686 The Marketing Book
Media coverage.
Effect on reputation, image and/or awareness.
Effect on usage and/or attitude/favourability.
Customer satisfaction.
Employee satisfaction.
Other stakeholder satisfaction.
Impact on society.
Without measuring these aspects of the cause-
related marketing partnership, some of the
intrinsic elements of the programme can be
overlooked.
What is beyond doubt is that cause-related
marketing is becoming too much a part of the
marketing armoury to be left to its own devices.
It will not be enough to be seen broadly as a
‘good thing’, and there will be increasing
pressure to measure this effectiveness well.
Case studies
Case studies have been provided to illustrate
the motivation, mechanics and results of some
award-winning examples, each of which have
won or been a finalist in the Business in the
Community Awards for Excellence in Cause
Related Marketing (for further information,
please see http://www.bitc.org.uk)..)
Tesco Computers for Schools
This cause-related marketing programme is
probably the most successful in the UK from
both the business and the cause point of view.
Essentially, it was developed as a one-off
10-week loyalty-based sales promotion pro-
gramme, based on a mechanic seen in the USA.
This was refined and developed by the Tesco
team and became what is today known as Tesco
Computers for Schools. So successful was it
when it first launched that it became a core part
of Tesco’s marketing strategy and has been in
the marketplace since about 1991, when Tesco
was a very different business than it is today.
Following research, schools were identi-
fied as a key cause of concern for parents and
communities and, within that broad category, it
was evident that IT equipment was a much
needed resource. The mechanic is straightfor-
ward, has been refined over the years but has
remained essentially the same and has been the
inspiration for many other schools-based
programmes.
During the spring term, for an eight to ten
week period, consumers are encouraged to
shop at Tesco and to spend £10. For every £10
spent, customers receive a voucher. Customers
donate these vouchers to their chosen school.
Schools have to register with Tesco and collect
the vouchers, which can then be redeemed
against IT and related equipment chosen from
an extensive catalogue.
The critical factor throughout the pro-
gramme is choice. Consumers and schools
choose whether or not to participate. Should
they decide to participate, then the consumer
chooses the school they want to support, and
the school chooses the equipment to suit
children of all ages and for schools with
varying budgets. Special needs equipment is
also included.
The objective for the programme from the
business point of view has been to build
customer loyalty, drive traffic into stores,
increase spend and reinforce Tesco’s proposi-
tion of ‘Every Little Helps’.
From the cause point of view, Tesco has
been committed to making a real impact on IT
literacy in schools. Since 1991, when the pro-
gramme first began, Tesco has provided
£70 million worth of IT-related equipment to
schools.
The programme has been thoroughly sup-
ported since it began, with TV, press and radio
advertising, as well as significant communica-
tions in-store and on-pack. Over the years,
Tesco suppliers have participated too, by offer-
ing special promotional packs, and Tesco has
extended the offer to include petrol.
Importantly, this Tesco Computers for
Schools programme is very clearly a national
strategy, but it is delivered locally. Local stores
are the ‘face’ of Tesco in the community and