After a sharp drop-off in sponsoring cause-related events and programs last year, marketers are getting back on board with supporting charitable activities.
According to IEG, sponsorship spending on causes is expected to reach nearly $1.8 billion this year, up 4.8% over 2012’s levels. That is a significant increase over the 1.2% growth
from 2011 to 2012. Last year’s relatively small increase can be attributed to two overriding factors: the Susan G. Komen Foundation controversy over cutting grants to Planned Parenthood chapters
and Hurricane Sandy, says Jim Andrews, senior vice president and content director at IEG.
“Some [companies] may have gotten a little skittish, significantly in the latter part
of the year,” Andrews tells Marketing Daily. “In the wake of Sandy, many just diverted dollars into pure philanthropy. It diverted dollars from cause events into straight
donations.”
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Though growing, cause marketing’s 4.8% growth trails the projected 5.5% growth for the overall sponsorship industry, and lags sports (6% growth) and
entertainment (5.1%). It is higher than sponsorship of associations and membership organizations (4%), the arts (3.3%) and festivals, fairs and annual events (2.9%).
By
category, retail and financial services are the most active sectors sponsoring causes, in part because of the transactional nature of their business (particularly retail) and, in the case of financial
services, to improve their image. ‘
“Retail in general, particularly department stores, have always been active in supporting community causes,” Andrews says.
“It’s the nature of the retail segment to be involved.”
Among individual companies, Bank of America led the list of cause marketing sponsors (18% of causes
reported BoA as a sponsor), followed by Coca-Cola (14%) and Wells Fargo (13%).
"Avon Walk for Breast Cancer" photo from Shutterstock.