Portion-of-sale cause marketing programs are seemingly everywhere, yet if few stand out, still fewer venture outside the norm. And doesn’t it often seem a shame that potential donations are missed either by lack of consumer interest or time or even by poor communication on the part of the brand?
What does this portion-of-sale cause marketing tactic look like when integrated into the very fabric of a brand? Enter Purpose Beverages and their Tēvolution brand of bottled iced teas.
Twenty-five cents of every bottle of Tēvolution goes to one of four partner charities. Yes, $0.25, or $3 from every case, will go to a non-profit partner. And, in a move sure to intrigue cause junkies and technology enthusiasts, Tēvolution tells you which non-profit got your quarter when you redeem a unique code on the bottle. Even more impressive, the quarter is donated whether you (the end consumer) redeem the code on the bottle or not. You read that right…Tēvolution donates whether you redeem the code or not.
When consumers do take the time to redeem, their code unlocks a mini-education about the beneficiary partner non-profit organization that can then be shared automatically via social media. Tēvolution’s goal is to build the story of their partner non-profits little by little, strategically feeding engaging storylines to consumers each time they redeem a new code.
Conveniently, consumers can text the code using a mobile phone and receive the electronic storylines, the only product I’ve personally seen offer this mobile-redemption technology. Here's a sample of what you might get and then share via social media:
On Your Phone after Texting a Code:
When You Link Your Facebook Account to the Website:
And When You Link Twitter:
Ask founders Ian Simpson and Gerard Artavia why their pilot run of Tēvolution has been selling off the shelves and they’ll tell you, “Having a cause embedded into the Tēvolution product helped us garner a coveted spot on retail shelves right away. We stay on the shelves because the product tastes great and sells well.”
Several pilot retailers have offered to make introductions to their distributors, the next step toward scaling Tēvolution to become a profitable business. Simpson and Artavia realize their success will ultimately lie in their ability to form relationships of trust, both with retailers and with end consumers.
It’s refreshing to see a brand put as much passion and energy behind genuinely working to promote their non-profit partners as they do behind creating a quality product. Would that more brands would take their non-profit relationships this seriously.
The team explains, “When we first started down the road with Purpose Beverages, our initial thought was, “What if there was a product that tasted as good as the good it does?” By the looks of things, Tēvolution’s “Twist. Sip. Give” is well on its way to achieving exactly that.
Want to learn more about Tēvolution and the non-profit organizations they support? Follow them on Facebook and Twitter, or visit their website.
What do you think of this business model? What are they doing right? What more will they need to do to succeed long-term? Chime in by adding your comment below.
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