Katrina’s Reviews > Zilch: The Power of Zero in Business > Status Update

Cause-marketing partnership between Aeropostale & DoSomething: Teens for Jeans.

Cone Inc's data show that two-thirds of people will switch from one brand to another if a "replacement" product or service of comparable value is associated with a cause.

Being Important requires a purpose with a measurable effect.

Whether the reason is self-interest or community spirit---and surely it's a little bit of both--some highly successful not-for-profits have built their success on a community strategy that taps into local pride.

See People First, Buyers Second. [Acknowledge] the human aspects of the decision-making process. By giving them appropriate respect, we gain a competitive advantage over our rivals. ...we help maximize their value to us.

Be Shameless.

[The secret to not-for-profit success] is to humanize fund-raising and marketing. We use humor, empathy, and shared values to raise money.

Offer Options. Choice is a way of life, a basic assumption, like air. How does your company cope with this reality?

Make It Cool. Selling a cool experience is an amazing effective way to move a product.

...asking for something other than money flatters your potential donor. If you want their smarts and their expertise, their introductions or their networks, you're tacitly acknowledging their status in a way that chasing their cash doesn't. You're making it appear that they're even more valuable to you than you expected. And it's not a ploy.