Consumers want corporations to support local communities beyond Sept. 11 memorials, with long-term commitments to education and medical research, according to Cone Communications’ 2002 Cone Corporate Citizenship Study.
The top five causes cited by consumers are education, medical research, poverty, the environment, and hunger. (Last October it was the national tragedy, medical research, education, support for the military, and homelessness.)
“It is clear that Americans expect the outpouring of corporate giving they witnessed in the immediate aftermath of the tragedy to continue,” says Carol Cone, ceo of the Boston-based cause-marketing consultancy. But now “Americans want companies to refocus their support on other important issues facing their communities. They are giving companies permission to move on.”
Still, 83 percent of respondents think marketers should commemorate Sept. 11 by committing to an ongoing program (cited by 70%), donating to a social issue unrelated to Sept. 11 (56%), and celebrating the American spirit via ads or promotions (53%). Cone hired Opinion Research Corp. International to conduct phone interviews with 1,040 adults in late July.
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