Cause Talk Radio: The Cause Marketing Podcast

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Ryan Kuhn Senior Director of Marketing for Goodwill Industries International about a national collection drive they launched with the help of Uber. Megan, Ryan and Joe discuss: Goodwill was the recent winner of PUBLIC's Cause Marketing Innovation Award. Goodwill's national program with Uber began with a local relationship in New York. Collection drives included clothing and e-waste drives. How Uber promoted the campaign to customers How Goodwill helped local Uber drivers connect with local stores in their community. How Goodwill's work with Uber required flexility and a commitment to innovation. The logistics behind the campaign. Uber collected 250,000 pounds of clothes for Goodwill! The power of tapping into the strengths of your partner. The target demographic for Goodwill is women between the ages of 35 and 45. The Uber campaign helped them reach this audience and a younger demographic. The business benefits of the program to Uber. The future of Goodwill's

Today on CauseTalk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Russell Sparkman, CEO of FusionSpark Media, about Upstanders, a new purpose-driven web series from Starbucks. The goal of the initiative is to tell real stories of humanity as a reminder that ordinary citizens can create extraordinary impact by refusing to be bystanders Russ is the perfect person to speak to on this content initiative! He and his firm are leaders in purpose-focused non-fiction storytelling. On the show, Megan, Russell and Joe discuss: The work of FusionSpark Media. How long have they been at the intersection of purpose and content marketing? Russell's thoughts on Content Marketing World this year where he delivered a presentation on purpose-driven content marketing. The force of purpose was strong at this year's conference! What were the key takeaways from CMW? How will these lessons influence the creation of cause-content? Is Upstanders cause marketing? Is it better than Race Together? Russell: "The path to engagement is paved with purpose." W

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Peter Strebel, Chief Marketing Officer at Omni Hotels & Resorts, about Say Goodnight to Hunger (#SayGoodnightToHunger). This action-triggered donation program feeds a family of four dinner for an entire week whenever guests book a stay directly at OmniHotels.com. Since the programs launched in June, Omni Hotels has donated 3 million meals. Donations support Feeding America and local food banks in the 42 communities where Omni's 60 hotels are located. On the show, Megan, Peter and Joe discuss: Joe's love of Boston Cream Pie and its connection to the Omni Parker House in Boston. How Omni Hotels got involved with Feeding America and the kick-off ofSay Goodnight to Hunger in June. How Omni Hotel employees have supported the program in their communities. Feeding America's local footprint made it a perfect nonprofit match for Omni! How the program is geared toward Millennial customers and employees. 45% of Omni employees and 25% of Omni customers are Millennials

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Leslie Engle Young, Director of Impact at Pencils of Promise (PoP), about how the how organization has become a top philanthropic brand by smashing its goal of increasing access to quality education for children in the developing world. On the show, Megan, Leslie and Joe discuss: How Leslie got involved with PoP - and she owes it all to Bob Dylan! Why PoP created a position specifically focused on impact. Should other nonprofits have this role? What metrics does Leslie measure to determine PoP's effectiveness? Focus is on outcomes not outputs. How important is data to PoP? How PoP moves a new program from Pilot to Beta toIntegration.  PoP's quarterly transparency report and why an annual reports wasn't enough. "We want people to see where we are succeeding and where we are struggling." How PoP communicates with its stakeholders. PoP's WASH program that teaches kids about WATER, SANITATION and HYGIENE. "If you're not healthy you can't/won't go to school!" The c

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Chris Fuller, Executive Director at the Arby's Foundation, about the chain's first PurposeFULL report highlighting progress across its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platform. With 3,300 locations around the world, Arby's is the second largest quick-service chain in the world! On the show, Megan, Chris and Joe discuss: Why Arby's is releasing its first CSR report now What Arby's is doing to share the report with stakeholders. The four pillars of the report:YouthFULL, SkillFULL, ResourceFULL & FlavorFULL. Arby's focus on youth empowerment and its contribution of over $76 million. Customer donations at the register - last year that totaled $3.6 million. How Arby's puts the "FUN" in fundraising and gets 75 percent of its restaurants to participate in fundraising programs. The structure of Arby's point-of-sale fundraisers and importance of having an employee "champion." How Arby's picked childhood hunger as its cause. How's Arby's is working with its no

