Subaru - Share the Love

Subaru’s “Share the Love” campaign is a prime example of how Cause Marketing, when done well, can be a huge success. Over the past five years, Subaru owners have donated over $25 million to nonprofits through its “Share the Love” campaign held at the end of each year. During this event, Subaru donates $250 for every new Subaru sold or leased to one of five charities selected by the Customer.  The 2012 event will deliver donations to the following charities:

•    Alzheimer's Association®
    •    The ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®)
    •    Make-A-Wish®
    •    Meals On Wheels Association of America®
    •    USO

The event is typically launched online via Social Media Channels - Subaru invites Facebook fans to vote for the charities that will join its roster of selected charities – and then marketed across outlets. TV watchers will see “Share the Love” commercials, social media it a buzz with news about which charities are on the receiving end of the event.

Why has their campaign worked so well?  From what I can find, there are several reasons.

1.      Charities that were selected by Subaru, were done so based on the values and interest of their customers. In fact, they allowed their customers and Facebook fans to vote on which charities should be on the receiving end.  Furthermore, Subaru, researched the reputation of each charity to ensure that the donations would be used appropriately.  After all, not only is Subaru helping a charity, they also need to protect their reputation in the eyes of their consumers.

2.      Communication – not only did Subaru communicate at the corporate level, they also provided their dealerships with the tools needed to effectively inform the dealer about the campaign but also market the campaign.

3.      Subaru connected with the consumer through purchase kits that provided them with the full details about the campaign, the charity partners and how the charities receive the donations. This extra step helped build trust with the consumer – they know exactly where their donation is going and what it is going to be used for.

4.      Marketing – Subaru got the word out using social media, TV commercials, radio spots -  whatever they could use, they did.

Ultimately, the key to this campaign is that Subaru took the necessary steps to build a thorough, thoughtful campaign that consumers could connect with.  The charities selected were important to Subaru’s target market and the consumers were informed and knowledgeable about the process – these two pieces help build trust - which helps “the cause.”