Monthly feature on Cause Marketing Highlights the efforts of CRY. In discussion with Yogita Verma Saighal

1. cause marketing
‘The end result of kindness is that it draws people to you'
– Anita Roddick
A 2010 Edelman survey on the Indian consumer only
confirmed what CRY – Child Rights and You, has
experienced through working with companies committed
to children for over 34 years. And it's this – Indian
consumers do want to engage with brands that prioritize
social issues! In this survey, 78% of the consumers said
they would switch brands if a brand of equal quality
supported a cause. In a study that CRY commissioned
independently through Hansa Research in 2012, we saw
a repeat of the same pattern – CSR was the third most
important attribute determining brand choice after brand
name and price, higher even than consumer promotions,
after sales service or celebrity endorsements.
CRY's own experience in partnering with companies that
have chosen the cause marketing approach has been
very insightful. What we have found, is that it's the
companies that are truly committed to making a
difference and are willing to commit to a programme that
is long term, that see the maximum benefit in terms of
consumer goodwill, employee motivation and stakeholder
support.
Some of our most successful partnerships have been
with companies like Procter & Gamble and Aviva and
more recently, with Hindustan Times and Marico. All of
their programmes have a few essential characteristics in
common:
ŸThe programmes are long term, spanning several
years
ŸThey work to engage every stakeholder in their eco-
system
ŸThey truly want to bring about significant change in
children's lives
Take Aviva for example, a key player in the crowded
Insurance market which had more than 24 players in
2009 when they identified children as the focus of their
CSR strategy. Aviva chose to launch its global 'Street to
School' programme in 2009 along with a new brand
thought around 'Education is Insurance'. They created an
impactful stakeholder engagement programme that
reached out to consumers, sales offices, employees and
the media. Sales branches adopted schools and
conducted donation drives.
Aviva employees volunteered to work in the community to
improve children's lives through hands-on work. They
also donated one day's salary to support CRY projects
across the country. Special days were created for
employees to bring in their families to office for an
engagement with CRY on children's issues. There was
also a large amount of media and PR support through
advertising and multi-city press conferences.
All of this has resulted in a deep sense of organisational
pride amongst their employees as well as a 26% increase
in sales over three years. Brand consideration also rose
dramatically from 27% in 2009 to 40%. But most
importantly, they have brought learning, hope and
happiness to close to 50,000 children who now have
access to quality education.
Doing Good can be Good for Business
by Yogita Verma Saighal
43Marketing Booster Jun-Jul 2013I

2. 44
Similarly, last year Hindustan Times launched 'You Read
they Learn', a programme that donates part proceeds of
the subscription value of the newspaper to CRY
supported projects in Delhi city. This year, they have
taken reader engagement to a completely new level by
offering them a chance to volunteer and enrol children
into school over the summer. Hundreds of volunteers
have spent time in the slums of Delhi identifying children
who were out of school and enrolling them into a
government school. It has been tremendously inspiring to
watch students, working professionals and senior citizens
come together to ensure a brighter future for Delhi's out
of school children.
Procter & Gamble is another interesting example. They
launched project 'Shiksha' in partnership with CRY in
2005 with a high octane 360-degree marketing
programme that covered employees, distributors,
retailers and of course the consumer. Part proceeds from
sale of P&G products were donated to CRY projects.
Employees that supported the programme most
effectively were recognized at an internal awards
function, as were high performing distributors and
retailers. Extensive media and PR support was put
behind the campaign. In the first five years of the
programme, sales saw a four-fold increase enabling CRY
to significantly impact the lives of 96,000 children.
Marico's Nihar Naturals has also partnered with CRY to
launch 'Chote Kadam Pragati ki Or' that focuses on
children's education through donation of part proceeds
from product sales. It is already seeing incredible
response from its consumers, employees and sales force
and is committed to using this programme to deepen the
engagement with mothers and their children.
In our assessment, what distinguishes the above
companies from others is that they are authentic in their
commitment to children. And this authenticity is
recognized, valued and strengthened by all who engage
with the brand.
Yogita Verma Saighal is the Director - Resource
Mobilisation & Volunteer Action at CRY - Child Rights and
You
Marketing Booster Jun-Jul 2013I