Page 88 - MYM 2015

Finding Your Perfect Match
What Social Issue Should Your Corporation “Marry”?
Nancy R. Lee
Abstract: This article rst describes the six major corporate marketing and social initiatives that Philip Kotler and I identi ed that corporations employ to alleviate social issues, often referred to as “wicked problems.” It then shares a dozen brief stories of what could be considered a “perfect match” between a corporation and a social issue.
Iam proud of coauthoring 10 books on Social Marketing with my mentor and friend Philip Kotler, and participating in his past World Marketing Summits with the theme “Marketing for a Better World.” As a speaker at the summit in Tokyo in
September, 2014, I shared 12stories from around the world about corporations that were building a better world . . . and their bottom lines. In a concluding panel discussion, the moderator asked if we had a dream that would help create a better world. I eagerly shared mine. “I want every corporation in the world to MARRY a social issue (not just date), and then focus philanthropic support on that single issue.”
Imagine a world where the more than 50,000+ multinational corporations, or even the 500 largest in the world, did this. Each could find their best match and something unique to concentrate on, some effort that would improve health, prevent injuries, protect the environment, enhance financial well-being, and build stronger communities. This is similar, in the marketing world, to selecting a target audience and allocating a disproportionate share
of resources to appeal to and retain an attractive market segment. If major corporations selected and stuck with one social issue over time, we would see a strong relationship creating real social change. (Back to the “marrying” analogy, this would create a family and future generations that sustain the legacy.)
This article will rst describe the six major marketing and corporate social initiatives that corporations employ to alleviate social issues and ful ll commitments to corporate social responsibility, ones identi ed in our 2012 book GOOD WORKS! (Kotler, Hessekiel, Lee, 2012). Then, a dozen brief stories of what could be considered a “perfect match” between a corporation and a social issue are told, ones intended to illustrate best practices and inspire similar efforts.
Six Marketing and Corporate Social Initiatives that Build a Better World . . . and the Bottom Line
Each of the six initiatives will rst be de ned and
then illustrated by an example from Starbucks. In 2008, Starbucks established a set of ambitious global responsibility goals that would have the greatest impact on the environment, a social issue they remain focused on today. Read on to see how this focus provided priorities for their initiatives.
Marketing-Driven Initiatives: These three are developed and managed primarily by the corporation’s marketing function.
Cause Promotions are where “a corporation provides funds, in-kind contributions, or other corporate resources to increase awareness and concern about a social cause or to support fundraising, participation, or volunteer recruitment for a cause.”(Kotler et al., p.22.) The corporation may be a major partner in this effort or may initiate and manage the promotion on its own.
88 I October 2015