Do The Right Thing: Cause Marketing

RockandSock’em is particularly adept at creating and executing award-winning cause marketing and strategic philanthropy programming for its clients . . . Innovative programming executed and fully-integrated across all marketing and media disciplines. Social and community-impact concepts that do “double duty” by enhancing brand image while achieving bottom-line sales impact.

Forged over 25 years with the leading PR, ad and talent agencies, this area of expertise stems from our corporate culture and brand DNA, which is to “do the right thing” in the community and nationally as an organization.   RockandSock’em proactively and systematically seeks to identify and foster best practices, strategic partnerships, cross-promotions, media co-sponsorships and celebrity-brand relationships that leverage star endorsements as they bring about social change and support causes financially.   

We encourage our clients,  partners and vendors to do the same as part and parcel of the way they do business . . . because today’s consumer expects more out of corporate America, Hollywood, sports organizations, media, etc.    Corporate social responsibility drives product trial, repeat sales, brand loyalty and positive dialogue between companies and customers.

Call us today to discuss how we can work with you to make cause marketing and strategic philanthropy more integral and organic to your company culture, brand promise and marketing mix!  

The following are examples of creative and strategic cause marketing client work we’re particularly proud of.

animal Care Sanctuary

Country music superstar Miranda Lambert’s Muttnation Foundation – featured on ACS’ 2016 Annual Report -- Named Animal Care Sanctuary the Pennsylvania Winner of the 2015 “Mutts Across America 50 Shelters/50 States” Award.

 

Former “A Flock of Seagulls” Lead Guitarist and Celebrity Chef Eddie Berner recently benefitted ACS with the Rockin’ Road Grill’ Celebrity Tailgate Party, produced by McGraw and Rock’em at the 2016 Little League World Series 2016 in Williamsport, PA.

 Pennsylvania-based Animal Care Sanctuary (ACS), one of the oldest and largest no-kill animal shelters in the U.S, tapped McGraw Productions and partner RockandSock’em Marketing as AOR for all national marketing, PR, event management and digital initiatives.

Initial efforts focused on the re-design, copywriting, content development and social media platform integration of www.animalcaresanctuary.org. Up next: the ACS 50th Anniversary season launch, Capital Campaign, and “WoofRock” benefit concert in Central Park, partnering with IHeart Radio. Stay tuned!

Case Study: Ford Blue Oval Certified “Commitment to Kids”

Cause:  Missing & Exploited Children

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Objectives

  • Increase Ford dealer customer service and satisfaction rankings, and dealer traffic
  • Launch, build awareness of new Ford Blue Oval Certified Dealer brand and “fingerprint” logo touting personalized dealer customer service
  • Position Ford and Ford dealers as good corporate citizens
  • Cut costs to reduce ad launch budget allocation of $40Million (due to companywide budget cuts)

Strategies & Tactics

  • Created strategic partnerships with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, top rated TV show “America’s Most Wanted” and host John Walsh, parent of a missing and slain child, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
  • Distributed free “Child Safety I.D. Kits” in dealerships, urging parents to visit any Ford BOC dealership nationwide and get their children photographed and fingerprinted in the event they ever went missing
  • Signed famed actress, children’s book author and child advocate Jamie Lee Curtis as campaign media spokesperson, held national and key market news conferences and photo opps. at Ford dealerships, FBI headquarters, auto shows; booked media tours
  • To save dollars in support of Ford budget cuts, we structured the initiative as a Public Service and PR-led program vs. an advertising campaign, and worked with Ford ad agency J. Walter Thompson to produce TV, magazine and print PSA’s featuring Jamie Lee Curtis and encouraging parents to visit Ford BOC dealerships – and placed them at no cost (as PSA’s vs. paid media ads) in national and key market print, broadcast, online and consumer and trade media 

