Cause Marketing Getting a Bad Name

By George Anderson

Cause marketing is a popular way for companies to give back and drive sales at the same time. That, according to some, is part of the problem.

One critic of cause marketing is Gary Ruskin, executive director of Commercial Alert. According to the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Ruskin sees cause marketing as often being a means of “disguising marketing as idealism”.

One advocacy group, Breast Cancer Action, is running an ad that cautions consumers to find out what actual contributions are going to a cause before buying a product.

Moderator’s Comment: Are consumers becoming burned-out
on cause marketing pitches?

Many companies engage in cause-marketing to have their
message heard in the cacophony that is modern advertising. As more companies
and brands market their “altruism” the message is becoming increasingly hard
to hear. [George
Anderson – Moderator]

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