Can YOU do a John Lewis?

Once again the talk of social media, workplaces, and households is the John Lewis Christmas Advert.

It's become such a British festive institution over the last decade that it is highly anticipated and generates a HUGE amount of #PR for the retailer, even if most people who see it will never venture into one of their stores or onto their website - especially with tighter budgets this year.

But while these ads, as with many others, typically don't sell a specific product, they do generate awareness of the brand and - they hope - goodwill.

This last point is a bigger deal this year than perhaps previously for the John Lewis ads. Because there is NO retail element - assuming they haven't bought a ridiculous amount of skateboards!

What they have done is to dedicate the ad to a cause, namely raising awareness of the heart-breaking number of children that are in the care system.

By aligning their brand with a cause - and one that is potentially among the least divisive you could choose - they are already gaining lots of goodwill.

This year, that may be about keeping their core customer base engaged and perhaps even some more affluent customers who will 'downgrade' to John Lewis due to the cost of living. It also brings #CSR and advertising/#marketing together.

Most of us don't have the budget to create an ad like this and stick it on all the major channels at prime time, but we do have the ability to align content with causes.

My main focus is #podcasting and there is certainly a way that you could use your #podcast to tell someone else's story.

Perhaps you already support a #charity or local cause and could help them get their message out via your podcast?

There is no rule that says your marketing content has to be about a product or service you offer. In fact, often it's all about awareness and #brandbuilding. What better way to get engagement for your podcast than to help tell amazing stories.

This type of #contentmarketing is not entirely selfless of course. Your brand gains by association, just as John Lewis does from its ad.

Some people have questioned why John Lewis didn't just not do an advert and give the money it cost - around ￡7 million including making it and paying for it to be aired on TV - to an organisation that helps children in care.

Sometimes cash is the most important thing for charities but sometimes the awareness of an issue is as, if not more, important.

The relatively small amount that it will cost you to create a podcast may not make as much difference to your chosen cause as the platform you are giving them to talk about what they do.

If you would like to explore more about this or any other podcast idea, then let's talk.