How to Promote your OM Guarantee? Certification and Build a Brand that Everyone Loves

The Numbers Don't Lie

There is a growing number of companies making corporate social responsibility and giving back to the community a significant part of their brand ethos, and rightly so because the numbers don't lie. According to research done by Mintel, a company's charitable giving affects three-quarters (73%) of Americans' purchase decisions.

Probably the most famous example of cause-marketing is TOMS shoes that built their entire business model around this strategy.

In 2020 and the foreseeable future of sales, cause marketing does and will continue to translate to sales, with 69% of Gen Z saying they're more likely to buy from a company that contributes to charitable causes.

However, retailers who use social causes as part of their brand ethos need to find ways to inspire their customers by integrating this caring messaging into their promotional channels, including email marketing.

Here are seven ways you can incorporate your OM GUARANTEE? certification into your email brand marketing efforts:

Using Cause Marketing in Promotional Email

Banners: Include a banner that reinforces your OM Guarantee? certification in every email sent, either at the top or in the footer section of your email. Using these banners will help reinforce your brand's commitment to positive social change with your customers.

Sell by giving: Run the occasional campaign focused on the cause rather than just selling products. For example, Boxed Water, promoted ways to help plant trees to combat the California wildfires, all while generating social engagement. They included a subtle preheader text as well as the recovery call to action, both based on shopping. Even with those two promotional elements, their email did not scream "buy now."

Cause campaigns: Promotional campaigns that tie in the social good of your company can be a great way to drive sales. TOMS featured limited-edition shoes based on a partnership with Save the Children. Similarly, you can promote your OM GUARANTEE? certification and the charity that is delivering the social good you are supporting. 

Think of all of the holidays you can take advantage of for your giving campaigns, but make sure to choose those that best align with your brand image and mission. 

Social update emails: Companies with loyalty programs often send loyalty point updates to their customers, and so there's no reason why brands aligned with social causes shouldn't do the same. Try showcasing the progress your company has made because of your customers. Your message should expressly state how many social outputs your company has delivered because of their purchases. These updates also lend themselves to social sharing, so be sure to include a "share now" option.

Using Cause Marketing in Automated Lifecycle Emails

Welcome messages: Since social good is a significant component of your brand, don't forget to include this information in your welcome messages to new subscribers. Create content that proudly shares this message and informs them of why they should align with your brand. For new subscribers who may be considering a purchase, this could be the competitive differentiator.

Post purchase: Don't let your cause messaging end once the purchase has been made. Now is your opportunity to reinforce why the customer should feel good about their purchase and your brand. Consider putting the message on your company purchase receipt and showcase what their purchase has done. Also, be sure to tie their purchase to social media and encourage the customer to become an advocate for your brand. Try creating a purchase-related hashtag and asking the customer to share their purchase with others. 

Cart abandonment: When a customer is close to making a purchase, you shouldn't hesitate to use creative tactics to get them to cross the finish line, like using a sense of urgency, discounts, and fear of loss. But for socially conscious consumers, this can also be social responsibility and how, by purchasing your product, they will be making a positive social impact, like feeding a needy child, a rescued animal, or planting a tree.

Where to Begin?

While there are many other ways to integrate cause marketing into your emails, the above offers a good starting point. When it comes to creating the content to include in your emails, don't worry. Many brands that commit to social good have sections on their site, providing updates about their contributions. This content can easily be repurposed for use inside of your emails.

Integrating your OM Guaranteed social impact into your cause marketing will make your brand stand out and help build an emotional connection with your customers, encourage sales, and generate brand advocacy. Your brand can become a reflection of your customer's goodwill, allowing them to feel good about their purchase and share it with others that can create a dynamic ecosystem of brand advocacy.

The OM Guarantee? is managed by feedOM?whose mission is to help socially- responsible and conscious companies and consumers participate in a mutually beneficial, output measurable humanitarian effort to end child hunger, animal abuse, and deforestation.

To learn more about the OM GUARANTEE? Certification, visit www.OMGuarantee.com

Repurposed from an article by Greg Zakowicz

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