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Chris Noble, CEO of Matchfire, a marketing and technology company for business and social impact, about key trends in cause marketing, including the power influencers, content marketing and employee engagement. On the show, Megan, Chris and Joe discuss: How Matchfire brings four different agencies together (StudioGood, Kompolt, Patron & Matchfire) that were once "Brand Soup." The commonality with all these entities was social good and technology. Matchfire's work with the Muscular Dystrophy Association on #LiveUnlimited, a bold initiative to reach a new, younger audience for the charity. How #LiveUnlimited focused on 150 online influencers to drive traffic, interest and donations to the campaign. Trends in cause marketing: Snapchat, Pokemon Go!, Employee Engagement. The critical role content marketing has and will play in cause marketing, and how people confuse it with digital marketing. How the language we use to describe corporate responsibility (cause m

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Lisa Lewis, Director of Marketing at Formation Data Systems (FDS), a startup data storage company, about an interesting cause marketing partnership with Oxfam involving giving goats to families in need! On the show, Megan, Lisa and Joe discuss: How FDS was looking for a marketing program that was affordable but impactful when Lisa discovered Oxfam after a friend gave her a goat as a gift! How the program works. If you demo FDS' product through Oxfam they will donate a goat to a needy family in a third-world country. The power of goats! They are a fantastic animal to donate because almost singlehandedly they can lift a family out of poverty. How FDS has used See a Demo, Get a Goat outside outside a trade show (that they couldn't afford to attend!) with great success! Are goats the next household pet?! How FDS has incorporated goats into a series of videos called GoatBusters that links the craziness of goats with the disorganization of most company's storage eff

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Katrina McGhee, a nonprofit leader and entrepreneur who has more than 25 years of experience in progressive leadership roles, including chief marketing officer for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. On the show, Megan, Katrina and Joe discuss personal branding for causepreneurs. We cover: What is personal branding? Why causepreneurs have a difficult time focusing on personal branding. How personal branding is critical to career success. It's portable and helps you become an "A" player. Katrina's process for defining your personal brand. How to do a "personal audit" on yourself. How to tell what's a distinction and what's a distraction in your personal brand. The importance of generosity in your relationships. How to build strong relationships with people. It's better to go deep than wide. Katrina's top five tips for personal branding.  Links & Notes Katrina's Website  Katrina on Twitter

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Bill Spae, CEO of Vasari LLC, a Dairy Queen franchisee with 76+ locations in Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma. Vasari is the second largest franchisee in the DQ system! Vasari leads several cause marketing programs, including a fundraiser for Share Our Strength that raised $335,000 since 2014. On the show, Megan, Bill and Joe discuss: How Joe met Bill at the National Restaurant Show in Chicago where they were both speaking on behalf of Share Our Strength. How DQ got involved with Share Our Strength. It's not a national program for DQ, but a regional program for Vasari LLC. How DQ kicked off the program in 2014 and Share Our Strength supported their efforts with their deep experience in cause marketing point-of-sale. How much the program has grown since 2014. The goal this year is $200K+. How DQ changed its ask from a dollar amount to a meal amount and raised more money. The power of incentives to solicit donations. Joe shares a painful DQ regret. Does DQ ask for

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Risa Sherman, Manager of Philanthropy & Cause Marketing at The Boston Beer Company, about the company's signature cause initiative, Brewing the American Dream. This innovative program champions the great ideas and dreams of small business owners nationwide who are pursuing their passion in the food and beverage, hospitality, and craft brewing industries. On the show, Megan, Risa and Joe discuss: An overview of the halo-award winning Brewing the American Dream. The initial goal was to add value to the community beyond just writing a check. The three legs of the program. First, access to capital. Second, access to mentors. Third, access to new customers and markets. The focus of the program over the past year? One word: Impact (and tracking it!). What's the business impact of Brewing the American Dream? A close connection to innovation helps Boston Beer stay nimble in its own business. How much Boston Beer employees enjoy working with other entrepreneurs. Ri

