Analysis: Cause Marketing: Make It Authentic

Weight Watchers' CSR initiative will win customers and attract new talent because it sticks to the company's brand message

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Congratulations to David Kirchhoff and Weight Watchers (WTW) for initiating the Lose for Good campaign. It has all the hallmarks of becoming a successful annual event.

Why? It is directly in line with the organization's philosophy, it has executive support, and, most important, it has community-level network support and employee buy-in.

Done well, these annual events result in an increase in the number of customers, attraction and retention of talent, market differentiation, and an opportunity to enter new markets, all of which results in sustainable growth.

Kirchhoff is correct in citing Avon's annual Walk for the Cure as a great example of how an annual event can, over time, become branded as an integral part of business strategy. Other examples are L'Oreal's (OR) "Color of Hope" campaign for ovarian cancer research, and HSBC's (HBC) U.S. environmental campaign, "Commit to Change."

The lessons learned from these types of campaigns are many. Keep up the momentum through internal and external communication. And be consistent: Hold it at the same time every year, and keep the same format of six weeks, $1 million, and the same two charities.

What actually concerns me with Lose For Good is whether Weight Watchers is staying focused on a simple message. When reviewing the campaign Web site, I became confused about the global versus national reach of the campaign. The site's promotional graphics show a U.S. map, but the company has partnered with a global charity. And it's unclear how the collection and donation of food in communities is related to the food donations being made by Weight Watchers.

I would also suggest that Weight Watchers be transparent: It states how much money goes to which nonprofit. But what is the company's management cost? Will it make an annual report available, or produce a separate CSR report?

Lastly, it's important that the campaign fit into Weight Watchers' overall corporate strategy. CSR is now an integral part of the business strategy of major multinational corporations. This point was recently validated at a panel discussion I organized and moderated at New York University with executive vice-presidents from PepsiCo (PEP), HSBC, and Green Mountain Coffee (GMCR), all of whom stated that their CSR was part of how they do business and therefore will not disappear because of the current economy.

It will be interesting to observe how Weight Watchers' Lose for Good campaign evolves over time. In this economic downturn, it is particularly important for companies to continue this type of an initiative. If it is part of the global business strategy, if it is executed annually with a consistent simple message, and if it becomes branded as an important annual event, it will result in sustainable growth.

Lucille Pilling teaches graduate courses in corporate social responsibility at New York University's Wagner School of Public Service. She also teaches the Capstone Program in International Public Policy & Management and advises the CSR Alliance at Wagner. Pilling's book, Global Health Alliance: Lessons Learned, was published in February 2007.