Authenticity brings cause-related marketing to life

We live in an age where brands are expected to do good and make a positive contribution to society. It’s less about what a brand says and more about what it does. Consumers expect the brands they support to have a higher purpose rather than just being in business in order to make ever greater profits. However, not only does any cause-related marketing need to have some kind of logical fit with the brand,  it also needs to be seen as authentic and sincere.

NetFlorist found this logical fit with the Johannesburg Children’s Home (JCH). This year for the first time it hosted a birthday party in Sandton to celebrate the birthday of all the children at the home. The relationship between the online retailer and JCH started earlier this year on Mandela Day when NetFlorist set out to make 670 sandwiches in their 67 minutes for children’s homes, 200 of which were delivered to JCH.

The online retailer took the relationship with the home further and since August this year every child at JCH has received a personalised gift on their birthday delivered by NetFlorist. The gift is a package filled with stationery, deodorant, socks, books, crayons, toys, an item of clothing and sometimes a special something chosen specifically for that child to love. Most children at JCH have never had their birthdays celebrated, nor received a gift or a birthday cake.

NetFlorist’s Sandton birthday party included invited guests who were carefully chosen to be part of the inner circle of these children. Every guest was given the opportunity to sponsor a birthday cake from NetFlorist’s bakery for each child to receive on their special day, along with their gift from NetFlorist. They have also been given the option to go along to deliver the cake and sing happy birthday to their chosen child.

This year 24 cakes were sponsored at the event. NetFlorist is looking for additional sponsors to sign up in order to ensure that each child receives a cake on their birthday.

The big take-out: Consumers expect the brands they support to have a higher purpose rather than just being in business in order to make ever greater profits. In a logical fit between brand and cause NetFlorist has created an authentic and sincere relationship with the Johannesburg Children’s Home.