cause marketing

American  

[kawz mahr-ki-ting] / ˈkɔz ˌmɑr kɪ tɪŋ /

noun

1. the display of corporate social responsibility as an advertising strategy, such as by making a charitable donation with every sale or employing activist messaging in promotional materials.

---

Etymology

Origin of cause marketing

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Businesses are best off if they make clear exactly where the money is going and the power of the donation even if it’s a small amount per purchase, said Maria Perez, a cause marketing consultant.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 29, 2025

I first wrote about cause marketing more than a decade ago in my book Compassion, Inc. I discovered that after 9/11, connecting brands to causes became an imperative.

From Slate • Jun. 14, 2023

Ackerman said "cause marketing" was a priority for the league from its inception.

From Fox News • Feb. 28, 2022

This remarkable increase in their fundraising potential is largely due to the snowball effect of cause marketing coupled with a social medial fad.

From Forbes • Aug. 20, 2014

That “commitment to an issue sustained over time” ought to help alleviate any “skepticism” about Kiehl’s having a commercial purpose for its cause marketing initiative, Mr. Twyman said.

From New York Times • Dec. 23, 2013