- Civic marketing
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Civic marketing is a type of image marketing where employees of a business provide service within their community, and then the business benefits from the favorable publicity that follows. The volunteer effort generates publicity that creates an unselfish, less commercial, more caring image for their brand.
People frequently purchase brands that make them feel good about themselves. Buying brands whose employees volunteer their time and efforts to help others can make customers and prospects feel good about their purchase, and about themselves. When employees of a business volunteer their time and energy to help with a worthwhile civic project, it can create the kind of image that many people would want to support.[1]
Contents
Brand Objective
With civic marketing, the brand objective is to enhance the image of the brand by showing that the people involved with the brand care about the needs of their communities, and are willing to give of their time to help. Civic marketing can distinguish a business, enhance credibility, and provide powerful fuel for press releases.
Civic marketing differs from cause marketing primarily in the brand objective. With cause-related marketing, the objective is to align the brand with a specific cause or non-profit organization. The good deed is often a type of fund-raising, where a monetary contribution to the cause is tied to a purchase. With civic marketing, the efforts usually do not involve fund-raising and are not necessarily provided to a non-profit organization.
At a time when cause-related marketing has become over-commercialized, civic marketing offers a credible way for a brand to send a "we care about people" message. Civic marketing has the potential to build brand loyalty in a way that no other form of marketing can. A "hands on" effort is less likely to become over-commercialized, because it involves a significant commitment of time and energy that demonstrates the sincerity of those involved.[2]
Planning a Campaign
Planning a civic marketing campaign begins with selecting an appropriately targeted volunteer project that will serve the strategic objective, motivate employees to participate voluntarily, and touch the hearts of the target market when they hear about the effort. Relating the product or service that the business provides to the project can make it more meaningful and motivating. The tie-in should be clear. A building materials manufacturer helping with a Habitat for Humanity project, or the employees of a restaurant helping out in a soup kitchen, are examples of good tie-ins.[3]
Benefits
A well-planned civic marketing campaign may benefit employers, employees and the community. Employees sometimes learn better ways to relate as they participate together, outside of the structured work environment. Employees may feel better about their employer for initiating a worthwhile community service project. Both employer and employees may also come away with more respect for themselves and each other following the service project.
Those receiving the service in the community obviously benefit from a well-planned effort. The appreciative beneficiaries of the service may even become advocates for the brand. Together with an appropriately structured public relations campaign, the favorable publicity that can follow a civic marketing campaign should help the company's image, and that can translate into more sales. As the business becomes stronger, the jobs of its employees may also be more secure.
References
- ^ Michaels, Nancy, and Debbi Karpowicz. Off-the-wall-marketing ideas: jump-start your sales without busting your budget. Holbrook, MA: Adams Media, 1999. ISBN 1580622054.
- ^ Michaels, Nancy, and Debbi Karpowicz. Off-the-wall-marketing ideas: jump-start your sales without busting your budget. Holbrook, MA: Adams Media, 1999. ISBN 1580622054.
- ^ Michaels, Nancy, and Debbi Karpowicz. Off-the-wall-marketing ideas: jump-start your sales without busting your budget. Holbrook, MA: Adams Media, 1999. ISBN 1580622054.
External links
Categories:- Public relations techniques
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