Responsible marketing should be a part of all businesses, but particularly in industries of trust.

 
Whilst in a business built on a foundation of trust, non-profits and charitable organisations will benefit tremendously by focusing on responsible marketing tactics.
 
Those who donate and support your cause will want to know that you are a trustworthy, honest and ethical company to advocate for.

What is responsible marketing?

 
Responsible marketing or ethical marketing is not only doing the right thing through your marketing when promoting your products or services, but also considering the long-term impact of your marketing and business actions.
 
Things such as ensuring you are making a positive impact on society. This may be by using environmentally friendly suppliers internally, using recyclable packaging, or following additional regulations on top of those that are essential to the industry.
 
Having these morals as the basis of your marketing adds to your brand story and becomes additional messaging you can use to appeal to donors.

Why should non-profits consider responsible marketing?

 
Although these are not aspects that will make an immediate impact on your performance they will help you to make deeper connections, build consumer trust and enhance your brand reputation.
 
By adopting ethical and sustainable marketing practices you are demonstrating to all of your stakeholders that your brand stands for integrity.
 
In turn building upon your core principles will hope to attract those who value ethical business practices and help you do better business.
 

How can non-profits implement responsible marketing into their strategy?

 
There are a number of ways that charities and non-profits can start laying the foundations for ethical and responsible marketing:

Go above and beyond GDPR

 
First off GDPR. Yes, it is already an essential component of your marketing data processing but it is something that you need to make as clear, easy and accessible as possible.
 
Having your data organised, relevant and compliant is key to not only meeting regulations but also setting the basis for the best communications for your database.
 
Even better, having your donor data based within the UK offers numerous advantages in terms of legal compliance, data protection, security, and trust.
 
Make an extra commitment to data privacy and security above and beyond the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK GDPR and make sure you know exactly where your donor and volunteer data is stored and sent to.
 
Also, by having or using partners that also have ISO accreditations for security and quality management, which are audited by a third party annually, demonstrate your focus on data management as a priority.
 
It all comes down to being transparent and fair with your data, we have seen that donors are fine to give their information however they want to know it isn’t being abused and is safe.

The impact of inclusion

 
Accessibility opens up your communications to everyone in your database. Especially in a charitable business, you want your messages to be as diverse and available to all manner of people.
 
Here are ten email accessibility top tips to start:

1. Make sure your content is clear and concise. Avoiding jargon and big words unnecessarily.
2. In regards to formatting, don’t overuse italics, underlines or all capital letters.
3. Keep font sizes to 11 or 12 pt as a minimum.
4. Choose a sans-serif font that is easily legible like Arial, Calibri, Helvetica
5. Left-align your text if possible.
6. Make sure there is enough colour contrast between your font and its background
7. Add alt text to images and avoid using images in place of text, especially for important information.
8. For your CTA’s make them distinguishable from other email elements with clear text.
9. Review your emails before sending them to ensure they are responsive for different screen sizes.
10. Use semantic HTML so that your email code has meaning.

 
RedEye comes with a built in Accessibility Checker tool ensuring your emails are always inclusive and ethically coded.
 
Representation is also essential, you need to hire, work with and show all matter of different people, backgrounds and abilities in your content.
 
Being inclusive of all people in your target audience will help create marketing that appeals to all manner of people and perspectives strengthening connections with your cause and creates a welcoming and open environment for all.

Consider corporate collaboration

 
Aligning your brand with other corporations that are driving change shows that you are serious about doing fair business or want to work towards a greater good.
 
For example, RedEye are members of Tech Zero, The SME Climate Hub Commitment and the DMA plus others.
 
Finding other corporations that align with your business that do good for people and the planet, further demonstrating your values of doing the right thing. Affiliating with groups like this helps to further set your organisation apart from the rest as well as enhancing your brand reputation.
 
An organisation which may be worthwhile to join is the Better Business Act, co-chaired by retail legend Mary Portas.
 
As of May 2024, 87 non-profit businesses have signed up to the BBA which calls on the government to amend the law governing how companies are run to better reflect their social and environmental responsibilities, campaigning for a cleaner, greener, fairer future for all.
 
Particularly for non-profits responsible marketing is not only the right thing to do but will pave the way for better results due to having the right core principles at heart.
 
Aligning with your customers’ values and beliefs will help deepen their affiliation with your cause but make sure you keep any of these suggestion true to your brand. Authenticity should also be at the heart of any of your responsible marketing practices.

Support sustainability

 
In addition to sustainable memberships like above where you can commit to certain pledges, you need to also take action.
 
Rather than greenwashing to appear like your brand is sustainable and you care for the environment you need to truly be proactive in making sure you are. This can be done by ensuring that all rubbish is cleared and recycled from your offices, stores or events.
 
Sending any merchandise in green packaging and making sure the suppliers you use also align with your values on sustainability and are proactive themselves.
 
Making sure your supply chain also follows your values and promises to have a clean slate throughout, this way you and truly promote your pledges on sustainability in your marketing.
 
Charities and non-profits are held to a higher standard than your standard businesses so although it can seem like an investment in time and costs, setting the foundation of responsible marketing within your brand is worthwhile due to its appeal to donors and supporters.
 
In turn, helping to create better business practices in time, more success.
 
Find out how RedEye helps nonprofits and charities increase donor numbers and engagement.
Nonprofit & charity marketing
 
*DMA – https://dma.org.uk/article/responsible-marketing-update-for-fundraisers-november-2021
 
 

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