Good Consumption and Cause Marketing

I was once searching for a product on eBay when I came across a unique badge. Although I was also an eBay seller, it was my first time seeing this badge.  I looked closer and realized it was an icon relating to a charity. This icon signifies that when a product is sold, part of the proceeds go to a charity, that the seller chooses to donate to.  Even though the price was a bit higher than that of equivalent products, maybe it was because it was going to a good cause.  When I compared it to other products, I preferred this one, and ultimately bought it. Yes, the price was a bit more, but as it was something I needed and it did help a good cause, I did not feel that it was expensive at all. Remember this nice memory and use this strategy to your advantage when you sell products on eBay.  Sellers can achieve social responsibility through sales, buyers are satisfied with good deals through good consumption, and will draw out a good response from consumers.

When a company uses a portion of their revenue for the public good, this is a strategy will attract a consumer’s good consumption called Cause Marketing. This strategy of donating and pursuing public good can bring a positive image to sellers or companies and will attract a consumer's attention.  When the consumer purchases the desired product through good consumption, there is a sense of sharing and camaraderie, and we can say that this marketing is a win-win situation.

Toms Shoes, with its slogan “Shoes for tomorrow,” is a prime example of this type of marketing. When founder Blake Mycoskie was traveling in Argentina, he was shocked to see that children living in poverty were unable to buy shoes, so he established this company seeing this as an opportunity. The Toms logo is similar to the Argentine flag, and through this story, the consumer knows that when they buy a pair of shoes, Toms donates a pair to children in third-world countries. These donations were met with great enthusiasm, and despite not doing any special marketing, many consumers shared their personal social media accounts after purchasing Toms Shoes, showing their social decency as well as sharing their products and values. Ten years later, it has become a global brand in footwear.

Of course, it is impossible to acquire the overwhelming support of consumers through the strategy of good intention. However, Toms has differentiated their products by reducing the weight of shoes and with the development of functionality and design have created beautiful, practical shoes. Additionally, through unique designs, they secured consumers from various age groups, regardless of gender or age, and at the same time, along with a comfortable fit, their social empathy and practical aspects have been recognized.

“Vision without action is merely a dream. Vision with action can change the world.”

The most important thing, in the end, is authenticity. If you do things simply to develop an image for your company or prioritize sales, no matter how good your goal is, you will be unable to win the hearts of consumers. The moment consumers feel that they have been deceived by good intentions, that is when they will feel antipathy, and you should anticipate enormous adverse effects.

Rather than treating cause marketing that can give consumers justification for their purchases as well as giving back to society as simply marketing, if you make the effort to be authentic, you will receive true empathy from consumers, and through good consumption.  Both company and consumer will be able to contribute successfully to society.