Citizen Brand

Happy Thanksgiving (with help from Adam Sandler)

2009-11-25T15:29:13-06:00

Mike Swenson

Gift Cards that give back

2009-11-19T11:35:09-06:00

Barkley client GiveCard is open and ready for business at GiveCard.com . It's the best way to give someone a gift card this holiday season because it's the gift card that gives back a little to your recipient's favorite charity. Watch this television clip from Buffalo to find out how easy it is to buy a GiveCard.

The original music video

2009-11-18T22:54:38-06:00

Just for fun, let's travel back to 1969 and what might just be the first ever music video. It's the Beatles concert on the rooftop of the Apple Records building in London and one of their best - Get Back.

Cause keeps on ticking

2009-11-04T11:05:26-06:00

The 2009 edition of the PRWeek/Barkley Cause Survey released this week sends a clear message that cause branding programs work even in tough economic times.

That's good news for all of us who believe that cause programs are one of the single best ways for a brand to create permanent connections with their customers. And good for non-profits who are hit hard by the economy and need new, effective ways to gain dollars and volunteers for their missions.

You can download a copy of the 2009 survey at the Barkley website. We would love to hear your comments on the findings and the accompanying article featuring some of the most successful cause marketers today.

The All Purpose Apology

2009-10-06T17:38:25-05:00

Thanks to my friend, Professor David Guth of the KU Journalism School, for this public service. He has developed the much needed All Purpose Apology. This from his blog, Snapping Turtle.

The All-Purpose Apology

It sure seems like a lot of folks recently have found themselves making embarrassing public apologies for bad behavior. David Letterman has joined Kanye West, Serena Williams, Mark Sanford and Joe Wilson (half-heartedly) for trying to explain away inappropriate behavior. The so-called celebrity apology has become a cottage industry. Hardly a day goes by without a high-profile mea culpa. As a public relations practitioner specializing in crisis communications, I have realized that I am in a special position to perform a valuable public service. So, if you find yourself on the wrong side of bad publicity, please feel free to use the following all-purpose apology. Just pick-and-choose the options (in blue)that fit the particulars of your sticky situation:

"Recently, I did [something bad] with/to/for/from/at [someone I now wish I never met]. I was [wrong/stupid/misguided/drunk]. For that I apologize. I [promise/pledge/hope/pray] to never do that again. It is with the strength of [God/Allah,/Jehovah,/my shrink] that I will get through the difficult [days/months/weeks/litigation] ahead. There is really no reason to dwell on my [situation/misery/transcript/videotape/arrest report/paternity test]. As I move forward from this [incident/tragedy/conviction/divorce], I believe that I have become a better [man/woman/weasel/inmate]. I hope the public and the media will [respect my family's privacy/burn in hell for tormenting me/will suffer collective amnesia]. Thank you for [understanding/nothing]." And if you use my all-purpose apology, let me know how that works for you! You can [thank/pay] me later.

That's it for now. Fear the Turtle.

Denim and five bucks: a powerful duo

2009-09-25T17:00:46-05:00

Friday, October 2 is Lee National Denim Day and registrations are pouring in from all over. If you haven't registered, you can do so right now at http://www.denimday.com

Register yourself, your company or organization or form your own team. It's easy to do. And you can see what your donation does in the fight against breast cancer here.

And if you happen to be in the Kansas City area on Friday, October 2, head downtown to the KC Live venue in the Power & Light District and see our 2009 Ambassador, Christina Applegate. The public celebration starts at 3:30.

The power of denim and five bucks is a wonderful thing.

Life's biggest question answered

2009-09-16T19:31:16-05:00

Kudos to Tom Asacker for simplifying how to find happiness in our lives!

Drink Up!

2009-08-31T14:37:14-05:00

Now this is what I call drinking responsibly.

Go to any Sonic Drive-In during September and buy any drink and you can help fund a teacher's project somewhere in America. Since there are about 186,000 drink combinations available at Sonic, you will have plenty of options.

Limeades for Learning is the program and our client, Sonic, is going all in to to donate $500,000 this month to support as many small projects as they can to help teachers with specific needs in classrooms. It is your vote, or more precisely, votes that will make it happen. Every time you buy that drink, peel off the sticker on the cup and go to LimeadesforLearning.com, click on Find a Project and Vote and then type in the number from your sticker. It's that simple.

So Drink Up in September at Sonic!

