Selfish Giving's annual list of the top cause marketing promotions of 2016!

2. Hi, and Happy New Year!
I’m back with my annual list of 10 Best Cause
Marketing Promotions of 2016. As always, it was a
great year for cause marketing.
My 10 Best posts are by far the most popular piece of
content I’ve ever published on my blog – or anywhere
else for that matter. Combined these annual posts
have over 50,000 views.
You can see past “Best” posts here:
2015
2014
2013
My goal every January remains the same: to inspire
you to create interesting, effective and lucrative
cause marketing promotions that raise gobs of
money for your cause. This list is just a start. You can
find thousands more examples on my Pinterest
boards.
Wishing you all the best in 2017.
Joe Waters
Selfishgiving.com

3. Promotion: Red Nose Day
Partners: Walgreens, Red Nose Day
Why I Picked It: I picked this promotion for
several reasons.
First, it’s one of a few cause-related promotions
that’s been imported into the United States.
Over the past three decades Red Nose Day has
raised over $1 billion in the United Kingdom. It’s
now set to take the states by storm.
Second, the fundraiser was a huge success,
raising $18 million dollars through the sale of
over 12 million noses at Walgreens stores.
Third, Walgreens made fun a priority in this
promotion. Not only were they selling goofy red
noses to customers, but they had Red Flair
Fridays when employees could show their
support with red scarves, hats, etc.
Walgreens also devoted shelf space to selling
red swag items that also benefited the charity.
This promotion lived up to its tagline: Have fun.
Raise money. Change lives.
Want to learn more about Red Nose Day? See
my full post at Selfish Giving.

4. Promotion: Fundraiser for the Planet
Partners: Patagonia, Grassroot Environmental
Organizations
Why I Picked It: Last year, I admired outdoor retailer
REI for closing its stores so its employees and
customers could #OptOutside. We saw what a
retailer could do when it closed its stores on Black
Friday. But what could they could accomplish for a
cause when they kept them open?
We found out last month when Patagonia kept their
stores open on Black Friday and donated 100% of
sales toward saving the environment. Thanks to the
purchases of their customers, they raised ten
million! This was five times more than they
expected to raise.
The money will go to smaller environmental groups.
These organizations are doing outstanding work but
are not well known and are often cash-strapped.
In times when others are moving to the rear in the
fight against pollution and climate change,
Patagonia is standing firm on the front lines.
Want to learn more about Fundraiser for the
Planet? See my full post at Selfish Giving.

5. Promotion: PurposeFULL
Partners: Arby’s, Share Our Strength
Why I Picked It: As the second largest quick-serve
chain in the world, Arby's is making the most of its
ability to change the world.
I first learned about Arby's cause marketing at the
National Restaurant Show in Chicago last year where
they talked about the $15 million they've raised for
Share Our Strength since 2011.
But this is just one part of Arby's transformation into
a PurposeFULL company.
• Arby's has raised $77 million for youth-related
causes over the past 30 years.
• Arby's has reduced energy consumption in its
restaurants by 15.2% and conserved 7.4 million
through an irrigation pilot program.
• Arby's is on track to serve eggs from only cage-
free hens by 2020.
• Arby's is a good place to work and was named
one of the best and brightest companies to work
for in 2015.
Want to learn more about PurposeFULL? See my full
post at Selfish Giving.

6. Promotion: Vodka for Dog People
Partners: Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Emancipet
Why I Picked It: Just as Tito’s vodka is handmade, its
cause marketing is homegrown. When Tito’s
founder Bert Butler started making his vodka his
faithful dog was always with him. There were also
plenty of stray dogs in the area and Bert cared for
them too.
Over time, Tito’s formed a partnership with Austin-
based Emancipet to care for the dogs. It was a
natural outgrowth of Tito’s love for dogs.
Through Tito’s cause-related website Vodka for Dog
People, the company sells dog and human products,
such as leashes, T-shirts, and toys, bearing Tito’s
logo. The proceeds go to Emancipet.
However the real genius of Tito’s efforts is its work
with bars and liquor stores nationwide to host
Yappy Hour fundraisers for Emancipet. Brilliant!
Want to learn more about Vodka for Dog People?
See my full post at Selfish Giving.
Photo Credit: USAG- Humphreys via Flickr

7. Promotion: Food Lion Feeds
Partners: Food Lion, Feeding America
Why I Picked It: Most of the cause marketing I see in
supermarkets is pretty awful. They're either
engaged in low visibility programs that don't register
with shoppers, or are doing so many register
fundraisers every month that shoppers have
hardened themselves and stopped giving.
A couple years ago, Food Lion was an example of
what's gone wrong with supermarket cause
marketing. Now, the chain is a model for how
supermarkets can launch successful fundraisers that
are also popular with shoppers.
For Food Lion, it started by reducing their register
fundraisers to just one a year. They also gave
shoppers the choice between making a flat donation
or rounding up to the nearest dollar.
In addition to their annual POS program, they also
launched purchase-triggered fundraisers, programs
with vendors and got employees involved with The
Great Pantry Makeover.
Want to learn more about Food Lion Feeds? See my
full post at Selfish Giving.

