The Marketing Book 5th Edition

690 The Marketing Book

British Gas has sought to address the issue of

fuel poverty and excess winter deaths through a

holistic partnership that combines the skills of

one of Britain’s leading charities with British

Gas funding, expertise and stakeholder sup-

port. Our work with Help the Aged has realised

both positive community impact and commer-

cial business benefits.

Simon Waugh, Centrica Group Director of

Marketing

Lever Faberg ́e – Persil ‘Say Pants to

Poverty’ with Comic Relief

Persil raised £300 000 in just six weeks for
Comic Relief 2001, bringing the total raised
from the two-year cause-related marketing
partnership to over £560 000.
Persil’s aim was to create an innovative and
eye-catching campaign, and make as much
‘noise’ around Red Nose Day’s 2001 theme, ‘Say
Pants to Poverty’. Special promotional Persil
packs, sporting Y-fronts, bloomers and boxer
shorts on the front, went on sale from February
through to Red Nose Day on 16 March.
A donation went to Comic Relief for each
pack sold – the amount of the donation varying
according to the size of the pack purchased,
from 2p to 16p. The back of Persil packs gave
details of how to obtain a Comic Relief informa-
tion pack, full of fun ideas on how to raise
funds for Red Nose Day. Further money was
donated as a result of internal fundraising.
Persil extended its support for Comic
Relief through awareness raising events,
including TV, press and poster advertising,
toilet door signage in over 500 pubs, a PR
campaign featuring the Persil ‘Arty Pants’
collection and radio activity. Persil also spon-
sored Comic Relief’s fundraising packs for
schools and youth clubs, and the office lottery
posters (for more details, please refer to Adkins,
1999a, Chapter 17).

There is an excellent fit between Persil and

Comic Relief – both are trusted brands with a

strong heritage and caring attributes.

The partnership has clearly demonstrated

that both parties can benefit hugely – for Persil

it provides an innovative, eye-catching way to

communicate with its consumers; for Comic

Relief significant funds have been raised for

causes in the UK and Africa. It truly is a win–

win situation.

John Ballington, Corporate and Consumer

Affairs Director, Lever Faberg ́e

The relationship with Persil has worked very

well and been a real pleasure for everyone

working with them on Red Nose Day 2001. The

relationship has involved many elements

because of the different aspects of the campaign

and the Persil team has embraced them all with

a commitment and determination to make

Persil’s contribution as effective as possible.

Persil and Comic Relief had already worked

together as a major partner in 1999 and this has

meant that we could both benefit from our

experience and maximize the opportunities

open to us in 2001. Persil’s marketing team have

been completely focused on the Comic Relief

campaign and have worked tirelessly to make it

the biggest and cleanest Red Nose Day ever!

Terry Mills, Corporate Fundraising

Manager, Comic Relief

Summary

With the increasing economic power of and

pressure on business in society today, con-

sumers and other stakeholders are increasingly

demanding of businesses. The context in which

organizations are operating has changed dra-

matically in the last decade. There is a rising

tide of expectation across all sectors of society

which manifests itself in many ways, from

taking to the street with placards to taking to

the desk with a pen and paper, to taking to the

Internet. Protest, silent or violent, is a factor in

today’s society, and one which business and

marketing within the business have to take into

account if they are to continue to thrive. As

understanding of the new dynamic develops,