Cause Talk Radio: The Cause Marketing Podcast

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Brock Weatherup, Executive Vice President Strategic Innovation & Digital Experience at Petco, about the launch of Heads & Tails, the first iOS app where pet parents can both receive a gift card and donate to help animals in need by simply having fun taking cute pet selfies. Links & Notes Heads & Tails 00:00 - Sponsor: Engage For Good Halo Awards Submission Now Open! 00:28 - Welcome to Cause Talk Radio! 01:06 - Welcome Petco's Brock Weatherup 03:18 - What is Petco's Heads & Tails app? 05:46 - How do you get people to use your app? 08:14 - How's it performing so far? 09:44 - Why build an app? 12:24 - How does Heads & Tails integrate with other Petco apps? 13:56 - Let's talk about retention. 16:54 - How do you monetize your app experience? 18:46 - The New Content Marketing? 22:24 - PetCoach by Petco 23:49 - What digital trends are you watching with cause tie-ins? 25:28 - Learn more about Heads & Tails

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Mike Richardson, Vice President of Marketing, Casey’s General Stores, a 2000-store convenience store chain in 15 states, about their recent charity pinup fundraiser for the Muscular Dystrophy Association. The $1.35 million raised will be used to help send kids with muscular dystrophy to MDA Summer Camp. Links & Notes Casey's General Store   

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Melanie Zachar Kaloski, Nesquik Marketing Manager at Nestle, about QuikStache, a fun campaign with the Movember Foundation to raise awareness of men's health. The campaign included a pledge from Nesquik to match every $10 donation made to the foundation on Movember's 10th birthday. On the show, Megan, Melanie, and Joe discuss: How was Nesquick introduced to Movember? What was the genesis of this partnership? Tell us about the “QuickStache” campaign this year: who are you targeting with your fun chocolate milk ‘staches? You pledged to donate $10 for every donation made on Movember's birthday, how did that go? Are cause-related marketing campaigns new to Nequick? What have you learned from your involvement with Movember this year? Movember traditionally has done a good job activating corporate teams. Was this an element of your campaign this year? Or was it more consumer-facing? What kind of response did you get from consumers? Do you anticipate continuing this

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Racquel Russell, Senior Director, Government Relations and Public Affairs of Zillow Group, about a $5 million pledge in cash and in-kind contributions over the next five years to address housing insecurity as part of the company's first social impact program, The Home Project. On the show, Megan, Racquel, and Joe discuss: Can you give us a brief overview of The Home Project and what the program is all about? Zillow is partnering with non-profits whose mission aligns with The Home Project. What do these partnerships hope to accomplish? How do you plan to reach people who are having challenges with housing? How can employees get engaged with this program? Another pillar of The Home Project is product development to help people find secure housing. What types of product developments do you anticipate rolling out in 2018? Can you explain what "Hack Weeks” and "Innovation Weeks” are and how they fold into this initiative What business objectives are attached to thi

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Karen Davis, Senior Vice President of Global Philanthropy and Social Impact at Hasbro, about “Be Fearless Be Kind,” a philanthropic initiative designed to empower kids to have the compassion and courage to stand up for others and make a difference. To help nurture empathy and compassion, parents and adults can access proven tools and resources through the Be Fearless Be Kind online hub. On the show, Megan, Karen, and Joe discuss: How did you land on ‘standing up for others’ as your signature cause focus? Was this a new cause area for Hasbro or familiar territory? Who are your nonprofit partners in this endeavor and what role do they play in activating it? Explain to us how you expanded the program in 2017? How are you engaging employees? Consumers? What are your hopes and expectations for the program in the coming year? How does this effort help Hasbro generate business so it can sustain this valuable effort? What would you say to others who are considering la

