What’s in it for Business?
By Marvin Miller, AIB President
A recent discussion surprised me. The question asked was, “Why should a business get involved with a non-profit organization, from a business perspective?” I have pondered the question for a number of weeks.
Quite notably, the topic of being a “good corporate citizen” is in the news. There is a new web site, http://www.goodcorporatecitizen.com/, which suggests that, though money matters, today’s businesses are finding that investors, customers, and employees want to be involved with companies that consider the environment, community activism, health, and safety in what they do. The Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College notes that 30 percent of businesses recognize that good corporate citizenship helps recruit and retain good employees. Good corporate citizens maintain high ethical standards, decrease the company’s negative effects on the environment, and give back to the community.
Good relations aside, I still pondered what would motivate a company to get involved with a non-profit organization such as America in Bloom. Calling on my marketing background, I examined those famous Four Ps of Marketing, the so-called “marketing mix variables” for a clue. The Four Ps – Products (and Services), Price, Place (i.e., Distribution), and Promotion – have been the subject of many business books and articles, but I’ve always had my own appreciation of what many call a theoretical approach to marketing, as I constantly find real-world examples to support the validity of the concepts.
On a Product and/or service level, one could argue a business might get involved with a non-profit because there is some affinity with the owners or managers or even employees with the products or services involved. In the AIB example, we might easily understand why a horticultural firm might get involved to demonstrate leadership or expertise, for example, but we might have to look deeper when a non-horticultural firm expresses interest. Perhaps, someone in management at such a company likes to garden. Or maybe the offices face a city park. Looking for the “affinity connection to the products or services” is the key.
When considering “Place,” we typically talk about distribution. For consumer goods, we might talk about types of outlets, such discount stores vs. boutique “carriage trade” retailers. For a non-profit like AIB, distribution might relate more to helping a firm transmit an image. Initially, we might find a firm getting involved with AIB for what might seem like a quirk of fate. Yet, such a business partner may choose to “connect” due to timing, as if to say your organization was in the right place at the right time to help our company disseminate a message. We often hear of firms creating a cancer fund drive at a time when a valued employee gets diagnosed with cancer. These firms often donate to a local hospital’s cancer ward or a nearby cancer research center. Is there a right place/right time possibility for attracting firms to help support an AIB effort? Firms needing to testify to or to reinforce a belief in the local community, firms needing to demonstrate a concern for the local environment, firms wanting to claim a leadership role in the civic affairs of the community or those already considered “good corporate citizens” are likely candidates, and so too are their leaders.
Publicity, public relations, and advertising are all part of Promotion, and we’ll have to admit some firms just get involved for the goodwill that might accrue to the product, service, firms, or employees of the business. Perhaps, a firm will garner attention for being involved with the community. And good public relations that may result can create an affinity between consumers and that company for its products or services. That could translate into a nice win:win for both the community, which gains the volunteer hours of a firm’s employees, and for the involved firm, that can gain followers while building morale among the employees.
Whereas connecting to the charity’s product or service niche is an easy link for some businesses, others may benefit more by showing involvement with a cause that its customers, investors, or even employees value. In this vein, a horticultural business provides an obvious link to a city’s AIB movement. But don’t be afraid to talk to businesses that want a little publicity about investing in a city’s neighborhoods (e.g., realtors), in the downtown business district (e.g., banks, merchants associations, etc.), in the city’s tidiness (e.g., waste haulers, painting companies, construction companies, etc.), or in the city’s heritage (e.g., museums, newspapers, magazines, restoration firms, etc.). In contrast, any type of firm whose employees lunch at a nearby park could support the park district’s efforts in honor of their employees.
The fourth “P” is Price. Price distinguishes the “buy” relative to other opportunities. Does a certain charity guarantee “better exposure on a per-dollar- contributed” basis or on a per hour of volunteer effort, all other things being equal? If so, that charity likely will benefit from corporate generosity more than others. Certainly one should also consider the type of exposure for the volunteer hours or dollars expended. One photo of a check being presented to a local charity may not stack up as well as neighbors seeing volunteers from a certain company week in and week out, out and about throughout the city’s neighborhoods, helping to plant or care for flowers, collect litter, trimming the landscape, and/or helping with renovations, all activities which could be part of an AIB effort.
One of the keys to understanding the “Four Ps of Marketing” is to realize that the Four Ps all interact. A firm’s opportunity for contributing a certain amount of time, energy, or money may be related more to a seasonal opportunity where promotion is king but which might look very different at a different price point in other seasons. This could relate to when their peak production and/or selling season (consumption) occurs, or not. The key, of course, is understanding what a business’s motivations are. Getting the business to connect to your program’s goals may be a piece of cake or quite the challenge. In any case, recognizing that businesses are part of the community and having the businesses recognize this as well, is fundamental to your success in approaching these businesses for help.
Finally, you have to remember that if you don’t ask, a lot of businesses just won’t volunteer. Don’t be afraid to ask, and be prepared in case they ask, “How can we help?” Know whether man hours or money or even plant material is what you’d really like to see contributed. And don’t give up should the first few refuse to help.
Good luck! Planting pride in our communities is the goal. Having the entire community involved is the key. And having businesses understand that they can be recognized for their charitable contributions of time, energy, and dollars might be just the carrot your community effort may need.
