The world is changing, and heading into an era where corporate social responsibility is becoming a major factor in how we view and interact with businesses. In recent studies, 54% of consumers in the US bought a product associated with a good cause, which is an increase of 170% since 1993 (“Cause-related Marketing…”). Also, 88% of all consumers want to hear about how companies they buy from support social and environmental issues (“Cause-related Marketing…”). This goes to show that there is a positive correlation between cause marketing and profitability, since consumers will be more prone to prefer one business to another. Consumers like to feel that they are doing something good, and this allows them to accomplish that without having to do any extra work.
Cause marketing is one of the main focuses of Process Green’s business model. Not only does this differentiate Process Green from other merchant service providers, this creates a sense of community between non-profit organizations (NPO’s) and businesses, allowing them to connect on a deeper level. Although Process Green offers lower rates to businesses, they go beyond that by donating a portion of the money from transactions to a non-profit of that business’ choice. Even though Process Green is the first to offer such a unique partnership, their services will encourage other merchant providers to follow suit, thus changing the way we do commerce. There are various tools and resources that Process Green provides to businesses and non-profit organizations to achieve this.
Process Green recognizes the importance of communicating one’s moral business practices to customers, so for businesses like retail establishments, Process Green provides table tents that inform customers that their purchases support a particular NPO. These can be dispersed throughout the premises, and is most effective at the Point-Of-Sale (POS), like a register. Here, employees can be trained to discuss with customers how their normal purchases automatically donate a small percentage to an NPO. The table tents are physically eye-catching, give the business credibility, and help build customer loyalty. Process Green also gives the businesses decal stickers to place in windows or on glass doors, to inform consumers that they are entering a business that is dedicated to supporting a non-profit.
Cause Marketing Maximize Benefits – Business Edition – Process Green
More importantly, ProcessGreen provides businesses with their own custom URL from Process Green’s website, complete with the logo and description of both the business and the non-profit organization that they support. There is also a short video on the page, explaining how the donation process works. This URL can be printed on physical or online receipts to inform and explain to customers how they are giving back to the community through the businesses’ partnership with Process Green and the NPO. Businesses can also put the URL on their website in their company policy information section to explain to people how and why they are supporting that particular NPO. This creates a win-win-win situation, where each party is incentivized to help one another. By displaying corporate social responsibility through the aiding of the NPO, the business will establish a positive image/reputation and thus generate more business and profit. This increases awareness and exposure for the NPO, who benefits from the donations generated from the additional business the company is receiving through the utilization of Process Green.
From a non-profit organization point of view, there is always a need for exposure. People cannot donate to a cause they know nothing about. That’s where Process Green comes in. When a business chooses to donate to a particular NPO by using Process Green’s services, they are creating potential donors. For example, say a restaurant has about 500 people coming through each day for a month; that’s 15,000 people who are being exposed to and informed of that particular NPO in the span of 30 days, some of which may be other business owners who will use Process Green and become another business donating to that same cause.
Cause Marketing Maximize Benefits – Non Profit Edition – Process Green
Process Green provides a custom URL link for NPOs as well. The page includes their logo and a description of what the mission of the NPO is. At the bottom, there is a sign up section, where businesses can choose to partner with Process Green and give back to that specific NPO. Process Green is then notified that a business is interested in supporting that NPO. This URL also lets the existing donor base know which businesses already support that non-profit. This promotes the growth of these establishments by advocating that the donor base go to those particular businesses, which in turn will automatically help the NPO through increased purchases. In addition, the URL can be included on tax-deductible receipts, on the NPO website in the donation page, or in any newsletter or marketing materials. Again, this not only will provide exposure for businesses, it will help generate donations as potential donors see the relationship between the company and the NPO.
This process creates a beautiful marriage between the for-profits and the non-profits. This form of cause marketing is a continuous chain reaction that benefits all parties involved. This partnership is a perfect example of how a small change can trigger big change for others.
– Written by Julie Tofukuji
