What is cause marketing?
Cause marketing focuses on ‘do-good’ stories to ensure they are told with maximum impact to achieve the goals set out by the client.
As a creative social change agency, Bigger Than Me works with brands (specifically their CSR/CSI projects), NGOs, Non-Profit Organisations, social change agents and social impact campaigns to create marketing strategies that will tell the ‘good story’ and ensure the desired audience is reached.
If you are wondering how what we do differs to any regular marketing agency’s job they are, in many ways the same.
Except we live and breathe social responsibility, sustainable issues and shared values.
We are about identifying and telling the real stories that we know can make a difference, both to client and communities.
Stories that uplift, stories that call to action, stories that need to be told to help communities, help organisations and help causes.
At Bigger Than Me, we look for ways to help clients create value from a ‘For-Benefit strategy’ which leads to a For-Profit bottom line.
The Limitless Potential In Self
We love challenging the norm and creating new ways of doing things and new ways of telling stories in a compelling way.
Limitless, which you can view below, was the first of a series of conceptual videos.
We conceptualised, scripted and produced the video over four years ago for a client but unfortunately that never saw the light of day due to unforeseen circumstances.
Finding this in our archives, and considering the global COVID19 epidemic that is destined to change our lives forever, we realised just how pertinent Limitless is in today’s climate.
The Pitch
The concept was to explore the potential of limitless – both dark and light.
To identify the issues and show the limitless potential in the solution and the hope that lies in that potential.
We had recognised the shift in cause content to more conscious ideas –
That responsibility lies with the individual, that YOU are the difference, change starts with YOU, and THE LIMITLESS POTENTIAL IN SELF.
These were some of the goals the Limitless concept was aiming to achieve which is so relevant now when considering how we are reevaluating every aspect of our lives daily:
- Lead the viewer to what Limitless can mean for everyone working as a collective and taking responsibility
- Create questions in the viewers’ minds about their own lives and what they give back
- Introduce the potential of limitless (Bad and Good) if nothing is done and everything is done.
- Introduce the potential within us
- Deliver the message to viewers within each self-contained episode
- Ask subliminal questions on who is behind this?
- Slowly seed in client initiatives/mantra/ideals but without selling the brand overtly
- Maintain credibility and authenticity throughout
Creating a strategy, telling a story, delivering the message
The power of a good story is at the core when conceptualising a campaign.
The ‘surface story’ is important to land context and situational perspective.
Then there is the ‘gut story’ which puts the reader or viewer in that space and situation – it is like ‘SPIN Selling’ but only we call it ‘SPIN Viewing’ where you create the following scenario:
S – create Situation
P – highlight Problem
I – show the Implication
N – show the Need (how target audience can help become part of the solution)
Golden Rule: Always consider the ‘why should they give a sh!t’ factor when considering the storyline and message.
The DNA of online marketing
While our last blog called Digital Tips For Your Home Business In The New Economy was aimed at offering tips for start-up home businesses, these same digital components apply for any business, cause-related or not.
A solid 360 campaign tailored for various online platforms (YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, IGTV, website etc.) is important for a successful rollout.
One size does not fit all!
A good content creation plan and social media strategy is imperative.
Four years after creating the Limitless cause marketing campaign, watching the first episode come to life during these challenging times of Covid-19, we feel this message of hope and personal accountability is more relevant than ever and we now know why the original campaign never happened.
It was waiting for something much Bigger to happen, much Bigger to happen to all of us to for us to shift old paradigms.
Stay safe and stay healthy. A ‘new normal’ awaits and it is important to remain positive.
A special thanks to Mamello ‘Mum-z’ Mokoena for the delivery of such a powerful piece from Russia, while in lockdown there, and to team member, Craig Prins, for creating an epic edit during lockdown.