Marketing Coffee for a Cause
November 27, 2008 - Cause marketing facilitates an important relationship between companies and their communities. "For consumer goods companies, a relevant cause marketing effort drives deeper brand engagement as it links the brand's consumers to the non-profit organization," says Alisa Jacoby, senior brand manager at the Eight O'Clock Coffee Company. For the recipient organization, a cause marketing effort drives more than financial support, helping to build awareness of, and participation in the organization's mission, Jacoby explains.
That's why Eight O'Clock Coffee Company is teaming up with Candlewick Press to contribute up to 8,000 books to First Book, an organization that provides new books to children in need, and thus, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy -- access to books. The coffee company will donate eight cents to First Book for every registration and recorded purchase in the Eight O'Clock Coffee "Accumul-8 Rewards" consumer loyalty program now through November 30, 2008. Candlewick Press will match their donation book for book. Aptly, the initiative is named "Don-8 Books."
"We are committed to participating in the fight for children's literacy," says Jacoby. "And we wanted to enable our consumers to help us make a difference in this effort. As they accumulate points and receive additional value from their coffee purchases, they will be rewarding children by helping them discover new worlds and realize brighter futures."
In the Accumul-8 Rewards program (www.accumul8rewards.com), Eight O'Clock Coffee lovers earn points for each bag of coffee purchased. As the points add up, they can be redeemed for valuable merchandise.
Jacoby adds that, as a member of the Tata Group, the largest India-headquartered multinational in North America, Eight O'Clock Coffee is encouraged to give back to its local communities through individual employee efforts as well as company support.
"We were introduced to the First Book organization through a corporate campaign when we hosted a local elementary school class at our coffee plant. Once we saw the excitement on the children's faces as they received their new books and the emotion on the faces of our employees as they read with them, we knew we wanted this to be a long term partnership that could also include our consumers."
Kyle Zimmer is the president of First Book, a nonprofit organization that addressing literacy by distributing books at low or no cost. "Thanks to Eight O'Clock Coffee's donation and the generous book match by Candlewick Press, First Book can make a world of difference in the lives of children in need, offering these children the chance to discover new adventures on every page," he adds. "Don-8 Books is a wonderful, easy way for consumers to know they are helping to spread the joy of reading and learning by purchasing Eight O'Clock Coffee."
That's why Eight O'Clock Coffee Company is teaming up with Candlewick Press to contribute up to 8,000 books to First Book, an organization that provides new books to children in need, and thus, addressing one of the most important factors affecting literacy -- access to books. The coffee company will donate eight cents to First Book for every registration and recorded purchase in the Eight O'Clock Coffee "Accumul-8 Rewards" consumer loyalty program now through November 30, 2008. Candlewick Press will match their donation book for book. Aptly, the initiative is named "Don-8 Books."
"We are committed to participating in the fight for children's literacy," says Jacoby. "And we wanted to enable our consumers to help us make a difference in this effort. As they accumulate points and receive additional value from their coffee purchases, they will be rewarding children by helping them discover new worlds and realize brighter futures."
In the Accumul-8 Rewards program (www.accumul8rewards.com), Eight O'Clock Coffee lovers earn points for each bag of coffee purchased. As the points add up, they can be redeemed for valuable merchandise.
Jacoby adds that, as a member of the Tata Group, the largest India-headquartered multinational in North America, Eight O'Clock Coffee is encouraged to give back to its local communities through individual employee efforts as well as company support.
"We were introduced to the First Book organization through a corporate campaign when we hosted a local elementary school class at our coffee plant. Once we saw the excitement on the children's faces as they received their new books and the emotion on the faces of our employees as they read with them, we knew we wanted this to be a long term partnership that could also include our consumers."
Kyle Zimmer is the president of First Book, a nonprofit organization that addressing literacy by distributing books at low or no cost. "Thanks to Eight O'Clock Coffee's donation and the generous book match by Candlewick Press, First Book can make a world of difference in the lives of children in need, offering these children the chance to discover new adventures on every page," he adds. "Don-8 Books is a wonderful, easy way for consumers to know they are helping to spread the joy of reading and learning by purchasing Eight O'Clock Coffee."