Social Media Marketing

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perspective on the cause itself. The issue-awareness created by association with cause-based

organizations such as Habitat for Humanity or the Susan G. Komen Foundation within

the businesses that support these organizations brings significant value to all involved.

At the same time, by being directly involved in a way that connects your busi-

ness with a cause, you also create a new relevance and point of engagement with your

customers and stakeholders. As they develop an appreciation for your participation—in

however large or small a way you have chosen—you’ll find yourself garnering favorable

references on the Social Web and gaining new insights into how your existing business

can better serve its markets.

Figure 10.4 shows the Tyson Foods “Hunger All-Stars” program, a cause-based

effort that taps the company’s unique capabilities across a number of social channels

and additionally highlights the individual contributions of its Hunger All-Stars. This

point is a big one: Highlighting the individual contributions—making the participants

the stars rather than the brand—is an absolute “best practice” in social business.

Figure 10.4 Tyson Foods’ Hunger All-Stars