differently if you were PepsiCo?

When times are tough you return to the basics. With the economy in an uproar, people think twice before spending their hard-earned money. While it’s clear that marketers who maintain their advertising investments in a recession fare better both now and after the recovery, it’s still nerve-wracking in the short term. So what’s the basic solution? Talking.

Remember when marketers actually spoke to their customers? Remember those days when you walked into a store, someone greeted you and asked how they could help you or how your day was going? Now, with e–commerce, automated phone systems and a business world spinning a million miles a second it is uncommonly refreshing to receive direct and personal customer service. So today, when times are hard for everyone, remember to take a deep breath, get out there and talk to your customers and clients.

At jhP we’re committed to “the power of partnership.” We know relationships are the core of business success. When money’s tight you prefer to spend with those who offer proven service, who make your life a little easier, who ensure you have one less worry later, and who just plain help you feel better. It’s wise to be progressive in your advertising and marketing – but don’t forget the basics. Take a little time out of each day to talk to people. Maybe you’ll earn a lifelong customer from it – and/or a friend!