Drive to Fuel Change

Cause-related marketing campaigns come in many different forms. It is a company’s contribution to a charity and involves consumers taking action in some way. Typically, a company commits to making a donation based on a percentage of sales from products, or includes customers making a purchase of some sort. The campaign tends to have its own branding that is co-branded to be aligned with the company. There can be many benefits to a company that uses cause-related marketing campaigns however these types of campaigns can also have a negative impact as well. (Blackboard, 2013)

Shell Canada has a unique example of a cause-related marketing campaign. From a communications standpoint, the company mostly succeeds in achieving its objectives. There are however, a few areas that Shell could focus on to lessen the negative impact it has on the company’s image.

An explanation of the campaign

The company is currently in its fifth cycle of the environmental funding program, FuellingChange™. Each time a person makes a purchase of any kind at a Shell retail location (that could be fuel, lottery tickets, to-go food, etc) a code is printed on the purchase receipt. The customer can then log on and sign in to the FuellingChange website, enter the code and use that code to vote for various environmental not-for-profit organizations participating in the program. Organizations can sign up by submitting an application via Grantstream, a widely used funding application program used by many large corporations for donating/social responsibility purposes.  The organizations are categorized by: land, air and water. Each organization must be acting to conserve and/or protect one or more of these categories in some way in order to be accepted into the program.  The more purchases you make at a Shell retail location, the more codes you can redeem to vote for your favorite participating organization. The organizations with the most amount of votes at the end of each four month cycle, from each category, gets grants from Shell. Grants range in amount from $25,000-$100,000. Just for being accepted into the program each organization also gets $10,000 regardless of the amounts of votes received. In total, Shell Canada donates $2 million each year towards participating organizations that improve or restore Canada’s environment.  The breakdown of the funds:  three $100,000 winners, six $50,000 and 12 $25,000, plus the extra $10,000 for those who did not receive enough votes to quality for the larger prizes (FuellingChange, 2013).

The campaign runs a variety of contests and promotions throughout each cycle. Each long weekend, voters receive emails that provide them with free codes to redeem votes (usually between 30-50 free votes each promotion). In addition, Shell Canada is very active in communicating with its FuellingChange audience. It frequently posts tweets and facebook status updates to maintain contact with its stakeholders. In addition, at each retail location you will find signage for FuellingChange and computerized messages that run across the screen when you fill up with gas. Retail employees tend to be quite knowledgeable on the program as well. A very professional website is updated regularly that will give interested publics all the information necessary in order to make an educated decision on whether or not they wish to participate.

One of Shell’s key values and areas in which it aims to be recognized for is the work done with environment and society. Their goal is to reduce the negative impact in areas where it operates, reduce green house gas emissions and increase positive reputation in local communities throughout Canada. It works to manage environmental impact in biodiversity, water use and clean air (Shell.ca, 2013).

Does Shell do a successful job in its communication efforts related to FuellingChange? Based on the information collected through the website and through insider knowledge (a group member is an employee of Shell), yes. It has regular and consistent communication with its FuellingChange stakeholders – the voters, employees, participating organizations, etc. It also builds relationships with local communities by donating money to local causes and allows participating organizations to host events at retails sites in an effort to build awareness. In addition, all FuellingChange branding is co-branded with the Shell logo, which strengthens brand recognition for both the campaign and the company. Consumers can get involved and feel empowered through having the power to choose where Shell donates its funds.  

Areas that fail

Shell does not have specific, measurable objectives to effectively measure and evaluate if it is succeeding or failing with its FuellingChange campaign. It is suggested the specific, measurable, action, realistic and timely (SMART) objectives are in place to help the campaign redirect to be as successful as possible. In addition, although Shell does benefit by being seen as socially responsible to many of its publics because of the environmental funding done via FuellingChange, many people think that Shell is not donating enough of its profits to this cause. When you consider that Shell made $46 billion in net cash from operation’s earnings in 2012 (Shell.ca, 2013), $2 million isn’t enough to donate, says many people via the customer service email logs. Also, Shell has the potential to grow participation in FuellingChange among its customers extensively. There are currently just over 500,000 votes this cycle across Canada, which means many more customers could be involved. While many commend Shell on this environmental cause-related marketing campaign, many people think it is a ply to get more customers to buy purchases from Shell over other competitors. Or, they feel that Shell should allow Canadians to vote without having to make a purchase instead. In addition, although Shell strives to be a leader in corporate social responsibility, it did not make the recently released list of Canada’s top 50 socially responsible companies (MacLeans.ca, 2013).

