Yesterday evening, I was watching Hancock, a mediocre Will Smith movie  about a down-and-out super hero who befriends a PR specialist.  The specialist’s one goal, besides restoring Hancock’s tarnished star, is to change the world through cause marketing.  He was making a hard sell to a few corporate big wigs, who likened his ideas to serving jail time.

Despite the gentle ribbing on both sides, it does look as though Cause Marketing may have its day (or year…or decade) in the sun.  For instance, Pepsi recently announced that it would not be buying Superbowl ad time this year, instead spending $20 million on marketing its green “Refresh Projects.”  Consumers will have the opportunity to vote to determine how much of the money is spent.

Perhaps Pepsi is taking a cue from Trip Advisor, whose More Than Footprints campaign won the Best Use of Social Media award from the Cause Marketing Forum.  Trip Advisor invited consumers to vote on how they would best like to see $1 million dollars spent between five nonprofit organizations.  Using a completely viral campaign, and 1,000,000 votes later, Trip advisor donated to five major international nonprofits including Doctors Without Borders and Save the Children.

What does this all mean?  According to Cone, a Boston-based communications agency renowned for its work in cause- related marketing, cause marketing is on the rise.  Specifically, cause marketing that is globally focused is on the rise.  Consumers, they note, are vastly more interactive and receptive to marketing, especially if they believe in what the company is selling/stands for.

Conclusion:  Nonprofits and corporations can benefit from cause marketing, delivered through interactive campaigns.  A simple google search for Pepsi generates hundreds of links to articles and posts about the Superbowl decision.  Free, positive publicity, and not a dime yet spent.  Despite a  still-rocky economy, could 2010 be the year to turn around donation numbers?   If Hancock can benefit, perhaps nonprofits have a standing chance.

What are your thoughts on cause marketing?   What nonprofits, especially development nonprofits have benefited?

In regards to AIDS work, AMREF works on three levels to combat the virus in Sub-Saharan Africa, home to 60% of the population living with HIV.  They do this by strengthening efforts to educate, manage and treat HIV/AIDS within the existing medical system.

With so many worthwhile and award-winning projects, AMREF should have some wonderful stories to tell.  Yet, the pictorial, video and written accounts are buried and hidden withing pages of  website text.

The story of  George, one of AMREF’s community health workers, is fantastic.  However, it takes some savvy site navigation to find it.  The same goes for George’s corresponding video- a fantastic piece, yet a hidden gem:

Admittedly, my thoughts about the need to promote the stories within an organization come on the heel of a conversation  regarding The Cluetrain Manifesto.  We were discussing the need to incorporate, as the authors assert, the humanistic qualities into marketing approaches.  One might argue that a health relief organization is as humanistic as an organization can be.

However, I think that true sucess in web 2.0 can be better attained in conversation and story telling.  Let media pieces shine on the site.  Open platforms for people to join the conversation.  As noted in Cluetrain, and a decade in forethought, organizations need to allow for human and true conversation.

With these musings, I offer my hopes for AMREF and organizations worldwide who strive to combat and treat HIV/ AIDS.  More to the point, I offer my thoughts  to those suffering the virus, and those survived by a loved one with AIDS.

A Few Related Resources:

Directory of AIDS Charities and Support groups worldwide

A great prevention fundraising video by Avert.org: