AuctionsOct 05, 2026
The Star Cats of the Sandy Lerner AuctionThese jewels stood out at Bonhams’ sale of the cat-loving tech entrepreneur’s collection of objects depicting the feline form.
EditorsJun 10, 2008
Socially minded customers
Are you wooing consumers who are down for the cause? In other words, grabbing the attention of "socially minded customers," a new class of consumer described in a recent International Herald Tribune article? Identified in a survey conducted during 2007...
Are you wooing consumers who are down for the cause? In other words, grabbing the attention of "socially minded customers," a new class of consumer described in a recent International Herald Tribune article?
Identified in a survey conducted during 2007 and 2008 by consultants at IBM in conjunction with the Economist Intelligence Unit, socially minded customers prefer ethically and environmentally responsible products and don't mind anteing up the big bucks to get what they want.
Whether you add recycled jewelry to your product mix, print catalogs on recycled paper or give away recyclable bags, the survey suggests attending to customers with a conscious should be a priority.
If you want to make a more visible impact, try cause marketing. Mike Hess—director of global research and consumer insights for Omnicom Group's OMD, New York—explains his theory to Advertising Age. According to Hess, associating your brand with a cause creates an emotional attachment with customers that traditional advertising can't always produce.
And I'm living proof. I was strictly a Palmolive dish detergent kind of girl until I saw the little school kids cleaning up ducks soiled by oil slicks in a Dawn television commercial.
From the Ronald McDonald House Charities funded by fast-food chain McDonald's to the honeybee-saving campaign of beloved ice cream chain Häagen Dazs, cause marketing has proven itself to be rewarding—both financially and emotionally.
I guess the lesson is it doesn't hurt to wear your heart on your sleeve, especially when it generates positive press and ROI.
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