Cause Marketing

In the January 25th edition of the Wall Street Journal, an article caught my eye about automaker Fiat. The company is promoting its Lancia Delta model in an ad celebrating Nobel Prize winners and raising awareness about a woman named Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Laureate and an activist under house arrest in Myanmar. The ad features prominent world peace keepers being driven up in the Lancia Delta (brand not prominently displayed) and then a white empty car pulls up with an empty back seat where Aung San Suu Kyi should be. The commercial is airing in Europe and since it is primarily a public interest piece, distribution on major networks has been cheap or free.

I've noticed a few of these types of commercials pop up over the past few weeks. The most memorable is one for community activism that ends up being sponsored by Starbucks. These ads are most likely a direct response to the increasing clutter in the TV channel and the increasing pressure on promotions budgets as the economy negatively affects income statements around the world. The happy consequence is that companies are becoming even more involved in social and cultural movements which makes them seem more relevant and tied in with the lives of consumers. The drawback is that not very much specific product information can be communicated, but by striking an emotional chord with viewers, I think these commercials could be very effective.

I hope to have the opportunity to explore these types of activism initiatives in the business world. It is an exciting time when CSR initiatives are becoming increasingly justified in financial terms and not only image terms.