Top 5 Tips on Doing Cause Marketing In Your Company

I firmly believe that every company should be supporting nonprofits via monetary donations or getting their employees to volunteer their time on a local project (e.g. repairing a house). It shows that your company cares about your customers believe in and builds employee morale.  Personally, if I were choosing a company to work for or buying a product from one, I would choose the one that has a defined and active community giving program.  One of the most popular programs is the Red program from one.org (started by Bono, lead singer of U2). Apple, Gap, American Express, and Nike have all incorporated red products and donated a portion of the proceeds to eliminating AIDS in Africa.

To start a cause marketing program at your company I suggest the following five tips:

1. Decide on what categories of nonprofits your company wants to support. Take a survey of all your employees and if possible your customers. 
2. Create an employee foundation.  Find volunteers within the company that can manage the grant decision making process and volunteer opportunities. 
3. Get a 3rd party to manage the funds donated to your foundation and make it a 501c3 foundation. 
4. Involve the executives at your company in getting fellow co-workers to volunteer.  #1 tip for building company culture – if management don’t do it, your employees will less likely be involved. 
5. Involve your customers as much as possible. If you are having a volunteer event ask your customers to come. If you are raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society as a company, ask your customers to donate as well cause you never know if they have a connection to the cause. 

Here is a video interview by myself of Meredith at the Republic of Tea who discusses their updated Sip for a Cure product line where they donate a portion of their profits to the Susan G. Komen for a Cure foundation.

Let me know what causes your company believes in. Post it in the comments below.

Randy Ksar
rksar at yahoo dot com

Republic of Tea Visit

After chatting with Ron, the Minister of Tea at Republic of Tea, last week I got invited for a tea tasting at their Novato, California offices. Situated in the Hamilton Landing area in converted military hangars Republic of Tea has their marketing department based here. Overall, the company has about 100 people (both here and Illinois) and was started with the concept of making tea with the natural, organic ingredients and educating consumers on tea. Instead of a gulp by gulp drinking method most associated with coffee, Republic of Tea likes to focus on the sip by sip method of taking in the tea, learning about it, and share it with their friends — very similar to wine tasting.

 

At my tea tasting, I met Meredith Post, the Minister of Enlightenment, who is in charge of all brand communications for the company. Everyone including customers are given a title: employees are Ministers, sales employees are Ambassadors, consumers are Citizens, and retail locations are called Embassies. Very unique and defines the personality of the company and overall brand. Everyone including consumers have a say in the company and the way that Republic of Tea products are created. Meredith told me that some teas are created with the feedback from the Citizens. Amazing, a company that listens to their customers feedback! Meredith continued on to say that Ron, the CEO, reads all the emails that are sent in to the company and either responds to them individually or forwards them on to the right person. We sipped on one of their Caffeine free red herbal teas called “Get Wellness” for immunity which is supposed to make you more positive (it has St. John’s Wart in it; most known for treating depression). It was a nice, light, red tea that needed no sugar or milk (usually how I like mine – nonfat milk with two splendas). Highly recommend it!

Another uniqueness to the company is how they give back to the community via their Sip for a Cure teas. For sale on their web site now is a Blueberry Green Tea where a portion of the sale goes to the Prostate Cancer Foundation. Great stuff! More companies should start working with the local nonprofits and give back! I’ll have more information on their Sip for a Cure teas towards the end of the month — stay tuned to this blog.

And finally, I leave you with the charter of the Republic of Tea pulled from their web site (cause I couldn’t write it any better):

Whereby, we the people of The Republic of Tea hereby declare that:

• Our purpose is to enrich people’s lives through the experience of fine tea and the Sip by Sip rather
  than Gulp by Gulp lifestyle – a life of health, balance and well-being.
• Our mission is to become the leading purveyor of full-leaf teas and herbs in the world – respected
  for our unsurpassed quality and unequaled product selection, service, creativity and presentation.
  (Our covert mission is to start a Tea Revolution by infusing our culture with a new and relevant tea
  ceremony.)
• Our way is to encourage Citizens of The Republic (our customers) to discover the many virtues of
  tea by providing truly outstanding products and delivering them in innovative ways. We aim to
  educate, inspire and communicate the quality, benefits, values and lifestyle of The Republic of Tea®
  and its products in everything we do.
• We are committed to caring for our customers and employees in a kind, respectful, compassionate
  way and to build long-term, mutually rewarding relationships with our suppliers, customers,
  communities and each other.
• We value patience, persistence, initiative, resourcefulness, courage and a good sense of humor. We
  appreciate beauty, simplicity and genuine content.
• We are mindful of the impact that our actions and business activities have on our communities and
  environment; we conscientiously act in a long-term and responsible manner.
• We understand that distinguished financial performance is essential to our ability to thrive and to
  accomplish our broader mission.
• We know that, as an organization and as individuals, we must continually learn, grow and innovate
  in order to progress, succeed and accomplish our goals.
• We delight in drinking tea.

Update on Republic of Tea

The internet and social networking is amazing! Within 2 hours of me posting a story about Republic of Tea I got a call from the CEO, Ron Rubin. We chatted about the company being based and started in Marin County and actually the office location moved a week before (hence why we couldn’t find it). I’ve been invited to their new location in Novato on Monday June 16 so stay tuned for video interviews and tea tasting with the Ministers (that’s what they call the employees). Have a great weekend. Chat with you all later.

BTW, anybody needing anybody social media / blogging advice let me know. You can reach me at rksar at yahoo dot com.

-Randy

Republic of Tea are Marketing Geniuses!

Have you heard of Republic of Tea? Great tea supposedly based out of Novato, California but after further research it was from an unsuspected city in the mid-west.  View the video for the answer and make sure to add a comment. Enjoy!

-Randy

FYI. I’m cycling the Honolulu Century (100 miles) in September 2008 in honor of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Support cancer researchers and patients by making a 100% tax-deductible donation.  Donate by June 28 to receive a purple Leukemia & Lymphoma Society band!.  Thanks for your support.