Greater Good for Greater Profits: Three Examples of Profitable Brands Built on a Cause

Kim Castle, Co-creator BrandU™

I first discovered that there was a world outside of “me” when I was four and my mother said to me one summer at dinner. “Eat your peas Kim; there are kids starving in Russia.” 

My budding global consciousness showed itself again a couple years later at the beach in Miami. FL while I was digging a large hole in the sand.  I asked my mom where I would end up if I kept digging.  Her answer… “China.”

In the age of instant information, the far-away notion that there are people “over there”, facing life-threatening challenges daily, is replaced by a constant reminder that we as a species are growing too fast and too large for the people and the planet to withstand.

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Hip-hop marketing for the spirit

There’s no lack of creativity when it comes to marketing these days – even when reaching out to attract more people to tend to their spiritual life.  In Minneapolis on Saturday night you might think this forward-looking church is a nightclub.  Even when you go through the doors to check it out further, you’ll find a crowded dance floor, strobe lights, break dancing, graffiti art, a DJ and rappers.  But among all the lights and action you’ll also see bibles on the chairs, and you’ll hear lyrics about mercy and grace.  *

This is another great example of creating a marketing campaign that speaks to your potential clients at a level that makes them feel comfortable and creates an atmosphere of trust.  It’s finding out what’s important to them and providing it in a way that builds a lasting relationship, not just a one-time sale.

If you want to set yourself apart and build a business based on genuine, caring relationships, there are many lessons to be learned from this relationship marketing business model used by the Urban J Church.

*(As reported by Jeff Strickler of the Star Tribune in Minneapolis.)