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David Hessekiel  //  David Hessekiel is the founder and president of the Cause Marketing Forum, a business dedicated to helping companies and causes succeed together.

Dec 13 / 9:37am

What Lies Ahead? Cause Marketing Predictions for 2011

Based on industry statistics, the emergence of new and upgraded programs and innumberable conversations with many of you, I’d say 2010 was a year of recovery for many businesses and nonprofits engaged in doing well by doing good.  

 

What does 2011 hold in store?   My crystal ball is foggy so I asked some wise people in our field for their predictions.  

  

  

 Here a few:

  

 

"State attorneys general (and maybe plaintiffs' class action lawyers) will bring legal action against a major national cause marketer for non-transparent or confusing advertising that they allege misleads consumers as to the actual effect a retail purchase will have on a donation."   

 

   Ed Chansky

Attorney

Greenberg Traurig

 

 

"With the 10th anniversary of September 11th falling in 2011, expect to see a huge increase in cause campaigns that wrap themselves in the flag."

 Nancy Lublin

CEO and Chief Old Person

DoSomething.org

 

"Companies are hungry to understand the impact of their cause marketing programs. Corporations and their cause partners will more aggressively leverage social media to implement measurable initiatives."

Andrew Lainsbury

Promotion Marketing Manager

General Mills  

 

 

"As nonprofit organizations ramp up, especially in senior positions, a higher percentage of staffing will come from outside the nonprofit industry.  Our innovative leaders in cause today are mostly coming from “outside”."

Chad Royal-Pascoe
Managing Director, National Strategic Alliances
March of Dimes

 

"The roles of businesses and nonprofits will blur further in 2011 as more companies take on societal challenges in a way that is core to who they are."

 

Jeff Terry
Director, Associate & Community Engagement
Sears Holdings Corporation

 

"Location-based services like Foursquare will begin to play a major role in cause marketing with consumers checking-in to promotions and checking out the latest cause products with their smart phones."

 

 Joe Waters

Director, Cause & Event Marketing

Boston Medical Center

 

What are your predictions for 2011?