Dear Friend,

Back to school time is an important one for many retailers. This year, many have turned to cause campaigns in their quest to earn consumer loyalty, break through the seasonal clutter and showcase their corporate values.

Here are a few activations of note this back to school season:

Amazon’s “Happy School Year” (a one-stop, back-to-school shop) has partnered with Communities In Schools and Shaquille O’Neal (CIS Board Member) to encourage consumers to purchase a $25 backpack for a child in need by saying, “Alexa, donate to Happy School Year”. Amazon then matches the donation with school supplies (up to $200,000) and ships supplies to CIS for distribution to at-risk students. In addition, Shaq and Zappos are empowering groups to host “Shaq-to-school” supply drives by providing promotional materials and pre-paid shipping labels to deliver the items to CIS youth.

Walgreens and Hershey’s is teaming up in support of the ME to WE Foundation this year, with 35 cents of every specially marked Hershey’s bar purchased at the retailer heading to the ME to WE Foundation. ME to WE branded items are also available for purchase in Walgreens stores but do not trigger a donation to the charity. Walgreens and participating brands are also making a larger, $5 million donation to the Foundation to create a new WE Teachers program, providing education and resources to teachers nationwide.

Old Navy has introduced a first-ever, limited OnWard! graphic tee collection designed by Boys & Girls Clubs kids and donating $50,000 to the charity in honor of the collection. In addition, the retailer will hold a point of sale donation effort with a goal of reaching $1 million for BGCA and matching consumer donations up to $300,000. The retailer has been a partner of BGCA for over 15 years and also helps support youth leadership efforts by providing first job training through its internship program.

Whether it’s leveraging always-on technology for good, teaming up with vendors to make an impact or authentically showcasing a cause, retailers continue to raise the bar to creatively engage consumers to earn their business and their loyalty while making an impact in these important youth- and education-focused causes.

Enjoy the rest of your summer and be sure to keep us apprised of your social impact plans for 2020!