Doctors Without Borders

2009-08-28T14:47:53-05:00

Doctors Without Borders is an incredible organization. The docs and nurses who volunteer their time and expertise go into the most deplorable and dangerous places in the world to help people in need of basic medical care.

Their new ad campaign may be as stark and real of a portrayal of what they experience as any of us will ever see. It has been running in theaters in the UK and has sparked much discussion. I say bravo for telling it like it is. See for yourself and let me know what you think.

Marketing spend on cause up!

2009-08-19T10:10:17-05:00

In the midst of marketing budgets being slashed this year, we have incontrovertible evidence that cause branding is the go to strategy in this epic economic downturn. Aaron Baar tells us in this story on Mediapost.com.

The economy may be causing marketers to scale back on expensive, high-production efforts, but one area is still likely to see some growth this year: cause marketing.

According to IEG, North American companies will spend about $1.55 billion on cause marketing efforts in 2009, a roughly 2% increase over 2008. That is down from previous year-on-year increases in the cause marketing arena, but in the current economic climate, any increase in a marketing program is worth noting, says Dan Kowitz, vice president of IEG Sponsorship Consulting.

"As consumers, if there's anything we want to see a company spend money on, it's a cause that's important to us," Kowitz tellsMarketing Daily. "And marketers know that."

As evidence of consumer interest in sponsorship, Kowitz cited a Performance Research survey from February 2009 in which 41% of Americans said companies should increase their spending on cause marketing, compared with 13% who said they should increase spending on sports sponsorships and 20% who said they should increase sponsorship of cultural events.

Plus, cause marketing is generally cheaper than sports sponsorships, Kowitz says. Mott's, for instance, has said it will contribute up to $134,000 (the equivalent of feeding one million people through the Feeding America non-profit), which is much less expensive than the many millions it might cost to put a company's name on a sports arena.

"When you talk about subjects outside of sports, they come at a much more cost-effective price-point," Kowitz says.

Cause marketing, however, can be tricky, particularly among a public that has grown jaded and cynical, Kowitz says. The key for marketers boils down to one thing: authenticity."

"Companies have to do this in an authentic way," he says. "You can't claim to be a green sponsor just by putting your logo on a recycling bin."

And with consumers more empowered than ever to find and call out companies on how their business practices don't live up to their cause-marketing initiative, companies have to put a lot of time and effort into their chosen programs, Kowitz says. The good news is that many marketers have caught on and are living up to their promises.

"Companies have done a better job [with cause marketing] than in the past 12 months," Kowitz says. "What they could have gotten away with six years ago, for instance, was to throw money at something and say they're supporting it."

Cause a Survivor

2009-07-29T20:38:01-05:00

AdAge asked me to write a column about cause marketing and branding in a tough economy. Here it is. Please join the discussion.

Marketing's True Survivor

Why Advertisers Should Turn to Cause Strategies When Times Are Tough

Posted by Mike Swenson on 07.29.09 @ 11:45 AM


Mike Swenson

When times are tough, cause marketing can make all the difference in a client's marketing strategy. Mike Swenson, exec VP-chief marketing officer of Kansas City, Mo.-based Barkley, tells why.

If you compare our current economic abyss to a game of "Survivor," with marketing programs vying to avoid being voted off the island, it appears we have a winner. Cause-related marketing might just be the true survivor in this economy.

Anecdotal evidence is everywhere. Entire ad campaigns by major brands range from simple hints about the good they are doing for society to entire campaigns centered on causes and giving back. At Barkley, we have two clients that made cuts in their marketing budgets but did not stop the development of cause programs set to launch later this year.

The primary reason is consumer demand. Giving back is part of the consumer mind-set now. A perfect example is a study from Opinion Research Corp. telling us that 76% of consumers are willing to pay more at the cash register for environmentally friendly products. This debunks the perception that consumers will buy green only if it doesn't cost them.

Our most recent Barkley cause survey, done in partnership with PR Week, brings consumer support for cause marketing into even sharper focus when you consider the female consumer. Since women are responsible for more than 80% of all spending, what women want matters to marketers. Two of three women have purchased a brand because it supports a cause they believe in, and three of four have recommended a brand to others for the same reason.

The headlines tell us that philanthropic giving is down during the economic slump. So why is cause marketing surviving? It's simple: As a person's disposable income drops, his or her ability to make philanthropic donations drops as well. Cause marketing provides outlets for consumers of all financial means to give back, since most programs carry a modest level of donation.