Quite notably, the topic of being a “good corporate citizen” is in the news. There is a new web site, http://www.goodcorporatecitizen.com/, which suggests that, though money matters, today’s businesses are finding that investors, customers, and employees want to be involved with companies that consider the environment, community activism, health, and safety in what they do. The Center for Corporate Citizenship at Boston College notes that 30 percent of businesses recognize that good corporate citizenship helps recruit and retain good employees. Good corporate citizens maintain high ethical standards, decrease the company’s negative effects on the environment, and give back to the community.
Good relations aside, I still pondered what would motivate a company to get involved with a non-profit organization such as America in Bloom. Calling on my marketing background, I examined those famous Four Ps of Marketing, the so-called “marketing mix variables” for a clue. The Four Ps – Products (and Services), Price, Place (i.e., Distribution), and Promotion – have been the subject of many business books and articles, but I’ve always had my own appreciation of what many call a theoretical approach to marketing, as I constantly find real-world examples to support the validity of the concepts.
On a Product and/or service level, one could argue a business might get involved with a non-profit because there is some affinity with the owners or managers or even employees with the products or services involved. In the AIB example, we might easily understand why a horticultural firm might get involved to demonstrate leadership or expertise, for example, but we might have to look deeper when a non-horticultural firm expresses interest. Perhaps, someone in management at such a company likes to garden. Or maybe the offices face a city park. Looking for the “affinity connection to the products or services” is the key.
When considering “Place,” we typically talk about distribution. For consumer goods, we might talk about types of outlets, such discount stores vs. boutique “carriage trade” retailers. For a non-profit like AIB, distribution might relate more to helping a firm transmit an image. Initially, we might find a firm getting involved with AIB for what might seem like a quirk of fate. Yet, such a business partner may choose to “connect” due to timing, as if to say your organization was in the right place at the right time to help our company disseminate a message. We often hear of firms creating a cancer fund drive at a time when a valued employee gets diagnosed with cancer. These firms often donate to a local hospital’s cancer ward or a nearby cancer research center. Is there a right place/right time possibility for attracting firms to help support an AIB effort? Firms needing to testify to or to reinforce a belief in the local community, firms needing to demonstrate a concern for the local environment, firms wanting to claim a leadership role in the civic affairs of the community or those already considered “good corporate citizens” are likely candidates, and so too are their leaders.
Publicity, public relations, and advertising are all part of Promotion, and we’ll have to admit some firms just get involved for the goodwill that might accrue to the product, service, firms, or employees of the business. Perhaps, a firm will garner attention for being involved with the community. And good public relations that may result can create an affinity between consumers and that company for its products or services. That could translate into a nice win:win for both the community, which gains the volunteer hours of a firm’s employees, and for the involved firm, that can gain followers while building morale among the employees.
Whereas connecting to the charity’s product or service niche is an easy link for some businesses, others may benefit more by showing involvement with a cause that its customers, investors, or even employees value. In this vein, a horticultural business provides an obvious link to a city’s AIB movement. But don’t be afraid to talk to businesses that want a little publicity about investing in a city’s neighborhoods (e.g., realtors), in the downtown business district (e.g., banks, merchants associations, etc.), in the city’s tidiness (e.g., waste haulers, painting companies, construction companies, etc.), or in the city’s heritage (e.g., museums, newspapers, magazines, restoration firms, etc.). In contrast, any type of firm whose employees lunch at a nearby park could support the park district’s efforts in honor of their employees.
The fourth “P” is Price. Price distinguishes the “buy” relative to other opportunities. Does a certain charity guarantee “better exposure on a per-dollar- contributed” basis or on a per hour of volunteer effort, all other things being equal? If so, that charity likely will benefit from corporate generosity more than others. Certainly one should also consider the type of exposure for the volunteer hours or dollars expended. One photo of a check being presented to a local charity may not stack up as well as neighbors seeing volunteers from a certain company week in and week out, out and about throughout the city’s neighborhoods, helping to plant or care for flowers, collect litter, trimming the landscape, and/or helping with renovations, all activities which could be part of an AIB effort.
One of the keys to understanding the “Four Ps of Marketing” is to realize that the Four Ps all interact. A firm’s opportunity for contributing a certain amount of time, energy, or money may be related more to a seasonal opportunity where promotion is king but which might look very different at a different price point in other seasons. This could relate to when their peak production and/or selling season (consumption) occurs, or not. The key, of course, is understanding what a business’s motivations are. Getting the business to connect to your program’s goals may be a piece of cake or quite the challenge. In any case, recognizing that businesses are part of the community and having the businesses recognize this as well, is fundamental to your success in approaching these businesses for help.
Finally, you have to remember that if you don’t ask, a lot of businesses just won’t volunteer. Don’t be afraid to ask, and be prepared in case they ask, “How can we help?” Know whether man hours or money or even plant material is what you’d really like to see contributed. And don’t give up should the first few refuse to help.
Good luck! Planting pride in our communities is the goal. Having the entire community involved is the key. And having businesses understand that they can be recognized for their charitable contributions of time, energy, and dollars might be just the carrot your community effort may need.
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