Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue I, 2015 | Page 70

Just Be-Cause
he says, “and that means we can raise even
more money for our cause.”

give back a sizable amount,” he says. “We
want to be known as a local restaurant that
not only makes money, but that also supports local causes within the community
where we do business.”
If you are going to get involved in
cause marketing, he says, “You need to
have a genuine spirit of helping. It can’t
be used as a gimmick, the public is way
too smart for that. Associate yourself only
with causes near and dear to your heart
that you really want to help. Talk to your
employees and make sure you get their
buy-in. This will go a long way toward
being successful.”

Hungry Howie’s: Love, Hope
& Pizza
Hungry Howie’s Pizza, which took up
the cause of defeating breast cancer some
years ago, encourages and supports franchisees who help raise money to combat
the disease. Beginning in 2009, the brand
turns its pizza boxes pink every October
during Breast Cancer Awareness Month
in its “Love, Hope & Pizza” campaign. To
date, the brand and its franchisees have
raised more than $1 million for the National Breast Cancer Fou ndation.
“For every pizza sold, every story shared,
Massage Envy: Brand alignment
and every new Facebook fan added durMassage Envy Spa is another brand that
ing the month of October, we make a
takes charitable causes seriously. Through
donation to the National Breast Canits national partnership with the Arthritis
cer Foundation,” said Jeff Rinke, HunFoundation, the brand has raised more
gry Howie’s vice president of marketing,
than $2 million in support of the founduring a panel discussion of cause mar- Kevin Dittrich, Hungry Howie’s
dation’s Walk to Cure Arthritis events
keting at the 2014 Franchise Consumer franchisee, raises funds for
across the country. It also hosts Healing
Marketing Conference. The brand also is local causes in Michigan.
Hands for Arthritis, a one-day nationwide
involved in supporting the Leukemia &
in-clinic event.
Lymphoma Society (blood cancer) and
He says it’s important to identify a
Eugenia Tzoannopoulos is Massage
Common Ground (affordable housing valid cause that will pull in community Envy’s regional developer for the Conand homelessness).
support. From there, it’s necessary to line necticut region, which includes ConnectiKevin Dittrich, a Hungry Howie’s up proper staffing during the fundraiser cut, Rhode Island, Westchester County in
franchisee in mid-Michigan, operates and engage the community, and family New York, and Bristol County in Massanine stores surrounding the Capitol area members when applicable. ”You need to chusetts. She has been involved in cause
in Lansing. He’s been involved in the look at the food needed to order, staffing marketing because, she says, “It has always
brand’s Love, Hope & Pizza campaigns, the store, advertising in local papers, and been in our DNA as individuals, but it’s
but has an additional story to tell. His yard signs. If we help out a family and go even more important when you are a lomost recent cause marketing effort was through the work, we want to be able to cal business that is taking the time to supto benefit a local family facing an
port the community, charities, and
at times, tragedy.”
all-too-familiar foe.
She has been a part of many loTom Sims, head of maintenance
n Cause sponsorship is predicted to reach $1.84 bil- cal causes and has assisted in various
for the school district in Perry, Mich.,
had been diagnosed with an aggres- lion in 2014, a projected increase of 3.4% over 2013. ways, sponsoring many local walks
and runs, and has been actively insive form of brain cancer. “We had a (IEG Sponsorship Report)
n Nearly all U.S. consumers (93%) say that when volved in the brand’s partnership
three-day event at our Perry store to
benefit the Sims family,” says Dittrich. a company supports a cause, they have a more posi- with the Arthritis Foundation.
“We gave 50 percent of the proceeds tive image of that company, up from 85% in 2010 and
“On our annual one-day Healing
from all of our sales for those three 84% in 1993.
Hands for Arthritis event, $10 from
n Americans say they are more likely to trust every massage or facial is donated
days and raised over $8,000.”
(90%) and would be more loyal (90%) to companies to the Arthritis Foundation,” she
Dittrich says Sims had mounting bills from two different hos- that back causes.
says. “Additionally, we raise monn Whether, and to what extent, a company sup- ies through various initiatives in
pitals and was facing lengthy and
costly radiation and chemotherapy ports an issue influences a variety of personal deci- each clinic, such as raffles, spin the
treatment. “We thought it was the sions as well, including where to shop or what to buy wheel, bake sales, and free chair
least we could do for such a well- (82%) and which products and services to recommend massages.” The organization has
known and well-liked local figure to others (82%). (2013 Cone Communications Social raised more than $1 million from
Impact Study)
and friend,” he says.
its single-day events. 



Cause Marketing Stats

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