References:

How it Works. Retrieved on June 15 from http://fuellingchange.com/

Social Investment. Retrieved on June 17 from http://www.shell.ca/en/environment-society/social-  investment.html

Cause Related Marketing.Module 3. Retrived on June 17 from https://wwwacad.mtroyal.ca/adc/comm4849/index.php?page=a3_b1_c3

Canada's Top 50 Socially Responsible Companies. Retrieved on June 15 from http://www2.macleans.ca/canada-top-50-socially-responsible-corporations-2013/

Cause related marketing!

Cause related marketing

MADD Vancouver teaming up with Car Heaven

Get your cause on!

By supporting organizations that focus their efforts towards cause related marketing you are not only supporting said organization, but you are also supporting a great cause. The action of cause related marketing usually sees a lesser-known organization piggyback onto a better-known organization in an effort to celebrate a greater cause.

Cause Related Marketing is one of the most effective ways your company can demonstrate its support for stopping impaired driving while publicly promoting your commitment to the cause (Madd Vancouver, n.d.).

Madd Vancouver is teaming with charity car programs throughout the lower mainland in an effort to lower pollution, raise awareness towards impaired driving and tax benefits for local citizens.

 Everyone knows the importance of battling impaired drivers; everyone knows the importance of recycling.  The same cant be said for getting rid of unfit vehicles. Currently, Madd Vancouver is teaming up with charity car programs through the lower mainland such as Car heaven to encourage Vancouverites and lower mainlanders alike to donate their old junker.

Each year in Canada, approximately 500,000 vehicles are declared no longer fit for the road for reasons such as failed emissions testing or accidents. We may recycle our glass and plastic but most of us never think about recycling our cars (Madd Vancouver, n.d.).

By donating these vehicles citizens are able to offer a charity donation (tax deductible of course) from Madd Vancouver with all proceeds going to support Madd Vancouver. This type of cause related marketing is especially effective as it appeals to a local, specific audience. By catering to a selected audience Madd Vancouver offers a very real call to action. In theory, this cause related marketing campaign is fantastic!

This cause related marketing campaign is extremely appealing as it related to a targeted market that not only has a dislike for impaired driving (no different than the rest of Canada)  but more importantly has a major dislike for anyone with a dirty carbon footprint.

British Columbia, and especially the lower mainland for the longest time has been a primary proponent of working to make Canada a more green country. The city of Vancouver currently has an initiative in place to make Vancouver the “greenest” city in Canada,

“Greenest City 2020 is a bold initiative that will address Vancouver's environmental challenges. Through a set of measurable and attainable targets, we will put the city on the path to sustainability, and make us the greenest city in the world by 2020” (City of Vancouver 2012).

This is an extremely unique form of cause related marketing because it appeals to lower mainland residents on a very personal level. Everyone knows someone who has been affected by impaired driving, if they don’t know someone who has been affected personally, they have read about the horrors that come with it, with that everyone knows its wrong and wants to do something about it.

Another thing that is wrong in the lower mainland and Vancouver alike is the ever-growing problem of pollution. Vancouver is currently situated on the upper coast of the pacific ocean, it is not only a port city, but as close to a boarder town (with Washington state just down the road), as any city in Canada.  To say pollution is plentiful would be an understatement.

To work towards their greenest city in Canada challenge residents of the lower mainland have fallen in love with this fantastic cause related marketing campaign. Major benefits associated with this cause related marketing campaign include:

A cleaner Vancouver and surrounding area

Less ugly cars to look at look

Donations for a great cause!-----Madd Vancouver

A big fat tax deduction

This is an excellent outcome for any resident looking for that big tax deduction. Rather than whipping out your cheque book, residents can simply donate their old, smelly, beaten down, loud, broken vehicle. With that it also saves drivers the hassle of battling haggling low bidders on kijiji if they wanted to get rid of their crappy old car, van, truck, or motor cycle anyways. Oh and it goes to a good cause, as mentioned above all the money raised through this fantastic cause related marketing campaign goes towards support and funding for Madd Vancouver, a local treasure that fights impaired driving.

When it comes to finding flaws in this cause related marketing campaign, its easier said than done. Quite frankly, this blogger sees no major flaws as it appeals to a local audience, is easy to do and most importantly goes towards a good cause.

Everyone hates old beater vehicles and impaired drivers! If you have an old car, truck, van or motor cycle that has seen better days, get out, take that add off kijiji and donate it to a great cause, Madd Vancouver will thank you!  

Sources

City of Vancouver (N.D.). Greenest city in 2020: A bright green city. Retrieved on June 8, 2013 from, https://vancouver.ca/green-vancouver/a-bright-green-future.aspx

Madd Vancouver  (N.D). Corporate Partner-Cause related marketing. Retrieved on June 8, 2013 from http://madd.ca/vancouver/pages/corporate-partnership/cause-related-marketing.php