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Stephanie Bagley, COO at Charity Miles, about the new Pokémon Go game and how it can be used to raise money for good causes. On the show, Megan, Stephanie and I discuss: What is Pokémon Go? And what the heck is augmented reality? How Charity Miles is leading the charge to use Pokémon Go for GOOD. How Charity Miles launched a challenge to users to play Pokémon Go for a purpose. The explosion in users and downloads that Charity Miles has seen since the launch of Pokémon Go. A 2000+ surge in new users of the app. How different businesses and nonprofits are usingPokémon Go. Is Pokémon Go a fad or the future? Links & Notes Charity Miles App on iTunes Walk for a Dog App on iTunes Charity Miles 116 Examples of Digital Cause Marketing on Pinterest (Includes AR Examples!)

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Brittany Hill, Co-Founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Catalist, an agency focused on providing corporate partnership professionals tangible and sustainable tools to meet their fundraising goals. Megan, Brittany and Joe discuss Catalist's recent report,Revelations at the Register: A Look Into Sector Specific Consumer Giving Preferences at the Register. On the show, they cover: How Catalist defines "Checkout Charity." What does it include? What were the goals of the study? How checkout charity drives customer loyalty. What consumers want after they donate at the register. Is a simple thank you enough? While two-thirds of respondents said they've given at the register, one-third had not. How can this group be engaged? The importance of brand recognition at the register. What should you do if your nonprofit brand isn't well known? Consumer feelings on donating through PIN pads. Do consumers prefer to be asked verbally or electronically - or both? How much do c

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan, and Joe talk to Elicia Azali, Associate Vice President at insurance and financial services provider Nationwide. We discuss their cause initiative Make Safe Happen, which seeks to reduce accidental injury at home, the number one cause of death among children. On the show, Megan, Elicia, and Joe discuss: How Nationwide's commitment to safety initiatives and Make Safe Happen got started. It began decades ago! Make Safe Happen is a comprehensive platform. Elicia offers some examples of how Nationwide is helping to keep kids safe. The challenges of creating a comprehensive site that addresses so many safety issues. The focus this year on four injury areas: furniture/TV tip overs, poisoning, water and fire safety. Nationwide's partnership with Nationwide Children's Hospital and Safe Kids Worldwide to bring Make Safe Happen to life. Nationwide's business objectives for Make Safe Happen.  The channels (social, earned media, influencers) Nationwide is using to promote Make Safe Happe

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Matt Hodges, Vice President of Public & Investor Relations at GameStop, about the gaming chain's first-year fundraiser for Autism Speaks that raised a whopping $1.2 Million. On the show, Megan, Matt and Joe discuss: Why GameStop chose Autism Speaks. How did GameStop survey employees to find out what their favorite causes were? What's GameStop's process for evaluating charities before they partner with them. The benefit of partnering with Autism Speaks because they share GameStop's international footprint. Megan is hearing this more! Companies want nonprofit partners with international reach. What are GameStop's current best practices when it comes to executing successful point-of-sale fundraisers? GameStop continues to make it personal and relatable to employees. How GameStop communicates autism stories with customers, both through internal assets and social channels.  News Flash: Is a GameStop candle for Autism Speaks in the works? Adding Autism Speaks to

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to frequent guest Mollye Rhea, President of For Momentum, an Atlanta-based cause agency.  On the show, Megan, Mollye and Joe discuss For Momentum's survey of U.S. nonprofit executives responsible for selling cause partnerships in the Nonprofit Partnership Sales Cycle Research. We cover: For Momentum's new research takes on the number one question people ask about cause partnerships: "How long will it take?" The survey included interviews with 50 nonprofits with corporate alliance teams. The survey looked at sponsorships, integrated fundraising and employee directed partnerships. Nonprofits need to give themselves up to 18+ months to close a larger partnership. The more money involved, the longer the sales cycle. Warmer leads can reduce close time. Mollye's advice on how to work with prospects, especially your warmer leads. How the sales cycle is impacted by your nonprofit's brand and mission fit and readiness. Why do companies turn down a cause partnership? The #

