Giving Tuesday: How Giving Back Can Be Part of Your Marketing Strategy
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” -Mahatma Ghandi
Giving Tuesday isn’t just a day of giving and a dollar amount on a profit & loss report. It’s a chance to exercise your values, walk the talk, and make sure your business is doing some good in this world.
As a marketing agency, we also believe it’s an opportunity to build a stronger connection with your customers. More and more customers are buying from brands with shared values, even if they’re not able to provide the most competitive price. In fact, about 64% of customers say they have strong relationships with brands who they share strong values with. And it’s a great way to distinguish yourself from your competitors.
Giving Back
At Centric Squared, we do our best to give back at every opportunity. As we shared in a previous blog post, our CEO and Founder Sara Kappler was brought up in a humanitarian world, with her mother dedicating her life to helping refugees and displaced people. Acts of service and making charitable contributions is in her DNA, so it’s only natural that it’s part of our mission at Centric Squared, too.
As an agency, we care about people and our local and global communities. We also care about our team members and clients, and our track record of giving back over the years is a mosaic of causes. If it’s important, then we put our money where our hearts are.
Here are some of the causes and organizations we’ve supported over the years in lieu of client appreciation gifts:
- Denver Children’s Hospital – They use many of their donated funds to provide the children staying there with stuffed animals, toys to play with, clothing – anything to make their experience in the hospital a more comfortable one. This one’s for our client Mike, from Air O Sport.
- LPGA Girls’ Golf– Their non-profit uses donations to encourage young girls to get involved in and love the game of golf! Tami Fujii and Dianne Celuch of KINONA have inspired us to be involved with this organization.
- Cystic Fibrosis Foundation – They advance the most promising science to deliver treatments that target the underlying cause of cystic fibrosis for every person with the disease, no matter their mutations. Our client’s participation, Hannah Smolinski of Clara CFO, inspired us to support this worthy cause.
- YWCA of San Diego County – They empower individuals and families to break the cycle of domestic violence and homelessness, and achieve self-sufficiency. A local cause supported by our client Green Kid Crafts that is headquartered in San Diego, we are glad to support them.
- Basic Rights Oregon – Their mission is to ensure that all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Oregonians experience equality by building a broad and inclusive politically powerful movement, shifting public opinion, and achieving policy victories. This is an important cause to our Oregonian client MindEase Billing, and since it’s important to them, it’s important to us, too.
Humanitarian crises take many forms and shapes. When current events feel heavy on our hearts, we find a way to give back as a show of support to organizations all over the world.
- Super Typhoon Goni – In November 2020, Super Typhoon Goni hit the Philippines and brought destruction to the Bicol region. We made a contribution to a local organization to help provide families and individuals with food, clean water, and shelter.
- The India Covid and Oxygen Crisis – In May 2021, India experienced a crisis of reliable medical oxygen during a heightened period of the covid pandemic. We made a contribution to Oxygen for India to support initiatives to alleviate this crisis.
- Hurricane Ida – In August of 2021, Hurricane Ida brought destruction to southeastern Louisiana, and many were displaced from their homes. We made a contribution to Culture Aid, a grassroots organization that serves hot meals to those impacted in New Orleans.
- Women for Afghan Women – In August of 2021, after NATO troop withdrawal and the fall of the Afghan government in 2021, we supported Women for Afghan Women. They empower and support Afghan women.
- War in Ukraine – In February of 2022, the Russian-Ukrainian war started. We contributed to the UN Crisis Relief Fund, to support Ukrainians with resources during this conflict.
- Uvalde School Shooting – In May 2022 after the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, we made a contribution to Everytown for Gun Safety, an organization devoted to ending gun violence and building safer communities.
- Pakistan Flood Crisis – In June of 2022, millions of Pakistanis have experienced loss and displacement during the most severe flooding in the country’s history. We made a contribution to UNHCR to provide tents, food kits, and energy sources to those in need.
Crafting a Giving Back Strategy
At Centric Squared, as marketers one of our favorite things to do is help our clients craft their own giving back campaigns and strategies – not just for Giving Tuesday, but all year long. Some of the work we’ve done over the years has involved causes and organizations including those referenced above as well as:
We believe there’s a place in small business marketing for giving back, even if you don’t have a corporate sustainable program yet. Start small and grow your giving as your business grows.
Book a consultation with our team today, and let’s see how giving back can be a cornerstone of your marketing strategy.
About Centric Squared:
Centric Squared was founded in 2017 by Sara Kappler to bring data-centric and customer-centric marketing to small businesses. The company has grown 30% YoY, celebrated countless small business successes, and attracted top marketing talent from around the globe. At Centric Squared, we believe small businesses are sitting on a golden ticket: their customer relationships. We partner with small business owners to help them get the most out of their CRM, which includes understanding their customer data and email marketing.