Results

  • Increased Ford dealer customer sales satisfaction 19%, and service satisfaction 13% (Ford verified article)
  • Photographed, fingerprinted over 1 million children brought into Ford dealerships by parents over the two years, credited by surveyed dealers as directly contributing to increased dealer traffic and sales of Ford family minivans and SUV’s
  • Generated over 300 million TV, magazine, print and online media news story impressions, including “Good Morning America,” “ABC World News Tonight,” CNN, TV Guide, “America’s Most Wanted,” USA Today, AP, Washington Post, New York Times, Parents, People, etc
  • Saved Ford client over $25 Million of the allocated $40 Million paid advertising budget by producing and placing free media PSA’s and conducting free publicity vs. paid ads to launch the BOC dealer brnd and tout the program nationwide

Case Study: Sage Hill School’s $7.5 Million Capital Campaign For New Science Center

Cause: Education & Community Service

Objectives      

  • Raise $5 Million of the $7.5 Million budget needed by June 1, 2013 to break ground on a new, state-of-the-art science center for one of California’s leading private, college prep high schools. Desired Grand Opening date:  Fall 2014
  • Increase awareness and support of the campaign among constituents, community and corporate leaders, while positioning Sage Hill as a thought leader in science education

Strategies & Tactics

  • Accepted role on Science Center Steering Committee, created presentation decks, conducted corporate “Naming Rights” and strategic partnership outreach to support Sage Hill’s development campaign presentations and donor meetings
  • Working with Committee and faculty, secured world-class Science Advisory Team: 
    • Dr. Peter Donovan, one of world’s foremost stem cell research scientists and director of the Sue and Bill Gross Stem Cell Research Center at UC, Irvine
    • Dr. Edward Thorp, former MIT math professor, world-renowned as pioneer in modern applications of probability theory, father of the “wearable computer,” author of New York Times bestsellers “Beat the Market” and “Beat the Dealer,” inspired main character of 2008 hit movie “21,” starring Kevin Spacey
    • Dr. Mihir Worah, managing director of $2 trillion asset mgmt. firm Pimco, Ph.D in particle physics, prime example of powerful link between science and Wall St.
    • Dr. James Weatherall, author of 2013 NY Times bestseller “The Physics of Wall Street,” explaining how ideas have moved from physics into financial modeling, and how they might help us solve our thorniest economic problems.  He is an assistant professor of logic and philosophy of science at UCI, and holds Ph.D.’s in physics and math, and philosophy.
    • Dr. Mory Gharib. Provost for Research, Hans W. Liepmann Professor of Aeronautics, Professor of Bio-Inspired Engineering at Cal Tech.  Research includes bio-engineering for medical devices, wind energy harvesting and propulsion systems
    • Dr. Arthur Lander. Leading systems biology expert.  M.D., Ph.D and Professor of Developmental and Cell Biology and Biomedical Engineering at UCI
  • Publicized, wrote all news releases and media advisories, coordinated on-site media relations, Advisory Team and Head of School media interviews, photo opps. and video sound bites for three Sage Hill Science Lecture Series events, open free to the public, Sage Hill students and parents
  • Provided media training for Sage Hill leadership team

Results

  • Exceeded $5M target, raising entire $7.5 M budget (plus!) a full year early
  • Made initial contact with Lisa, Julia and George Argyros (former U.S. Ambassador to Spain and owner of the Seattle Mariners MLB franchise), invited them to attend a Science Lecture and assisted Head of School Gordon McNeill and Board of Trustees Chair Vicki Booth Ueberroth in presenting the Science Center vision and proposal
  • The Argyros Family Foundation made the target-closing $2.5 Million donation, and Sage Hill named the Lisa Argyros and Family Science Center in their honor
  • Secured prominent regional media coverage of Sage Hill and Science Center campaign in the Orange Country Business Journal, OC Register, Coast Magazine and many other local Orange Country media outlets
  • The endorsement of prominent scientists, strategic corporate partners, universities and media further enhances Sage Hill’s reputation as a science education thought leader and community resource.
  • Sage Hill students, families, students from Orange County grade and high schools and community members interested in science will benefit from the new facility, science curriculum and science-based community outreach programs for years to come

Case Study: Wildwoods, New Jersey “Celebration of Heroes” Memorial Day Weekend & Festival and USO Benefit Concert

