Share the Love: A Car and a Cause
The inspiration for today’s blog post comes from my personal car shopping experience in December 2014. Brands and charities forging marketing partnerships is commonplace today, and the auto industry is in the forefront of this trend.
The end of year is the optimal time to purchase an automobile — every car brand offers huge incentives to unload its 2014 stock. For the past several years, we have seen an increase in car promotions tied to charitable messaging. When automakers promote these tie-ins with national TV, radio, print and digital and then further supplemented by the dealers adding local incentives, it amplifies the awareness and makes the consumer’s purchase decision an easy one.
In today’s socially conscious society, ‘power to the people’ has become the marketing norm — giving the consumer some power in social choice and engagement. I am not the only recent car buyer who can say the tie-breaker in my decision came down to a charitable tie-in.
This year, Subaru partnered with four national charities. Its “Share the Love” campaign runs through December each year, giving $250 per purchase to one of four charities chosen by the buyer. 2014’s list included the ASPCA, Make-A-Wish, Meals On Wheels Association of America, and the National Park Foundation. Subaru promotes the event with a national TV and digital ad campaign and individual dealers can tie-in with local charities as well. The auto company estimates $15 million will be donated by the end of the year and $50 million during the seven year life of the seasonal campaign.
According to new data from the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) and Ally Financial Dealers, auto dealers continue to increase their level of giving to charitable causes. As leaders in their communities, auto dealers’ see the value of giving back. More than 70 percent of new-car dealers surveyed said they increased their charitable giving in 2014, up from 65 percent last year.
Family-owned Frei Chevrolet is among the oldest Marquette, MI auto dealers, serving the Upper Peninsula since the 1920s. This past holiday season, each time a consumer shared and forwarded its e-greeting card electronically, Frei Chevy made a donation from $.50 up to $1,500 to the United Way of Marquette County, a community collaboration to provide health, education, and social service needs to county citizens through charitable gifts of money, time and goods.
In 2015, promoting your client’s brand with love for a cause will continue to play an important role in positive ROI and endearing customers. The company that values connection and integration with society and puta their brand to good use in promoting wonderful social causes is a winner in my book. Have a wonderful Wednesday. – as
