Cause Marketing and The Sierra Club
I found it very difficult to find businesses that partner with the Sierra Club Foundation besides the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). There is limited sponsor information on their national and regional websites which allows for more content about the charity itself but made it frustrating when looking for cause marketing!
So I took to calling the charity and after a few phone transfers, I was in contact with the Seattle Chapter Fundraiser and Associate Director, Ben, who told me that cause marketing is very complex for the Sierra Club. Who would have known, but the foundation has very limited cause-related marketing and does not participate with many partners because they find they do not receive much ROI. They have had small national projects with REI, Patagonia and smaller companies, but other than that the Sierra Club does not partake in the complex contracts. Ben told me that the organizational culture leans towards politics and thus does not partner with many businesses.
When looking through the Sierra Club's Instagram, I found that they had partnered with Klean Kanteen, a family owned re-usable, stainless steel water bottle company for their 125th anniversary.
Since it is difficult for the Sierra Club to partner with businesses, I would recommend them to partner with those organizations that share the same values so to eliminate the stress that comes with contracts. I would recommend the Charity contact REI and Patagonia again for a campaign that will bring long-term mutual benefit to both organizations. One fund that would work well with both businesses is "Preserve Our Wild America".
I think it is cool that they did a social media campaign with Klean Kanteen! I agree that the Sierra Club would be a good partner for REI and Patagonia.
ReplyDeleteHello Abby! I can understand how hard it is to find a constant ROI from partners. You are absolutely right that they must find someone who does indeed share the same values and similar missions in order to join together and strive to reach a similar goal. Finding someone with passion for the same thing is definitely key.
ReplyDeleteNice post, Abby! Well-thought out and informative! I think that partnering with bigger businesses and/or organizations such as REI, as you suggested, would be a great idea because it can build awareness for The Sierra Club. I think that partnering with a company such as Hydroflask would be beneficial for them as well!
ReplyDeleteI think it's cool how they partnered with Klean Kanteen but I do think that they should partner with other companies to enhance their brand and get more recognition for their company.
ReplyDeleteI really like that you are giving a recommendation based on what you found out after speaking with Ben! It sounds like a really good idea and I agree that finding companies with the same values will alleviate some of the stress that comes with contracts!
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