There are plenty of good ways for brands today to engage internet users and try to get them to become customers of the brand. Advertising and marketing efforts on the web are at a high point and have been throughout 2012. There are other marketing techniques that brands can take to get customers though, that many brands have realized already. One in particular can help brands find their desired results, while at the same time it can help any given charity or cause, and it is quite coincidental in light of the 121212 Concert for Sandy Relief. According to recent a recent reporting from eMarketer, internet users respond better to brands that have aligned themselves with a charitable cause.
In 2010, 67% of respondents reported buying from such a brand at least once a year. That number held relatively steady in 2012, at 66%. But where the tendencies really diverged was among those who frequently made purchases with societal impact in mind. Nearly half of those who bought from cause-supporting brands in 2012 said they did so monthly. That’s compared to only 32% who bought with the same frequency in 2010.. According to results of a study from Edelman, a public relations company, which eMarketer reported, there are a lot of internet users today who see a social purpose is a trigger to purchase. In 2008, the percentage of internet users that felt this way was at 42%. In 2009 and 2010, the percentage stayed pretty steady, only dancing a little between 43% and 41% respectively. However according to the study, in 2012 the percentage of internet users who are looking for a social cause when purchasing from a brand has reached 53%.
It may sound like something that is not really a big deal in the marketing world, but internet users are now purchasing from these brands that support causes much more frequently these days.
In 2010, 67% of respondents reported buying from such a brand at least once a year. That number held relatively steady in 2012, at 66%. But where the tendencies really diverged was among those who frequently made purchases with societal impact in mind. Nearly half of those who bought from cause-supporting brands in 2012 said they did so monthly. That’s compared to only 32% who bought with the same frequency in 2010.
Not only will an affiliation with any given charity bring internet users to a purchase from a brand, but it will also bring their friends. According to the study, “Three-quarters of consumers worldwide said they would recommend a product from a company that supported a good cause, and the same number would share a positive opinion of that company.”
The importance of charity in marketing any brand or business is something that people rarely talk about, but according to these results, there is quite a bit of impact behind it. This fact just goes to show that if you want to get something, you must first give something. I suppose this fact is also good for charitable organizations, being that as long as marketers need to affiliate themselves with charities, donations from these brands and marketers will continue to come in. With both organizations benefiting from this marketing method is all smiles.