Simply stated, cause marketing is surviving in this economy because consumers not only want to give back but also can afford to do it through cause-marketing programs. And since we see the mountain of evidence telling us consumers will reward companies that offer cause-marketing programs, the reasons not to make cause a part of the marketing mix are dwindling.

The benefits are numerous for a brand that commits itself to cause marketing. One of the most important is the internal impact of support for a cause. When consumers put on their employee hats, they want to work for companies that care. Two out of three CMOs Barkley surveyed in late 2008 said their cause programs resulted in improved employee morale and retention. That was especially true for employees in their 20s and 30s.

A second benefit is directly linked to the troubled economy. We all know that value pricing has its limits. A competitor can always undercut a price point. Think of value a different way. A brand can hold steady on some prices when it adds value to the purchase, such as support for a cause. Consumers will be willing to pay a bit more if they know the product they purchased will support a good cause.

With consumers living their lives more and more online today, marketers can offer a year-round cause-marketing presence, thus reinforcing their status as brands that care. It also makes it easier for consumers to engage with the brand. Our client Lee Jeans has experienced this firsthand through Lee National Denim Day, which supports the fight against breast cancer. Denim Day began 14 years ago as a workplace program using traditional methods of marketing and communication to spread the word. Today, the entire program exists online atdenimday.com, where anyone can form a team, make donations and learn new ways to get engaged in this grass-roots cause program.

Finally, brands engaging in cause marketing can fill a big need in today's economy. Nonprofits are being hit hard right now, which means the people they serve are being hit harder. Nonprofits are being squeezed from all sides. They have less help from government, foundations, direct donations and volunteers.

Combine that with the fact that companies today are searching for any edge they can find to drive business and grow their brands, and it will bring you to a simple conclusion: Cause marketing will give a brand the edge it is looking for and will help the nonprofits collect much-needed dollars to support their missions.

Brand marketers need to ask themselves a question right now: If your best customer asks you what you stand for, do you have an answer? Cause marketing will help give you that answer.

Walter Cronkite

2009-07-17T22:40:26-05:00

Walter Cronkite was more than just a news anchor. He was a guide for the country through some of our most historic events. He helped us understand the events that were shaping history. He was the model many of us who grew up with him wanted to follow into broadcasting. Walter Cronkite set the bar that all who have followed in broadcasting have yet to reach.

And he was from the heartland of America.

Zappos Review

2009-07-17T07:20:40-05:00

The marketing community has been all abuzz about the review of agencies being conducted by Zappos. At first, Zappos was going to invite in a select number of agencies but when word got out they were looking, interest grew. Zappos is a cool brand with great leadership and an even greater culture. And in this economy, winning business is critical.

Zappos received over 100 initial entries and paired it down to 20 or so for the presentations. Full disclosure now. Barkley was one of the finalists. Our team presented on Thursday.

The creative leader at agency Ignited, caused a few waves this week when he criticized Zappos in this AdAge article. All of us in the agency arena have opinions from time to time about all review processes. Some are tightly controlled by third party consultants preventing agencies and prospects from communicating with each other except under their watchful eye. Other reviews appear from the beginning to simply be a brand trying to light a fire under its current agency and then magically the current agency is retained.

Zappos was neither of these. Zappos had a wide open and transparent review process. Anyone could participate and we all knew the rules going in. The people at Zappos have been helpful and honest.

I defer now to one of my Barkley partners who was on our team in the room Thursday to add the postscript.

Toto, we're not in "Africa" anymore

2009-07-15T11:36:03-05:00

No set up required. Thanks to my Barkley colleague, Robin, for suggesting this video from a jazz choir from Slovenia. Enjoy.

We are Family

2009-07-09T20:43:27-05:00

My friend and Barkley colleague, Jeff Risley, his wife Amy and son Joe have been on a true life changing mission the past 30 days. You see, Jeff and Amy adopted Joe, now 7, in Guatemala a few years ago and on Monday, fulfill a two year odyssey to adopt siblings from Colombia. On Monday, they return to the USA with Joe, and his new sister and brother Mari and Alex.

Jeff and Amy are two amazing people for sure. We all have been taking the journey with them and I suggest you take a little time to do the same by visiting Jeff's blog, RisleyRanch. Take time to scroll down his blog and start from the beginning when Jeff, Amy and Joe left Lawrence, Kansas and headed to Cali, Colombia to meet the two new members of their family.

