Do people know about your cause marketing program?

Sorry, but chances are slim to none.

All 87 of these popular brands DO have cause marketing programs. Some are long, well-established programs & campaigns.

But DoSomething Strategic polled 1,900 people aged 13-25 & found out that most of The Kids — don’t forget, “they buy based on values!” — have no clue. 

The best (Dove, Savage x Fenty, Thinkx) get credit from ~50% of people. 

The worst (Vans, Nordstrom, Loft) have like 2% awareness. 

Patagonia only has 30% awareness — and they plaster everything with their cause. Weirder still, 11% of The Kids are sure Patagonia doesn’t have a cause. Hurnh??

On average, only 12% of The Kids could link brands to their causes unaided, 52% admit they have no clue, and 24% were convinced the brands had no cause.

(Caveats galore, of course: how well they’re established; how well they’re publicized; size of the brand; these are not the brand buyers; they’re just kids fer Pete’s sake, etc.)

So. 

1. If you’re serious about your brand’s cause, invest in it. 

2. And if you’re serious about people knowing about your cause, you’d better show it more. 

A WHOLE LOT more. 

Like, all-the-time-it’s-now-your-primary-global-campaign more.

I mean, people can barely remember where their car keys are, much less whether their briefs support reefs.