JohnAmardeil.com

But does it pay?

I’d argue many worldwide initiatives that have brought about a lot of good were financed or launched, at least to some extent, by private capital.

But did these initiatives make their managers any money?

We recently launched a contest for one of our clients, in support of an artistic community.

The project initially raised eyebrows. Why would a builder want to launch such an initiative? What was the connection?

But as participation increases, doubt is beginning to recede. Here’s what a participant emailed us yesterday:

“It worked!!! Thanks for all of your help.

I look forward to hearing all of the other contestants (…)

Thanks for giving local talent a venue to showcase their stuff. There are many talented people in our own backyard.”

Knowing that we’re helping people from a particular community gives us great pleasure. There’s more to it, though. Choosing to support a specific cause or community can help shape a brand’s image. And in our case, it’ll also help woo potential homeowners.

Companies of all kinds have always known that cause-related marketing creates goodwill with customers. (Interestingly, it also results in employee goodwill.) While a contest in support of an artistic community is not quite the same, I’d argue it can bring about similar benefits, even—or especially—for builders.

We must keep on finding novel ways to market for our clients. All the better if we support someone while we’re at it.