Cause-related marketing: who cares wins 681
This whole area is covered in great detail in
Adkins (1998, 1999a). It is only possible to
provide an outline in this chapter of some of the
key issues to consider when developing cause-
related marketing partnerships.
Planning and preparation
The maxim ‘failing to plan is planning to fail’ is
true of cause-related marketing as it is for any
other activity. Investing time and effort at the
beginning is critical. A clear first stage of this
process is to understand what the organization
wants to achieve and why. The creators need to
be clear on the vision, values and style of their
own organization in order that they know what
they are looking for in a partner. The next step
is to develop a clear brief. And in doing so, it is
essential to provide the following types of
information (Adkins, 1998, 1999a):
The background and nature of your
organization.
The organization’s vision, values and objectives.
The specific objectives with regard to this
brief, including details of the target market and
any known constraints.
The budgets and timing.
The selection criteria.
What is expected by when in way of a
response, for example a presentation or
report etc.
The contact name for further information.
The more detail included at this stage the better.
With a solid brief in place, the next step is to
find a partner. This can be done in a number of
ways. Methods range from desk research and a
tendering process through to responding to a
whim of a senior member of the organization.
Clearly, the more solid the foundation the more
lasting the structure. There are also important
details to consider as part of the selection
process, for instance what costs may be incur-
red and who will meet them. Also, if a
tendering process is followed, it is important to
adhere to the existing guidelines and protocols
(Adkins, 1998, p. 8). Before deciding on a
partner or partners, it is critical to fully under-
stand the other organization’s objectives and
values, in broad terms, and ensure that they
fully understand yours. Organizations whose
values have no synergy are unlikely to be able
to develop an effective partnership. It is impor-
tant therefore to take time to understand and
present these values and culture to all parties in
order to appreciate the potential synergies and
opportunities. Business and the voluntary sec-
tor often work in very different ways from each
other, and therefore be sure the following are
clearly understood (Adkins, 1998, 1999a): The organizational structure.
The geographical distribution.
The relationship between the organization and
its employees, volunteers, supporters and
beneficiaries, as appropriate.
The work ethos, decision-making processes
and levels of authority.
The planning and investment cycles.Defining the scope of your
partnership
Before any negotiations take place on the
details of how the partnership will operate, it is
important to be clear who owns the idea and
the intended duration of the relationship,
including an exit strategy and the likely scale of
investment, contributions and rewards. Manag-
ing the expectations of all involved at this stage
is crucial if the partnership is to be founded on
the key principles and is to be a success.
Misleading partners about capacity, invest-
ment, contribution and commitment etc. is
clearly unethical, and will be counter-pro-
ductive and destructive of any potential part-
nership(Adkins, 1998, 1999a, Chapter 21).Gaining commitment to the
partnership
To be a success, the commitment of senior
executives in the partner organization is
essential. Having this level of the organization