A must-see for fundraisers – and anyone interested in marketing/communications. This Canadian documentary by Léa Pool (based on the book by Samantha King) puts cause marketing front and center…and questions its validity as a philanthropic tool.
This scary (yes, scary) story should force fundraisers to examine things like: corporate partnerships and who really benefits; picking partners (Do you really want a pink ribbon on a handgun? Do you really want to associate with a corporation that sells unhealthy food or whose products include harmful elements?); messaging (How do those with cancer feel about this “fight” and winning or losing it?) And so much more.
By the way, how much money does cause marketing actually produce? How does cause marketing increase philanthropy? Not so much. Not so good. Check out “The Hidden Costs of Cause Marketing,” by Angela Eikenberry. Hey, fundraisers. Watch Pink Ribbons, Inc.
