Marketing with heart: CRM builds loyal customer base
Traditionally associated with marketing and promotions, corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities have created their own niche and are increasingly recognized by companies as endeavors that must be done separately from advertising.
CSR has come full circle. Not only are CSR projects being integrated into companies’ value chains, they are also being re-injected as a major component of marketing activities in the form of cause-related marketing (CRM).
“CRM happens when businesses that generally exist for profit, work with cause-oriented groups for their mutual benefit,” explains Rocky Sanchez Tirona, managing director and head of Campaigns Social Response, a unit of the marketing agency Campaigns & Grey specializing in advocacy and CSR.
She is, however, quick to differentiate CRM with donations and dole-outs, stressing that “CRM is building a relationship with cause-oriented partners.”
It turns out that customers reward such partnerships with their loyalty. International trends show that increasingly demanding consumers are consistently won over by companies that stand for something other than profit.
CRM can be tricky – campaigns must be built around causes easily associated with a company’s brand.
But if done right, CRM can work wonders for a company. In the Philippines, a soap brand saw improved sales after it promoted the Department of Health’s hand-washing campaign.
Tirona will be expounding on CRM as moderator in a session at the upcoming CSR Conference 2008 organized by the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF). The session will explain how companies use CSR to create CRM campaigns that build brand loyalty. Case studies of successful CRM campaigns will be presented.
Campaigns & Grey has long been a partner of LCF as the two share a commitment to advocate the integration of CSR into companies’ business practices.
“It makes good business sense to do CSR, and the LCF’s CSR Conference is a great opportunity to show more companies how they can do well by doing good.” Tirona says.
LCF’s CSR Conference 2008 will be held from July 16 to 18 at the Makati Shangri-La.
CSR has come full circle. Not only are CSR projects being integrated into companies’ value chains, they are also being re-injected as a major component of marketing activities in the form of cause-related marketing (CRM).
“CRM happens when businesses that generally exist for profit, work with cause-oriented groups for their mutual benefit,” explains Rocky Sanchez Tirona, managing director and head of Campaigns Social Response, a unit of the marketing agency Campaigns & Grey specializing in advocacy and CSR.
She is, however, quick to differentiate CRM with donations and dole-outs, stressing that “CRM is building a relationship with cause-oriented partners.”
It turns out that customers reward such partnerships with their loyalty. International trends show that increasingly demanding consumers are consistently won over by companies that stand for something other than profit.
CRM can be tricky – campaigns must be built around causes easily associated with a company’s brand.
But if done right, CRM can work wonders for a company. In the Philippines, a soap brand saw improved sales after it promoted the Department of Health’s hand-washing campaign.
Tirona will be expounding on CRM as moderator in a session at the upcoming CSR Conference 2008 organized by the League of Corporate Foundations (LCF). The session will explain how companies use CSR to create CRM campaigns that build brand loyalty. Case studies of successful CRM campaigns will be presented.
Campaigns & Grey has long been a partner of LCF as the two share a commitment to advocate the integration of CSR into companies’ business practices.
“It makes good business sense to do CSR, and the LCF’s CSR Conference is a great opportunity to show more companies how they can do well by doing good.” Tirona says.
LCF’s CSR Conference 2008 will be held from July 16 to 18 at the Makati Shangri-La.