Cause Marketing Goes to the Movies - By Joe Waters

Joe Waters blogs on cause marketing at Selfishgiving.com. He is the co-author ofCause Marketing for Dummies (July, 2011).
Feb 16, 2011 11:16 AM ET
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Cause Marketing Goes to the Movies

 

My team and I have had some luck working with movie theaters here in Boston. But we have yet to find the right partner to execute the large transactional cause marketing program that raises a lot of money.

The movie theater cause marketing program of note in my city benefits The Jimmy Fund. It’s been around since the late 1940′s and last year it raised $530,000.

Ushers or volunteers collect the change and bills in canisters after moviegoers watch a short trailer on The Jimmy Fund’s mission and services. They’ve had some moving trailers through the years.

This one is my favorite. 

Strong As Iron: Dana-Farber Institute video

The Jimmy Fund program has been very successful, but coin canister programs aren’t for everyone.

My friend Steve Drake recently passed along another movie theater cause marketing program that happens in his hometown of St. Louis.

Wehrenberg Theatres with 15 locations throughout the Midwest are supporting Variety the Children’s Charity of St. Louis through the purchase of Variety’s 2011 Gold Heart pin

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