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to George Khalaf, Executive Director, Empatico. Empatico is a $20 million initiative from The KIND Foundation, started by KIND Snacks, to broaden kids' world views through meaningful interactions with peers across the globe. The free online learning tool will enable students to practice communication and leadership skills needed to succeed in a divided country and interdependent world. On the show, Megan, George, and Joe discuss: The backstory on how Empatico got started. Why are you focusing on 3rd and 4th grade students? Is Empatico a nonprofit organization? Why did KIND choose to start an entirely new organization to connect kids across the globe? Is that a risky venture in your eyes? How did you come to be involved in Empatico? How involved is KIND with your day-to-day activities? Where does the KIND brand start and leave off when it comes to your mission? Are you already matching kids in classrooms around the globe? Will there be a time where non-english-spe

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Michal Alter, Co-Founder and CEO of Visit.org, about how this B-Corp is curating different local travel experiences, ranging from free to several thousand dollars per person, all in the name of social good! The traveler gets an authentic travel experience and 100% of host revenue is invested back into the local community. On the show, Megan, Michal, and Joe discuss: Michal explains the Visit.org model and what prompted her to start the business. How Visit.org selects their nonprofit partners. Michal's favorite local travel experience. Which tours are most popular on the site. Why Visit.org is a B-corp and not a nonprofit. The long-term vision of the company. The challenging of explaining Visit.org to new website visitors. The challenges of building a business that is both good for the world and profitable. Links & Notes Visit.org

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Laura Swapp, Director of Public Affairs & Next Gen Marketing at REI, about an ambitious new campaign called Force of Nature. The goal of Force of Nature is a total disruption of the dominance of male imagery, heroes, and stories as "masters of the outdoors." Force of Nature seeks to reclaim the outdoors for women of all ages, races, sizes, and gender expressions. On the show, Megan, Laura, and Joe discuss: The background of the Force of Nature. How it got started. The four components of Force of Nature. Why REI decided not only to focus on gender but age, race, and size as well. The key role that storytelling and content are playing in Force of Nature. How 1,000+ events are engaging consumers in Force of Nature. How REI plans to close the "gear gap" between men and women's gear. REI has committed a million dollars to support community organizations that help women and girls, what's the end goal of REI's investments?  What kind of challenges and bumps has R

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Annie Ford Danielson, Global Beauty Authority at Benefit Cosmetics about the Bold is Beautiful Project, which has raised $11 million waxing women's (and men's) brows in 17 countries. The Bold is Beautiful Project is the company's annual global philanthropy program dedicated to providing resources and opportunities to help empower women and girls around the world. On the show, Megan, Annie, and Joe discuss: How the Bold is Beautiful Project got started in 2015 in four countries. How the program works in Benefit's boutiques and in retail partner stores like Sephora. This is a worldwide effort! How do you choose the benefiting charities? How nonprofit partners support the fundraiser. The business benefits of the Bold is Beautiful Project. How the fundraiser is promoted in stores. Lessons learned over the past two years. New ideas and plans for 2018! Links & Notes Benefit Cosmetics Annie Ford Danielson on Instagram

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Ed Riegert, retail marketing manager for Brooks, and Kristin Finton, footwear merchandising manager for REI, about the National Parks Collection, an exclusive line of shoes and tees being sold at REI that celebrates five iconic national parks and benefits the National Park Foundation. On the show, Megan, Ed, Kristin, and Joe discuss: How the National Park Collection got started by Brooks. Other cause programs REI and Brooks have worked on. How the program works. How many shoes are involved? How many parks? How much money is being raised? Why Brooks decided to create a custom line of shoes for the National Park Foundation. Is branded footwear the future of footwear marketing. Why REI got involved as the exclusive sales partner in the program. The response so far from consumers and employees. How the collection highlights Brooks' commitment to trail shoes. The business benefits of the campaign. Is there a special place for the collection in REI stores? Links &

