Cause-related marketing is a staple in
our day and age. You see campaigns that have a broad range of products and
services that are being promoted to raise funds for an even broader range of
causes and charities.
One company that stands out from the rest
is MAC Cosmetics (MAC) and its extremely successful Viva Glam campaign. For
every lipstick or lipglass that is sold, the company donates all the profits to the MAC AIDS Fund (MAF). The campaign is unique because very few companies actually donate
every cent of their profits to a charity. In most cause-related marketing
campaigns only a portion of the profit is donated.
MAC Cosmetics is a cult make-up brand
that was created and launched in Toronto, Canada in 1984. It is now one of the
leading cosmetic brands in North America with stores spread across the
continent. Although the brand was initially targeted towards make-up
professionals, its popularity quickly grew and it became available to everyone.
Aside from their renowned products, the company is also highly known for its
innovative and vocal marketing campaigns.
The MAF is an independent charity that
was started in 1994. The charity supports pioneering organizations around the
world that work to help individuals in underprivileged locations who are living
with or affected by human immunodeficiency virus infection/acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). They focus their funding to provide vital
services that may not be easily accessible in many third-world countries where
the pandemic is increasing. HIV/AIDS is a global problem and MAC and MAF are
working together to make a difference. As stated on the MAF website, over $270
million has been raised so far in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
Click here to take a look at some of the
amazing programs and services MAF offers.
So, why is the Viva
Glam campaign so successful?
Well, at Synergy PR, we think it is
because MAC doesn’t shy away from its commitment to the cause and its call to
action. It makes it known that when you purchase MAC Viva Glam lipsticks the
entire profit will be going to the charity. This is quite a honourable thing
for a company to do if you consider the backend costs they still acquire. The
Viva Glam campaign is a large annual campaign that includes branded packaging,
online marketing by MAC and MAF, print advertisements, and radio and television
promotion. This budget is spent knowing that MAC will cover all the cost on
their end to help further the cause. What other company out there can say they
are doing the same thing?
This is also beneficial to MAC because
unlike many other companies that do cause-related marketing they don’t face as
much criticism. Critics sometimes say that large companies do this kind of
marketing to take advantage of charities just to further promote their brand or
products. However, it is clearly evident by the investment that MAC is making
that this is not the case. Another factor that deters critics is that MAC and
MAF are sister organizations. MAC started its own charity so it cannot be said
that it is taking advantage of a charity in need. This also makes sure that MAC
and its brand are perfectly aligned with the charity that is being supported by
the cause-related marketing initiative.
Another reason that this cause-related
marketing campaign is so successful is the iconic celebrities that are its
spokespeople. Every year MAC chooses a celebrity (or two) that is popular at
the time and also passionate about the cause. Then a whole campaign is created
around the celebrity’s public persona. The products are created to reflect the
celebrity’s personality and the celebrity is pictured on all the promotional
materials. The celebrity in some cases will do radio or television interviews
to promote the campaign further. MAC uses the celebrity’s public image to
attract their fans and the attention of media to a worthy cause. This way fans
can support their favourite celebrity and a worthwhile charity at the same
time. It might also introduce new customers to the product that may not have
been MAC customers before, but they will be now because of a celebrity’s
alignment to the brand.
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| Nicky Minaj and Ricky Martion - 2013 Spokepersons |
Notable celebrity spokespersons for MAC
have ranged from Lady Gaga, Christina Aguilera, Sir Elton John and Cyndi
Lauper. This year’s campaign stars Nicki Minaj and Ricky Martin.
Watch here for a behind the scenes look of the 2013 Viva Glam promotional shoot.
One more reason the cause-related
marketing campaign is such a success is that its advertisements are known to
push the limit by being more provocative and sexy. Although some may see this
as a draw back of the campaign, we think it’s a very smart move. The truth is
that sexy sells and today advertisements get more attention if they go this
route. Plus, when you add celebrities to the mix it becomes an even bigger
seller. This has clearly worked for MAC and its Viva Glam campaign because its
advertisements can be found in almost every magazine and on billboards across
the continent.
Overall the partnership between MAC and MAF
has helped thousands and thousands of people all over the world struggling with
HIV/AIDS. And even more so, the campaign has been able to spread the awareness
of the disease and maintain consistent attention for the cause.
The campaign is also beneficial for both
MAC and MAF. MAC is able to increase its brand awareness with new potential
customer pools and it proves that it is committed to giving back. It is also
seen as an innovative company, which keeps its customers and the public
interested. MAF obviously benefits from the funds it receives to implement its
programs, but it also benefits from the awareness raised and the association
with the brand itself. The alignment between the two also incorporates a mutual
goal, which is to empower women all over the world.
When you are able to create a campaign
that has been successfully raising money for a charity for almost 20 years, you
know you are doing something right. MAC’s cause-related marketing campaign is definitely
an example that other companies can look up to.
