This time of year most e-commerce, retail, and direct-to-consumer brands are heads-down on maximizing holiday revenue. It makes sense, you got through the summer doldrums and now you really need to focus on sales during the most wonderful time of the year. Your marketing plan probably has a very detailed sales calendar with holiday gifting bundles and contingency discounts if god forbid you’re pacing behind the forecast.
What if I told you that there is a way that you can actually drive higher conversion AND charge more than your competitors during Q4?
Are you paying attention now? Awesome. The strategy I want you to consider is super simple and nothing new: this Holiday season you should give back.
First off, did you know that 90% of shoppers will switch to a new brand if it backs a social or environmental cause, even if it’s the same quality or price? Additionally, 42% of customers are willing to pay a premium for products when they know that some of their money is going to be used for philanthropic initiatives.
That’s right. If you’re looking for a way to really differentiate yourselves from your competitors, incorporating a little CSR goes a long way. This gives your customers a sense of pride about spending their hard-earned money with you and helps everyone feel like they are really participating in the spirit of the season.
Of course, there are a plethora of ways to get involved in corporate giving, and it can be pretty overwhelming getting started amid the chaos of Holiday marketing planning. Here are some quick ways you can get started:
Join 1% for the planet: 1% for the Planet is a global organization that connects dollars and doers. Essentially all your business needs to do is pledge 1% of your company’s profits to their organization and they will do the work of making sure your money gets into the pockets of a worthy cause.
Make your customer the hero: Let your donation be at the center of your Holiday marketing campaign. Don’t be shy. Build your story around your Holiday giving and make it very clear exactly how each purchase enables your contributions. This way your customers know the role they play in your giving.
Reach out to the specialists: There are agencies out there that focus on CSR and cause marketing campaigns (hint: we’re one of them!). These agencies can identify the philanthropic ventures that most authentically align with your brand, broker the best relationship for you to work together and create incredible marketing collateral to tell your holiday shoppers about your efforts.
In short, giving your customers a reason to be proud that they spent their money with a company that has everyone’s best interests in mind (and backs it up!) can go a long way during the most wonderful and competitive time of the year. It can be hard to convince stakeholders to put aside budget for donations but it really does pay off especially in Q4.