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Anne Candido, Fabric Care Communications, Procter & Gamble about bringing relief to residents affected by Hurricane Harvey and Irma with P&G product kits and Tide Loads of Hope laundry services. On the show, Megan, Anne, and Joe discuss: How Tide Loads of Hope got started and how it has evolved. What's in the "care kits" that P&G distributes. P&G's partnership with Matthew 25 Ministries and Whirlpool.  How they communicate with victims on access to the truck when disaster areas don't have power. How P&G employees can get involved in Tide Loads of Hope. How are Tide Loads of Hope trucks used when they aren't needed for a disaster scene. How the program is funded. How Tide Loads of Hope helps P&G sell more detergent. How P&G shares the Tide Loads of Hope mission with consumers.  How P&G is growing the program. Links & Notes Matthew 25 Ministries 216: How Whirlpool is Cleaning Up a Major Attendance Problem in Schools Tide Loa

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Matt Smith, Director of PepsiCo’s Food for Good program a purpose-driven business initiative within PepsiCo that tackles child hunger by making healthy food more physically and financially accessible for low-income families. On the show, Megan, Matt, and Joe discuss: Background on the Food for Good and whom the program serves. Which PepsiCo products are used in the program. In which states is the Food for Good active and how long has it been around. How PepsiCo plans to expand and deepen the program with its 150-person staff. What innovations have come out of the program, both within the program and for PepsiCo. Which nonprofits does PepsiCo work with and how do those organizations help with the program. How PepsiCo educates its employees about the program. How Food for Good measures success. Some of the challenges Matt has faced running the Food for Good program. Links & Notes PepsiCo's Food for Good

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and I talk to Ann Krcik, Senior Director of Outdoor Exploration for The North Face, and Adrian Benepe, Senior Vice President for The Trust For Public Land (TPL), about Walls Are Meant For Climbing, a campaign that aims to spark conversation about building trust and community around — and beyond — climbing walls. The partnership also includes a one million dollar donation to TPL! On the show, Megan, Ann, Adrian, and I discuss: The goal of Walls Are Meant for Climbing. How the partnership between North Face and TPL got started. TPL's focus on corporate partnerships and why North Face is an important partner. Why this campaign is perfect for millennials! The political riskiness of the campaign and how stakeholders have responded to it. How TPL plans to invest the money from the North Face. How this campaign is different from other cause-efforts the North Face has participated in. How TPL is focused on building a large, engaged online audience. Why a big company like North Face w

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to James Frison, Director, Community Relations for Lowe's, about Renovation Across the Nation, an annual $2.5 million initiative where Lowe’s gives a $50,000 grant and hands-on support from employee volunteers to one Boys & Girls Club in each of the 50 states to refurbish the facility. This year, customers joined in on the effort by donating at any Lowe’s store nationwide. On the show, Megan, James, and Joe discuss: James updates us on how Lowe's is aiding victims of Hurricane Harvey. How Lowe's got started with Renovation Across the Nation. The in-store checkout charity program Lowe's has launched in its stores to involve Lowe's customers. Why Lowe's decided to expand its relationship with Boys & Girls Clubs of America. How Lowe's is picking the club it plans to support in each state. How much Lowe's has raised with its in-store fundraiser in the first three weeks of the program. How employees are engaged in the program. Where Lowe's partnership with BGC

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Steven Bautista, Karma Kommando at Zappos, about Friends on Us Fridays, a new initiative furthering the brand's commitment to animal advocacy and pet adoption. Beginning this month, Zappos for Good, in partnership with the North Shore Animal League of America, will sponsor adoptions at select shelters across 15 states and 36 cities every Friday leading up to the launch of the annual Home for the Pawlidayz campaign on Nov. 24th. This means that Zappos will cover all qualifying adoption fees for select shelters each Friday, for both dogs and cats! On the show, Megan, Steven and I will discuss: The background of Zappos for Good and how it got started. Why Zappos originally decided to focus on shelter animals and expand the program with Friends on Us Fridays. How Zappos got involved with North Shore Animal League of America and what makes for a good nonprofit partner. How cause campaigns help Zappos connect with their customers and employees in a unique and positi