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Julie Cottineau, founder and CEO of BrandTwist, a brand consultancy, and creator of Brand School Online, a learning program that teaches small business owners, entrepreneurs and non-profits how to create powerful brands that break-through crowded markets. Julie is also the author of a new bestseller: TWIST: How Fresh Perspectives Build Breakthrough Brands. On the show, Megan, Julie and Joe discuss: Julie's career path to branding expert, including her unacknowledged invention of the Pet Rock and a stint with Sir Richard Branson. How Julie defines Brand and a Brand Twist. When is it appropriate for organizations to Twist? And why it's okay to turn off some people! How you find your twist in the marketplace by looking both within your own brand story and outside your industry. The importance of failing harder and developing focus when it comes to brand development. The incredible opportunity nonprofits and businesses have to promote themselves and build their br

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Linn Jordan, Director of Retail Marketing for Walgreens, about its efforts on behalf of Red Nose Day, which is dedicated to raising money to help children who are most in need, both in the U.S. and in some of the poorest communities in the world. Walgreens has sold more than 12 million Red Noses and raised $18 million since kicking off their campaign on March 28th — twice the amount sold during the entirety of the campaign last year! On the show, Megan, Linn and Joe discuss: What is Red Nose Day? It's a cause import from the UK that has raised $1 billion over the past 30 years. How Walgreens got involved with Red Nose Day. Having a CEO from the UK helped! What does Red Nose raise money for? How is the money divided up among the charities? The challenge of adding a physical product, like a red nose, to the checkout area. Why Walgreens decided to sell other products to support Red Nose Day. How Walgreens employees had fun with the program with "Red Flair Fridays

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Hil Davis, founder of BeautyKind, an online retailer where consumers can shop prestige beauty brands while raising funds for charitable causes. Launched In November 2014, BeautyKind is an online beauty retailer with charitable giving at its core. Customers can shop their favorite beauty, hair, fragrance and skin care brands, while directing five percent of every purchase to causes of their choice, whether that is a local cause or a national organization. On the show, Megan, Hil and Joe discuss: Hil's unique journey from Alabama to culinary school to starting his own beauty brand. Hil's opinion on why cause businesses like his are becoming so popular. How BeautyKind works. The site has "featured causes" but consumers can support any nonprofit they want - so long as it qualifies as a 501c3. How are brands working with BeautyKind? Is it just another place to move product, or do they see value in your cause-focus? How important is the cause component to BeautyKind

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Ryder Kessler, CEO of DipJar, a donation box for credit cards that is a major improvement on the traditional coin-fed canister. Supporters can "dip" to leave a one-step donation with any credit or debit card. You can also review DipJar activity in real time on your smartphone, and change the preset dollar amount whenever you want. On the show, Megan, Ryan and Joe discuss: The history of Dipjar. It started as a way to collect tips. Dipjar combines the power of in-person giving with the convenience of credit cards. Why Dipjar switched from tips to donations. All the different types of nonprofits that use Dipjar Nonprofits get real-time information and access to their money. Where you can find Dipjar: 650 locations. The sophisticated anti-theft device on Dipjar: a cord! How Dipjar makes money. Joe's plans for raise money for the JWFL at the Cause Marketing Forum Conference. (Which were quickly squashed by Megan!) What's been the best use of Dipjar? What's been mo

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Gentry Lane, founder of TDO Productions, a company that is harnessing the power of virtual reality and leveraging it for social good. TDO's virtual reality experiences are formulated to inspire massive empathy that drives viewers to immediate action.  On the show, Megan, Gentry and Joe discuss: All the things you can do with virtual reality! You can switch places with someone, you can teleport and time travel. The rise of virtual reality over the past twenty of years. It's evolving like cellphones did, but more quickly. The power of virtual reality. It lives forever, has a captive audience and powerfully conveys emotions. "Our brains react in virtual reality the same way they react to real life." How you can donate, sign a petition, share on social media without ever leaving your virtual reality experience. Gentry's argument on why social good is the best use of virtual reality technology. What causes need to do NOW to prepare themselves for when virtual reali