How Brands Turn Cause Marketing Campaigns into Millions Worth of Media Coverage

Why we’re all in on performance branding – and how it can transform your growth.

How Brands Turn Cause Marketing Campaigns into Millions Worth of Media Coverage

Bryan Karas

September 12, 2018

SodaStream recently partnered with the Oceanic Society to create a campaign that takes a stand against the overuse of disposable plastic bottles. The campaign name, Drowning Liberty, includes a 20 foot high Statue of Liberty replica “drowning” in a steel cage full of disposable plastic bottles.

SodaStream also created a limited edition “Be the Change” bottle that reminds people to love the Earth, reduce their ecological footprint and reuse – you can get fa free “Be the Change” bottle if you sign up for their sustainability pledge online.

The SodaStream and Oceanic Society partnership is a great example of cause marketing that falls in line with both the SodaStream product and brand.

SodaStream CEO Daniel Birnbaum said, “We’ve launched our pledge as a rallying cry. Together, we will liberate America from plastic straws, bags, cups and of course single-use plastic bottles—to significantly reduce the global plastic pollution epidemic.”

Sort of a herd mentality…

A new report was released that more than half of teenagers, aged 16-19, have deliberately purchased from or stopped purchasing from brands due to ethical reasons. Almost two-thirds stated they would pay more for brands that support causes and charities that mean something to them and 85 percent believe brands should limit their environmental impact.

Whew – that was a lot of data…

But every data point supports what SodaStream is trying to do – which makes a lot of sense coming from a company that boasts a user base over 12.5 million households. The keyword there? Households. Families. Teens.

And today, teens (GenZ) – have a lot of influence over family decisions – especially in athletic wear…

Just Do It

There’s mixed emotions about Nike’s new “Just Do It” campaign featuring former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick. But you got to give it up to Nike…they are ridiculously bold.

And using such a “controversial” athlete to be the face card of their new campaign – people on social media got really mad and started burning Nike shoes and apparel – is something most brands would shy away from…

Nike also got the timing right. They knew that the debate about Kaep and other players kneeling for the National Anthem would come up right before the NFL season started. So they launched a two minute commercial during the first Thursday Night primetime game. Epic!

The result? Over $43 million in media buzz, tons of meme parodies and a 31 percent uptick in sales…

The lesson? Be bold and passionate about the cause your brand takes a stand on. Don’t shy away from “potential” backlash. If what you do is true to your brand, that authenticity will shine through…and that’s something your customers will love about you.

Learn how to successfully create your own cause marketing campaign

Persuading people to stop bad habits, create new good ones and change the culture around us isn’t an easy task. So take this approach outlined by HBR the next time you’re looking into creating a new cause marketing campaign.