Doing Well By Doing Good : How To Pair Your Brand With A Good Cause

Giving to charity seem as easy as apple pie, but when it comes to your brand, should the pie be strawberry, banana or just plain old vanilla? And, why am I asking?Because in the last few weeks, many of my coaching clients have encountered this exact same issue:  they want to align with a charity, but which one? And, most importantly, how should they choose one? Pick a Charity Consistent with Your BrandHere’s the secret: the goal of the not-for-profit should fit your brand mission. Or, it should at least demonstrate your core competency. Please allow me give you a few good examples. After the horrific fires that plagued Southern California in October of 2007, numerous companies stepped up to the plate in brand appropriate ways. PETCO rescued and housed hundreds of animals; Qualcomm donated its stadium and made in-kind donations. The law firm of Morrison & Foerster published an amazing handbook appropriately entitled Helping Handbook for Individuals and Small Businesses Affected by the 2007 Southern California Wildfires. It explains the legal issues that most of us (certainly me) don’t understand under these circumstances.Just recently, Amy G Salon of Evanston, IL, created this great event for a cause:  Pink Hair for Hope. During the month of October, you can get pink extensions every Friday night for just $10! And, all of the proceeds are donated to charity. (Hmmm, how does red hair look with pink extensions?)Make Sure The Targets AlignAnother factor to consider in using your philanthropic efforts to help your brand is to consider the target audience. One of my clients, Julie Dunsmore of  Logoroma, maker of scented note cards, was deciding between 2 causes: donating to the homeless or creating the invitations for a small luncheon of business women. You can probably guess that if she truly wants to connect with women who can afford to purchase her product, the better option is the luncheon. Of course, if she merely wants to make a donation, the homeless will graciously accept her gifts. Make sense? Show Off Your Skills on a BoardAnother great way to demonstrate your “invisible” skills is to volunteer on a board that shows off your whiz-bang skills. Needless to say, for me, this means writing the brochure or spearheading the marketing efforts. (It never means taking charge of the financials!). Putting yourself in a leadership position in front of your targets, is a great way for your colleagues to think: “Look how good she is at volunteering! Can You imagine how great she’d be if we actually hired her!”In this time when not-for-profits can use every drop of help, I hope you find a way to contribute in your own way.Until next week…..LizBranding speaker and expert Liz Goodgold has over 25 years of experience working for clients such as Quaker Oats, Times Mirror, and Arco Oil as well as with small business owners and start-up. Her specialized, one-on-one branding and coaching programs spark new ideas that deliver sure-fire results. To find out how Liz can help you, contact her at liz@redfirebranding.com.  Liz is also  the author of RED FIRE BRANDING: Create a Hot Personal Brand and Have Customers for Life and DUH! Marketing.