The Secret To Your Best Marketing Strategy: Care.

We've recently been working with a few clients to develop their marketing strategy, which is deeply satisfying work. Taking the time to be thoughtful and strategic before getting things into motion is not just smart but feels therapeutic to Sarah and me at a time when we see many businesses make snap decisions out of pressure, panic or roadblocks to reaching their goals. 

Don't get me wrong, being responsive and iterating is not just necessary, but it's a skill to do well. We love the thrill of being in the moment with our business and our clients. But there's no replacing a good marketing strategy as a foundation on which everything else builds. If you don't have a marketing strategy, I wish you'd say, hey...we can get you on track. 

One of the areas that I am most passionate about and determined about is developing the cause marketing strategy for the business. There are too many examples of companies being vapid and performative with how they show up to support causes and social issues. There are even more examples of businesses, especially small businesses, doing this well: thoughtfully, with concerted effort, and aligned with the issues and causes that matter to their target audience. 

One of our fav Canadian brands, Joyà, recently teamed up with Wholesome Wave. I love the partnership choice because Wholesome Wave is not just focused not food scarcity but nutrition insecurity: it’s not just about getting more food to people who need it; it’s about getting the right food. This choice in cause marketing couldn’t be more on-brand for Joyà and their audience, who truly care about making wellness uncomplicated and believe that our experience with food and nutrition should be full of joy. 

I’ve spent years in the social enterprise sector designing and deploying cause marketing campaigns that are good for society and the bottom line. There is a way to do this meaningfully and profitably. 

I encourage you and your team to think about the causes, issues and charities you care about and be thoughtful about how this shows up in your content marketing plans and, if there’s an opportunity, how it comes to life in your sales plans. Consider how you will support these causes, and I challenge you to make your commitment a part of your culture, not just something you do on a particular day of the year.