One of the most important goals and key differentiators for any company is how it supports the community it serves. Giving back should be a significant driver in how and why you do business, and cause marketing allows you to do just that. Not only does it provide an opportunity to get involved and make a difference, it can also help raise brand awareness and loyalty by increasing customers’ positive perceptions of your company. With this in mind, Gray Atlanta put together the Surprise Squad, a cause marketing initiative that builds excitement in the Atlanta community. Today's consumers want to choose brands that give back, especially when it’s a cause near and dear to them, and Surprise Squad allows you to be heavily associated with ameren initiative that’s touching lives all over Georgia. So, what is Surprise Squad?
What is Surprise Squad?
Surprise Squad is an initiative that rewards local heroes, helps citizens in need or provides random acts of kindness. The goal is to change community members' lives for the better, and start a chain reaction of positive action. For example, in one recent visit from the Surprise Squad, a local boy playing the trumpet outside the hospital to show support for essential workers received a laptop to make his virtual classes easier in the fall. And in one of the most heartwarming displays in the campaign’s history, several area businesses, nonprofits, and volunteers came together to provide food, financial relief, new living accommodations and a needed break for an area woman who, both her and her daughter, suffer from serious brain diseases.
Surprise Squad allows Atlanta area residents to get a better look at what others in their community are doing to make things better, while providing an opportunity for businesses to partner with Gray Atlanta to give back.
How Your Involvement Can Benefit Your Business
For many, making a difference in the community is reason enough to get involved with cause marketing, though some may need further incentive to take the leap. Companies requiring further motivation to enter the cause marketing arena should consider the amount of attention consumers place on social activity, and the immense benefit that can arise from aligning themselves with the right cause at the right time.
Fifty-six percent of consumers report actively seeking out and spending more money with brands that take an active interest in social responsibility. That's not just in terms of the internal measures they take, either. People expect companies to give back and make an external difference in the world around them.
Connecting your brand to local charities or cause marketing initiatives is a great way to show that you take social involvement seriously. Lending a helping hand can make some take notice and support your efforts with patronage, ultimately leading to increased brand awareness and overall business growth.
How to Get Involved
Having a desire to get involved in the community and identifying avenues available to do so are the first two crucial steps necessary in launching or participating in any cause marketing campaign. What’s left is to pull the trigger, and reap the benefits. There are many options to choose from so you should always consider the scope, scale and budgetary implications for your business.
Surprise Squad is an option that provides maximum exposure being helmed by a media company with access to a vast array of marketing resources that can be employed to provide the most reach, effectively doing the most good. By partnering with us, you can not only offer support for Atlanta residents, but you can also increase awareness in your business. Surprise Squad provides companies an opportunity to align their brand with a major, highly visible community initiative without doing any of the heavy lifting. Levels of participation vary from full, presenting sponsor to outreach support through goods and services donations.
Community partnerships are an incredibly important aspect of your business that can provide an opportunity to make real change while building a deeper connection with consumers. By partnering with organizations engaged in charitable outreach, you can leverage their existing outreach and infrastructure to make a positive impact on your brand's awareness. The connections you make will continue to bring your business good fortune while giving you a feeling of confidence in the impact you’re making. Now, more than ever, people want to see companies that are committed to making a difference for those around them.
