Cause based marketing is the process of gracefully blending a cause with your business goals.
The cause of your healthcare brand is the root goal on which your brand identity stands. Cause-based Marketing is promoting this ‘root goal’ of your brand with the help of your organisational capabilities and making it reach bigger masses with a purpose. This also helps you increase the familiarity between your brand and brand loyalists. With every cause you promote, you contribute to building your brand image and making your brand more accessible to the society. When you add the ‘trust factor’ to your cause, you also achieve your primary motto of your Cause-based campaigns, that is, putting patients first.
1. The noble profession needs noble ways of promotion.
To make your cause stand out from others’, your healthcare brand needs to cut through the chase in a principled way. Promote your cause with compassion and empathy. Cause-based campaigns leverage your healthcare brand’s value and increase awareness among the target audience or potential patients.
2. Select a cause dear to you, not your competitor.
Your cause is the basis of your Cause-based campaign and represent your brand goals. Therefore, it is important to choose a cause that represent you, a cause that resonates with you and your healthcare brand.
3. Promote your brand in the run of promoting your cause, NOT vice-versa.
While you promote your ‘cause’, it is natural for your brand to get noticed and shine in the limelight. But don’t get carried away and let your brand take over the cause. Your cause-based campaign should be the hero.
4. Invest more than just money.
Allocating a marketing budget to promote your cause will not lead it anywhere. There is a lot more that should go into your Cause-based campaign to multiply its reach. Bring in an army of advocates for your cause that will help you conceptualise, strategise and give your cause the momentum with their expertise.
5. A share in hearts is greater than a share in the market.
The significance of your cause-based marketing campaign comes to light when it gives you an edge as a preferred brand for your potential patients. The yarn of familiarity spun recognises you as a compassionate and trusted brand to whom people are willing to give the responsibility of their well-being.
6. Select a cause that is dear to your specialty.
Each healthcare brand has their specialty which they own expertise in. Choose a cause that directly relates to your expertise and use it to your advantage to reach the correct target audience.
7. Make alliances that make you matter.
You are not the only one promoting your cause. Many reputed healthcare organisations such as UNESCO, WHO, NGOs may already have raised their voice for it. Join hands with them. This brings you merit and share and the right visibility to move forward and serve those in need.
8. Provide help in emergencies, epidemics, and controversies.
Healthcare industry cannot be predicted. Emergencies, epidemics, pandemics or controversies are unforeseen and difficult to manage alone. Stand with your fellow brands. Spread awareness with clear instructions and to-the-point information. This allows you to help evidently in times of need and establish a clear brand image in people’s mind.
9. Sincerity shows, and so does insincerity.
Cause-based marketing is not a bait for you to promote your practise or hospital. Stay true to your cause and use it wisely. The tone, nature and extent of your campaign should be to help people, educate them and spread awareness. Let your genuine nature speak to the masses.
10. Create a system so that the good continues.
Create a system that brings alive the action you advocated for and pushes the cause forward even after your campaign is over, so that the real compassion of your healthcare brand is given a chance to change the world.
