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6 temptations to recognize and resist

In a cause marketing campaign, it is easy for individuals or entities to lose sight of what is happening. At the most basic, a for-profit business is hoping to burnish its image and make money and a nonprofit is hoping to generate revenue and heighten awareness of its existence and its mission.

A desire to do well by the other guy can lead either partner to slip when conducting a campaign. Mistakes and miscommunication can lead to misunderstandings, but they can also lead to problems with regulators in states where campaigns take place, or even with the big, bad Internal Revenue Service (IRS).

During the 2015 Cause Marketing Forum, Terri Seligman of Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz and Ed Chansky of Greenburg Taurig highlighted several of the temptations that can lure either the nonprofit or the for-profit in a cause marketing agreement. The temptations are strong, but they must be recognized and resisted.

To resist those temptations both parties must remember:

* The sponsor advertises the product. The charity does not.

* The sponsor sends a marketing message, not the charity.

* The sponsor praises or promotes the product, not the charity.

* The charity promotes its message and mission.

* The charity provides sponsor access to its constituency, but not space for “advertising.”

* Check out the charity’s Facebook page in regard to the above.