All Sales are Local

MBS Associates is the pioneer of Grass Roots Cause Marketing, the next generation of Cause-Related Marketing that taps into charitable causes with national consumer appeal to drive measurable business results.

We develop sustainable, win-win-win promotions to create organic, results-driven connections for the corporate brand, the cause and target consumers. We employ a strategic process that coordinates Corporate and Charitable Cause efforts to their mutual benefit. Our programs are designed to achieve measurable business objectives including: increased public awareness, stronger brand equity and sales growth.

But Grass Roots Cause Marketing goes one important step further - we take a charitable cause with universal appeal - and we turn it into a Local Sales Building program.

Local Sales Building

MBSA's unique capability is to go beyond "just leveraging the cause" - powerful as that is. We have developed proven strategies and technology driven tactics to tap into local cause chapters - to turn them into genuine Influencers and Brand Advocates - so that the cause marketing program delivers your business objectives at the neighborhood level, with real human connections.

We leverage the emotional response of a meaningful cause, the credibility of influencers who touch consumers at the neighborhood level and the marketing power of corporations to reach common target consumers at a local, personal and relevant level.

Everybody wins.

A Strategy for Every Objective

Grass Roots Cause Marketing is based on the premise that every Cause, and its local Influencer network, has marketing assets it can leverage in a long term, win-win relationship with a partnering corporation. And these assets can be selectively leveraged to achieve whatever strategic or business objective the corporate partner may want to pursue.

MBSA has a proven strategic approach to making sure that our corporate client's business objectives are achieved - we call it "Compliance = Execution." We make sure that the cause organization is motivated by meaningful corporate support to execute their promotional role. MBSA then monitors that the cause organization is performing - we document compliance - proof that the cause partner is doing a good job. Only then will they continue to earn the corporation's generous support.

With that proven strategy in place, we can then design a program to meet virtually any corporate business objective requirement - A Program for Every Strategic Need

A Program for Every Strategy

No matter what your business objective, we have a track record of putting Grass Roots Cause programs to work to achieve those goals. If you are seeking awareness, trial, loyalty, image enhancement, retailer level merchandising, public relations support, or a smart mix of all these objectives, here's a sampler of our tailored programs that have met corporate partner needs.

To Achieve Trial:

Turn Key Sampling Programs - We have built relationships with local cause influencers - groups that consumers respect as experts in the field, such as animal shelters or dog obedience trainers. Specialized programs involving these influencer groups have delivered samples to up to 2 million consumers annually. In addition to recruiting and managing sponsor relationships, we also design all support materials and coordinate assembly and distribution of sample kits.

To Achieve Loyalty:

While consumers have long benefited from label savings programs, ours has a special twist. It is an effective loyalty program, empowering thousands of local volunteers and pet owners, adults and children alike, to make a difference in the lives of homeless pets. Our technology tools enable us to link program sponsors to 6,000 member animal welfare organizations, providing call center and website support, and managing donation distribution.

To Achieve Store Level Merchandising:

We design promotions to leverage a charitable cause to drive display and impulse sales, and then put the local chapters to work, using our database and project management services to efficiently send local cause influencers - shoppers' neighbors - to their neighborhood stores to collaborate with store managers to execute fun, traffic driving events. To make sure all the pieces are in place, we also design, produce, and coordinate support for in-store displays, POS materials, and giveaways.

To Achieve Awareness and Build Brand Equity:

Our Telethons are a great example. Established in 20 of the top 40 television markets, these Telethons have raised more than $15,000,000 for animal welfare agencies. Program sponsors receive valuable pre- and post-event publicity, on-air exposure, and opportunities to tie in their own public relations efforts. The animal welfare organizations receive increased exposure, generate significant donations, and reach a large audience with their awareness messages. We manage all aspects of the sponsor/cause relationship, including contract negotiation, media production and planning, pre- and post-event publicity, and on-air representation.

Click HERE for an example of a fully integrated program for Pfizer Animal Health.

The list of program examples goes on and on, as long as our list of satisfied clients, which includes:

Aerosoles

Arm&Hammer

Clorox

First Brands

Hartz Mountain

Hills Science Diet

HJ Heinz

Kraft General Foods

Nestle Purina PetCare Company

PetSmart

Pfizer

Proctor & Gamble

Quaker Oats

Reckitt Benckiser

The Iams Company