Cause: U.S. Military, service men and women, USO recognition and support

Objectives

  • Increase Wildwoods awareness as a premier vacation resort destination to kick-off the Summer season
  • Increase Wildwoods tourism hotel stays and attendance, event ticket sales, sponsorship and merchandising revenues
  • Build the Greater Wildwoods Tourism Authority brand via creating a high profile, annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) platform (i.e. U.S. military service men and women, USO, veterans)

Strategies & Tactics

  • Worked with former Los Angeles Sports & Entertainment Commission client and strategic partner Diane McGraw (wife of late World Series MVP Tug, and stepmom of country music star and actor Tim McGraw) of McGraw Productions to co-produce, manage and publicize the event weekend and benefit concert
  • Promoted and publicized the participation of host and former “SNL” star Joe Piscopo, Grammy Award-winning country music star Lee Greenwood, original “Jersey Boys” cast member Michael Longoria, Miss America 2012 Laura Kaeppeler, and “American Idol”  finalists Hayley Scarnato and Michael Sarver
  • Forged strategic partnerships with the Liberty USO and Vietnam Veterans of America to raise funds, awareness and support of their programs – and invited their participants to participate and receive free weekend passes
  • Secured corporate sponsors Ford Motor Company, Comcast and other sponsors to upgrade event, offset program costs, reach broader target audiences
  • Created/ managed “Comcast Connect” sponsor activation with live “Skype” sessions between U.S. troops stationed in Camp Leatherneck, Kanduhar, Afghanistan, USO members stationed there, event celebrity performers and attending fans expressing thanks and best wishes.
  • Secured media co-sponsorships with NBC-TV 10, Philadelphia Inquirer, radio stations and public television to provide free advertising support
  • Managed all advance publicity, news conferences and on-site media relations for the weekend events

Results

  • Packed the Wildwoods Boardwalk over the weekend
  • Liberty USO Benefit Concert and Comcast Connect Center live Skype sessions with troops were a resounding success
  • Over 75,000,000 Wildwoods and Celebration of Heroes media impressions were generated via the media co-sponsorships and PR efforts  

Case Study: Green Earth Technologies and G-Oil Launch

Cause: Environmental

Objectives

  • Drive trade and consumer awareness, trial and sales of G-Oil, the world’s first non-petroleum motor oil and product line (nanotechnology automotive, cleaning, marine, etc. products made from animal fats and plant oils), as part of company and product line launch
  • Increase and support trade distribution of product line
  • Increase stock price, trade partnerships and additional investor funding support

Key Challenge

“How do we get consumers to put an animal-fat based motor oil in their $100,000 Mercedes and Porsche engines – regardless of how much better it is for the environment?”

Strategies & Tactics

  • Educate and break down traditional trade and consumer beliefs about petroleum motor oil -- and about G-Oil as a product that is not only far better  for the environment, but decreases American dependence on foreign oil
  • Create consumer behavioral change; incentive trade to change, and stock the product, product line (automotive, marine, cleaning products, etc
  • Gain EPA and other environmental organization support championing the product and company
  • RockandSock’em’s John Eckel wrote the G-Oil PR & Sports Marketing Launch Plan supporting G-Oil’s marketing and executive team’s; conceptualized and negotiated the partnership with the American LeMans Series -- as “official motor oil of ALMS, ” sponsor of a G-Oil racing team, race car; TV ad placement in ALMS event Series and trackside signage network TV telecasts, local market point of sales promotions and event track hospitality and fan tickets with partner Home Depot -- to demonstrate on the race track that the product was not only safe and effective in automobiles – but performed as well as any petroleum-based motor oil in the world’s most advanced technology racing engines (including Porsche, G-Oil’s sponsored car); attended AAPEX trade show in Las Vegas to launch via trade; and led advertising and PR account team that created TV and print ads, secured major national news coverage touting the breakthrough product

Results

  • Major automotive and home improvement trade retail partners including Home Depot carried G-Oil and the GET product line
  • American LeMans Series partnership established G-Oil’s trade and consumer credibility, and the GET has since moved on to sponsor NASCAR