Cause Marketing: Because doing good pays off.

When it comes to Cause Marketing, “tis the season” for Knoodle, a local advertising agency based in Phoenix, Arizona. Spring is the time of year we kick off our local homebuilder’s water safety initiatives. This family-owned builder, Fulton Homes, does more for drowning prevention than any other business in the country. Aligning a brand with a cause can give new purpose to marketing dollars – saving lives and attracting business.

Here is how we do it.

Current Initiatives

2 Seconds is 2 Long with KTAR FM

Arizona’s longest running awareness campaign to educate Phoenicians on how to prevent children from drowning in swimming pools, bathtubs and toilets. According to the CDC, drownings are the leading cause of death in Arizona among children between the ages of one and four. The radio ads include facts on keeping kids safe and culminates with CPR materials for listeners and a meet and greet with local first responders.

Duration: 24 years

Fence Patrol with KMVA FM

Put simply, we put up pool fences or pool nets for families in need. It’s a register to win with fences awarded based on submissions from the general public. Because a pool can make a home complete – but shouldn’t be a hazard.

Duration: 20 years

Arizona Lifesavers with ALT AZ

This promotes CPR training and provides it free for those who sign up, in conjunction with the Phoenix Fire Department. Contest winners participate in a traditional training with paramedics, learning from their local heroes.

Duration: 2 years

Doing Good Pays Off

These programs save lives. We work with the stations on providing impactful programming for the on-air ads and marketing material. We use actual 911 calls and stories from parents who lost their children when they wandered away and were found in their pool. It’s real and scary and is the type of programming that gets noticed. It also makes them think. We will never know how many lives we save, but we know we’ve had an impact.

Cause marketing can be a winning strategy for any brand. And yet, most gravitate to more self-promotion than community good. At Phoenix based Knoodle, we think cause marketing gives purpose to the brand and builds loyalty with their consumer.

Fulton Homes sells… well, homes! They also sell communities, that feeling of home and the essence of family life. They do a lot of other things than cause marketing and yet, cause marketing has become the centerpiece of their marketing efforts. Over the years, they have received over $5 million in free media time from local media. The combination of cause marketing creates a passive self-promotion wand that makes magic with its consumer. The purpose of marketing is really not to sell stuff. Its purpose is to create a relationship with potential buyers that breeds feelings of pride, loyalty and innate reasons to buy a Fulton Home.

Fulton’s passion shows in the 15+ cause marketing campaigns we do every year. Besides water safety, they are active in the areas of pet safety, education, and veterans.

Here is a listing of title sponsorships:

• Summer Heat, Check the Seat
• Cause for Paws
• Be an Energy Star
• Stuff the Bus
• School Salute
• Book in a Bag
• Books & Toys for Girls and Boys
• Kicks for Kids
• Fly the Flag
• Pets and Vets
• Veterans Honor Roll

Master marketer and CEO Doug Fulton said, “I am proud of our work in the community. We don’t just sell homes; we sell communities and there is nothing more important than pitching in to create a better life for local families.”

Be purpose-driven. Because doing good pays off.