8. Promotion: Giving Big for Kids
Partners: Big Lots, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Why I Picked It: I have a saying that companies like
"OPM." That's short for Other People's Money.
While some companies are great about raising
money from customers, corporate giving - the
dollars that actually come from the company's
checkbook - has been falling for a generation. On
average, companies give less than one percent of
their pre-tax earnings to charity.
That's what makes Big Lots mind-blowing $50
million pledge to Nationwide Children's Hospital so
incredible
This doesn't mean that Big Lots isn't letting there
customers in on the action, because they are. When
Megan and I interviewed Big Lots on CauseTalk
Radio, they were celebrating the $2.2 million dollars
they raised from customers in the fall of 2015. That
turned out to be a warm-up. In the fall of 2016 they
raised $3.6 million from consumers at over 1400
stores.
Want to learn more about Giving Big for Kids? See
my full post at Selfish Giving.

9. Promotion: Operation Chihuahua
Partners: Virgin America, Various Animal Shelters
Why I Picked It: Okay, this one is a bit of a lovefest. I
love dogs, especially tiny dogs as I own a 7-pound
Yorshire Terrier. Over the past year I’ve been
noticing more just how poorly people treat animals,
especially dogs (aka man’s best friend!).
When I discovered this promotion I was just so
happy that someone was literally giving dogs the
first class treatment they deserve. For several years
now, Virgin America's Operation Chihuahua has
been airlifting tiny dogs from the West Coast
(where Chihuahuas are as common as actors) and
flying them to new homes in New York City.
This year, Virgin tossed an additional bone into the
mix. With every booking on their website on Cyber
Monday, the airline donated ten dollars to three
animal shelter partners.
The backbone of Virgin’s program is kindness and
respect for ALL living things, even the smallest ones.
We need more of that in our world.
Want to learn more about Operation Chihuahua?
See my full post at Selfish Giving.

10. Promotion: Make Safe Happen
Partners: Nationwide, Nationwide Children’s
Hospital, Safe Kids Worldwide
Why I PIcked It: I love Make Safe Happen because it
represents a new direction for brands that want to
lead with "cause content" as opposed to other
forms of cause marketing ranging from point-of-sale
fundraisers to employee volunteer programs.
In the case of Nationwide, they've created a
comprehensive content platform that aims to keep
kids safe from everything from furniture tip overs to
overdoses to home fires. In addition to a website,
they also launched a convenient mobile app and
hosted safety events across the country. Like their
nonprofit partners, Nationwide took safety
seriously.
Make Safe Happen is a go-to resource to parents
and caregivers that builds respect and engagement
for Nationwide. It's also a model to other
companies that want to be the consumers' trusted
advisor. Watch for more branded "cause content"
platforms in 2017.
Want to learn more about Make Safe Happen See
my full post at Selfish Giving.

11. Promotion: Month of Giving
Partners: Jersey Mike's, 180+ Charities Nationwide
Why I PIcked It: With 1,500 stores in the U. S., Jersey
Mike’s is a sub sandwich chain on the upswing. And
cause marketing is playing a big role in its success.
Last spring, Jersey Mike’s hosted its 6th Annual
Month of Giving and raised more than $4 million.
Since its inception in 2011, Jersey Mike’s annual
fundraiser has raised more than $12 million for
causes.
The money is raised through a month-long register
fundraiser and a Day of Giving when 100 percent of
sales nationwide go to charity partners
The key to the program is Jersey Mike’s local focus.
Each store owner can pick his or her favorite cause to
support. This year’s fundraiser supported 180
nonprofits.
Jersey Mike’s cause marketing efforts also help
corporate identify the best franchisee owners.
Want to learn more about the Month of Giving? See
my full post at Selfish Giving.

12. Promotion: See a Demo, Get a Goat
Partners: Formation Data Systems (FDS), Oxfam
America
Why I Picked It: When Lisa Lewis, the marketing
director for storage startup Formation Data Systems
(FDS), pitched her company’s management team on
using goats and cause marketing to woo clients, they
didn’t get it.
“What’s a goat have to do with a storage company?”,
they asked.
Despite their doubts, Lisa got approval to test a new
cause marketing program: See a Demo, Get a Goat.
Working with Oxfam America, FDS would donate a
goat to a needy family every time a business agreed to
watch a demonstration of their storage solution.
For Lisa and her team, the goats have become more
than about landing leads. It’s evolved into a business
mission. Today, FDS has integrated the goats into every
aspect of their business. This includes creating a
GoatBusters video series and featuring the goats on its
homepage.
Want to learn more about See a Demo, Get a Goat?
See my full post at Selfish Giving.