We missed you guys and can't wait to have you back home. Thanks for taking us with you!

Because it's the right thing to do

2009-06-16T17:25:21-05:00

There has been a great debate raging across the 'sphere and Twitter today regarding cause marketing. It was instigated by a Stanford professor who wrote this piece suggesting that cause marketing should be renamed "consumption philanthropy." Here is one excerpt:

"I disagree with this assumption. Consumption philanthropy individualizes solutions to collective social problems, distracting our attention and resources away from the neediest causes, the most effective interventions, and the act of critical questioning itself. It devalues the moral core of philanthropy by making virtuous action easy and thoughtless. And it obscures the links between markets—their firms, products, and services—and the negative impacts they can have on human well-being. For these reasons, consumption philanthropy compromises the potential for charity to better society."

While the professor had much to say about cause marketing, this paragraph jumped out at me. Especially the notion that cause marketing devalues the moral core of philanthropy by making virtuous action easy and thoughtless. I take great exception to this.

To the contrary, cause marketing adds great value to the moral core of philanthropy because it can make it easier for anyone to take a virtuous action and support a cause that is important to them. And it certainly is unfair to call a person's engagement with a cause program thoughtless. I think of the hundreds of thousands of people who put on a pair of jeans in October and give five dollars to fight breast cancer as part of Lee National Denim Day. Their simple act of wearing jeans is not thoughtless. In fact, it turns the simple and frequent act of wearing jeans into a truly virtuous act that for one day is made something very meaningful.

I also respectfully take issue with Professor Eikenberry when she says cause marketing compromises the potential for charity to better society. Just the opposite, the power of a brand and a nonprofit teaming up to shine a bright light on important causes can do more to raise people's awareness of the needs around them. With greater awareness comes the potential for greater financial support for the cause and the betterment of society.

What I want to thank the Professor for is sparking interest in cause today. I appreciate her perspective and want her to know that those of us in the cause arena work diligently every day to make sure the programs we develop and execute are working to make the world a better place.

A green tipping point

2009-06-05T11:35:58-05:00

More evidence that green is good. A national survey released yesterday says consumers are willing to pay more at the cash register for environmentally-friendly products. The number - a whopping 76 percent.

The survey was conducted by an arm of the Opinion Research Corp. The data also reveals that when consumers put on their employee hat and go to work that 74 percent believe their companies should be taking action to lead eco-friendly initiatives.

A spokesperson for ORC said the findings "seem to debunk a common perception that people will go green as long as it doesn't cost them."

Match point

2009-06-04T19:16:02-05:00

Another iconic sports brand is Wimbledon. The word itself brings to mind images of green grass and tennis whites. Check out this spot from the UK brand Robinson's, that helps the rest of us understand what it would mean for a British subject to once again win during the fortnight at Wimbledon.

Happy 100th Indy 500

2009-05-20T08:36:29-05:00

Everyone loves NASCAR now. But count me as one of those racing fans that still loves Memorial Day weekend every year because of the Indianapolis 500. This Sunday marks the 100th running of the Indy 500 and it is still the "Greatest Spectacle in Racing." Unfortunately, the Indy racing brand did itself in many years ago when there was a split among drivers and two different organizations fought for years over who was the rightful "owners" of the Indy brand. Meanwhile, the NASCAR juggernaut was emerging and being strictly administered by one family. That perfect storm led to where we are today with NASCAR and its legion of loyalists moving around the country week after week in the racing spotlight. Indy racing was simply overpowered.

But it has survived. Some of the internal battles have become history and a few new faces like Danica Patrick and Helio Castroneves have breathed some life back into Indy racing. And make no mistake, when Memorial Day weekend rolls around, the Indy 500 is the king of racing.

So here is a toast to 100 years of thrills and spills at the great 2.5 mile oval in the middle of Indiana. Gentlemen and Lady, start your engines!

Another musical interlude - Fleetwood Mac

2009-05-09T23:58:38-05:00

I had the thrill of seeing Fleetwood Mac perform at the Sprint Center in Kansas City on Friday night. They still have it. Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Mick Fleetwood and John McVie gave us a great show playing the best of their music over the last four decades. Landslide was a magic moment as it always is as in this clip from Letterman in the late '90's.