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Stephen Garten, CEO of Charity Charge, a socially conscious credit card. Unlike most credit cards which earn you bonus points or miles, a Charity Charge credit card allows cardholders to earn 1% cash back to ANY nonprofit of their choice. On the show, Megan, Stephen, and Joe discuss: How Charity Charge got started. How Charity Charge is able to give cardholders the opportunity to donate to 1.5 million nonprofits. How Charity Charge started its card with help from Mastercard and built a following based on its unique mission. How Charity Charge is growing and the challenges of getting consumers to add a new card to their wallet. How Charity Charge is launching a co-branded card with nonprofits. How the Charity Charge card works and how cardholders can choose up to three nonprofits to donate to. Links & Notes Charity Charge Follow Charity Charge on Twitter

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Scott Pansky, co-founder, and Katie Malark, Senior Director, Research, of Allison + Partners, about a new study on how digital Influencers can drive donations and engagement with causes. On the show, Megan, Scott, Katie, and Joe discuss: How Scott and Katie define an "influencer." Why Allison + Partners decided to do a study on the connection between influencers and cause marketing. How important influencers can be and driving donations and engagement for causes. Why people who follow influencers are more inclined to support causes. What factors make an influencer credible with consumers when it comes to causes. Examples of how brands leverage brands for causes and some of the challenges. How brands identify the influencers for the right causes. And the pitfalls of paying for influencers, especially for brands. Links & Notes Allison + Partners What’s Wrong With Tom Brady’s Partnership With Best Buddies? Everything How Columbia Sportswear is Using Cause M

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Luconda Dager, President of Velvet Ice Cream, about their long-term partnership with Pelotonia, a grassroots bike tour that funds cancer research at The Ohio State University. On the eve of this year's ride, Pelotonia is working with partners like Velvet Ice Cream to exceed last year's total of over $24 million raised. On the show, Megan, Luconda and Joe discuss: The history of Velvet Ice Cream, its long history of giving and how they got involved with Pelotonia. The individuals and companies that power Pelotonia. How Velvet's support for Pelotonia has grown since they got involved in 2008. Velvet's decision to release a new package featuring the Pelotonia logo and to donate 25 cents from the sale of every carton to the nonprofit. How consumers and employees have responded to the promotion. The need for brands to pivot on their cause promotions. How involved was Pelotonia involved in the decision process? Future plans for the partnership. Show Notes Velvet I

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Mollye Rhea, President of Atlanta-based For Momentum, on what's needed for a national partnership to succeed both for the national headquarters and the field offices. A recent study from For Momentum gathered data on important aspects of the most successful nationwide partnership collaboration across the nonprofit landscape. The findings give nonprofit professionals actionable insights based on data and best practices shared by 50+ leading nonprofits. On the show, Megan, Mollye, and Joe discuss: Why For Momentum decided to focus on the relationship between national offices and its chapter or field offices. The problem of "National Localitis." The "Four C's" that characterize the collaboration between HQ and field offices with regard to corporate partnerships. How national offices generally share revenue with local chapters and the need for clarity and a policy. The research results that surprised Mollye and her team. How national nonprofits and field offices c

Today on Cause Talk Radio, Megan and Joe talk to Clark Sweat, Chief Revenue Officer at Children's Miracle Network (CMN) about CMN's incredible success with checkout charity. On the show, Megan, Clark and Joe discuss: CMN's continued success with checkout charity. The average tenure of a CMN partner is 20 years! How CMN keeps its checkout charity programs fresh and raising lots and lots of money. The future of checkout charity and fundraising for CMN. The struggles of big box retailers and how that will impact fundraising. The challenge of working with businesses with many different kinds of POS systems. Will beacon technology ever play a major role in retail checkout charity. New technology and messaging CMN is testing. The challenge of checkout charity with etailers. How CMN is cross-promoting charity checkout partners at events, like at its dance marathon program. Links & Notes Children's Miracle Network Clark Sweat on Twitter Ep107: How One Nonprofit Raises Millions with Charity Pinups (Our last int