Embrace Cause Marketing & Increase Your Game's Revenue
Listen to the Indie Game Business Podcast when Alyssa Sweetman, Strategy Director of Player 2, joined to chat about the intersection of charity and video games.
What is cause marketing?
Cause marketing is a subset of social impact and is the strategic approach where for-profit companies align their products or services with a specific social cause or nonprofit organization to create shared value. It involves incorporating the cause into the company's marketing campaigns and activities, with the intention of driving both social impact and business benefits. Unlike philanthropy, which typically involves direct financial contributions to charities, cause marketing leverages marketing strategies, brand partnerships, and consumer engagement to support the cause while also advancing the company's marketing and business objectives.
Why cause marketing drives revenue?
A multinational study done in 2020 shows that when consumers think a brand has a strong purpose they are:
4 times more likely to purchase from the company
6 times more likely to protect the company in the event of a misstep or public criticism
4.5 times more likely to champion the company and recommend it to friends and family
4.1 times more likely to trust the company
The same study showed that people are more likely to support a brand if they have a positive impact on the world.
United States 89%
United Kingdom 85%
Canada 92%
China 96%
India 98%
If that doesn’t convince you, studies on social impact have been regularly published since the 1970s with these data points increasing with each generation.
2014 study: 55% of global online consumers across 60 countries are willing to pay more for products and services from companies that are committed to positive social and environmental impact
2017 study: 94% of Gen Z now think companies should address pressing social and environmental issues
90% of the consumers surveyed are more likely to trust and be loyal to socially responsible businesses compared to companies that don’t show these traits
77% of consumers are motivated to purchase from companies committed to making the world better
72% of consumers are willing to “forgive” bad behavior, defined as actions such as knowingly selling defective products, tolerating sexual harassment, and issuing fraudulent financial information.
88% of people want to know about a company’s CSR efforts, and 84% would “tell friends and family” about a company’s CSR efforts
How to implement cause marketing into your game and marketing strategies
Sell in-game items or real-world merchandise with a portion or the full amount of the proceeds going to a charitable organization at the end of the promotional period.
Donate a portion of sales to a charitable organization as part of your launch plan.
Host an influencer marketing campaign where you collaborate together as a team to raise funds for a charitable organization.
Get players to do a task like a wishlist your game before launch, participate in a special event, share a social post, or create a for your game on TikTok with a specific hashtag. For every task a player or potential player does you’d donate a predetermined amount per task up to a maximum commitment.
Considerations
Selling an in-game item, merchandise, or donating based on a consumer task requires an agreement with the charity (commercial coventure agreement)
Just like a for-profit brand, you will need permission to use a charity’s branding
Many charities have a minimum donation commitment Just because it’s a clever idea (that would likely generate a lot of fundraising) doesn’t mean a charity will be able to sign off on it. Charities work with vulnerable populations and their first priority is who they serve
Are you a game developer interested in integrating cause marketing into your game or marketing strategies? Reach out to Alyssa Sweetman to get started - alyssa@player2.gg
