Likewise, when kids select a cause or program to support, it empowers them by enabling them to support something they believe in. And when they do it through a company's brand, marketing experts believe they grow closer to that brand. This is particularly true among young adults, who lead increasingly hectic lives but are also drawn more to causes. As a consequence, they are also extremely stressed in their everyday lives. Specifically, loyalty programs attempt to generate repeat purchases by providing material goods in exchange for multiple purchases.
Many marketers utilize in-kind gifts or product donations to support a cause.
However, marketers like Nike are incorporating involvement within a larger community event, like one held recently in its hometown of Beaverton, Oregon, the Nike Community Games. Event Coordinator and Global Employee Involvement Manager Mary Roney credits Nike employees with making this event a success. Within one hour of issuing an e-mail soliciting volunteers for this event, over 80 employees had signed up. By the close of the Games, held July 6, the company announced that they would henceforth be held annually, instead of every other year. For Nike, good corporate citizenship is serious business.