Heart of Safeway Pledge

Campaign: Heart of Safeway
Company: Safeway
Nonprofit Partner: Feeding America, Food Banks Canada
Launch Date: October 3, 2012

Campaign Description:

Safeway has unveiled a unique CSR/cause marketing effort called the “Heart of Safeway Pledge”. Marketed as a personal call-to-action to take simple, everyday steps that benefit pledge-takers and their communities, the program is directed at both employees and consumers. The first 25,000 participants to make a personal online pledge will be rewarded with a CSR-themed store coupon for $1 off fresh produce and the Safeway Foundation will donate $1 to benefit Feeding America and Food Banks Canada, up to $25,000. All participants who make pledge through October 31, will also be entered for a chance to win one of fifty $100 Safeway Gift Cards.

Our Take:

Safeway’s concept of using a cause marketing effort to engage both consumers and employees in CSR communications is, in a word, brilliant. We so often see cause marketing efforts completely divorced from concomitant, positive (but poorly communicated) CSR efforts. This approach turns the tables and uses a proven consumer and employee strategy to incentivize interest in a streamlined CSR message and actually invites stakeholders to join in the corporate commitment. Concepts like this will proactively shake the virtual dust off of unnoticed CSR reports and neatly deliver them to the hands of employees and consumers, where they belong.