Good Works! MP3 CD – Audiobook, July 26, 2016

This book is one of the most practical and seriously useful books I have read in recent times. There is an enormous amount of effort that goes into the production of a book of this kind. Just creating the 'case study' material set requires negotiating with a LOT of people and you have to admire the commitment of authors who set out to show the world that Good Works are out there and can be used to create strategies of your own. Every organisation which hopes to do good regardless of whether they are socially oriented or not should use something like this book to inform their strategies. I intend to use it for my MBA corporate social responsibility class and my research methods class - a bit of a mixed bag but when you read the book you will know why it can be put to different purposes!

I was required to read this book for graduate school and I am so happy I did. I work in the non-profit world and this is an excellent and business oriented book. It shows great strategy, excellent case studies, and a very clear set of parameters to decide what are meaningful and beneficial Cause Marketing partnerships and opportunities. I recommended this to my team as an essential read for our organization.

Interesting

A great educational book But a bit hard to follow When doing course assignments it was hard to find the correct information many chapters overlapped in terms of subject matter it was hard to differentiate for a Graduate level class

Great book for cause marketing class.

This is an exciting new book for marketers as we finally have a place where David Hessekiel, founder of Cause Marketing Forum, has shared his experiences, insights and advice on cause marketing and corporate partnerships. This book takes you from start to finish on why doing well by doing good is no longer optional, through developing a program and measuring the results.Some of the chapters I really enjoyed included:Chapter 4: Cause-Related Marketing: Making Contributions to Causes Based on Product Sales and Consumer ActionsThis chapter has a clear explanation of the transactional programs I write about on my blog and nine great examples of model programs. The authors also include a useful section at the end on When Should Cause-Related Marketing be Considered.Chapters 9 - 14: Offense and DefenseThese five chapters take you from choosing a social problem to tackle to developing a program to evaluating your success and dealing with critics and cynics. The latter is particularly helpful as consumers are more closely scrutinizing cause marketing programs. These chapters are a great addition to the conversation around cause as companies are looking for more step by step advice to get started and to stay on course with good works.Chapter 15: A Marketing Approach to Winning Corporate Funding and Support for Social Initiatives: Ten RecommendationsI love this chapter, which is prefaced with the heading For Nonprofits and Public Sector Agencies Only. It also has a wonderful quote from one of my idols, Share Our Strength's Billy Shore, that every cause marketer should memorize. The authors' ten recommendations are really commandments that nonprofits shouldn't break (I've added the Old Testament language).Thou shall develop a list of social issues that your organization or agency is currently charged with supportingHallelujah! The process starts within, not without!Thou shall listen to their business needs.Thank you, Philip, David and Nancy. No, nonprofits, it's not all about you. Zip it.Thou shall handle as much of the administrative legwork as possible.Yes! Don't give partners an excuse to say no.David and his co-authors have written a book that is interesting, comprehensive and most of all, useful. This book is wonderful read on its own. But do yourself a favor and read it with my other favorite cause marketing book, Breakthrough Nonprofit Branding by Jocelyne Daw, Carol Cone, Kristian Darigan Merenda and Ann Erhard.Together, the two books combine principles with purpose to give companies and causes the tools they need to build a better world.

It's rare to find a book that is equal parts inspiring and practical. Good Works! by Phillip Kotler, David Hessekiel, and Nancy Lee is that rare read that shows you just how much is possible as an individual and a corporation, and what real value that can add to your business and our world.It's no surprise that We First believes that brand purpose is now a core business imperative, but Good Works! makes the business case for these initiates based on dozens of case studies that include GE, J&J, AT&T, Macy's, P&G, Fedex, Coca-Cola and beyond. In doing so they clearly illustrate how business can do good in alignment with its company's core values, so that such efforts reinforce the brand narrative while also doing good.Not surprising, any brand contemplating such a move wants to know the benefit to them, and that where the book is so useful. The authors clearly demonstrate how good works inspire customer engagement that builds reputation, spire loyalty and drives sales, whether those good works involve employee volunteering or consumer donations. It also does this with a healthy blend of optimism and advice for the cynics, explaining why certain initiates fail and others succeed as a function of your motives.What I like most is how the authors tease out the various ways that business can do good, from maing a contribution, to donating employee time, to getting their own house in order to temper the negative externalities of their own business practices.Good Works! is a must read for corporate officers (whether innovation, HR or leadership officers) seeking to ensure brand relevance, reputation and sales. This is real world intelligence that can empower a brand to embrace its best self and in so doing, inspire its employees and customers to grow its business by building a better world.

Hessekiel has essential and invaluable experience and insights to share on Cause Marketing -- a category visionary.His years leading the Cause Marketing Forum have enabled him to rub shoulders with the most progressive and influential brands and philanthropies on the planet.