Just under a million pizzas were sold during the campaign period, with Roman’s Pizza contributing the balance of funds required to reach the desired R1-million.

“We are more than pleased with the outcome”, says Roman’s Pizza marketing director Bonnie Lee, “and it sets the tone for future endeavours”. Lee says that the public should expect increased cause-related marketing activity across the brand landscape as a shift in consumer conscience will bring a wave of change in how products and services are marketed. Whether this shift in mindset is exaggerated out of an awareness of the impact of the recession or whether they are facing up to a broader sense of responsibility, more consumers are simply looking to corporates to do the right thing.

“In response, brand are increasingly realising that consumers are often genuinely attuned to and passionate about causes. Not only does linking a product to a worthy cause provide a sense of purpose for customers, [it] may also help consumers rationalise their spending,” says Lee. If companies can tap into these strong emotions through a cause-related campaign, they’re not only likely to differentiate themselves from competitors and experience an upsurge in sales, but also see their product recommended to others.

In particular, the purchase decisions of Generation Y – those consumers born in the Eighties and Nineties - are heavily influenced by their opinions of a company’s cause-related marketing initiatives. These consumers also value charitable contributions via cause marketing because of the ease with which they can participate and the scope of impact that a corporate-based charitable programme can have in comparison to an individual donation.

Lee feels that campaigns such as its Roman’s Cares also play a substantial role in delivering positive internal brand gains and delivers a sense of purpose within an organisation, bar commercially driven sensibilities. “Noting the organisational response to the campaign, it was evident that employees and partners found the similar substance in the project, making it a personal cause and injecting fuel into other aspects of the business such as customer service and upselling. Benefits were felt throughout the business.”

Gen Y-ers are also very comfortable with technology and social media. If a cause-related marketing campaign really talks to them, there is a good chance that they will let others know about it online. In other words, cause-related marketing can potentially generate hundreds of positive word-of-mouth mentions.

In a busy market place, cause-related marketing delivers a win-win for both brand and consumer, because while it provides an opportunity to show the softer side of a business, it also allows customers to participate in a socially responsible project and for a worthy cause to benefit. In fact, it is every brand’s responsibility to engage in at least one cause-related campaign annually.

Matla a Bana will use half of the R1-million raised to open three child-friendly facilities around South Africa and the balance will be leveraged in a double-up challenge to be hosted across community radio stations until the end of July.

In tomorrow’s market, the brand that cares, will win.