For those who think “I’ll contribute to good causes when we’re rich”

Ever caught yourself staring at a good cause and saying, “One day, I’ll contribute to that cause…when we have more money.”

I think we’ve all caught ourselves saying it at one time or another in our lives. The problem is, it’s completed backwards:

• If TOMs Shoes didn’t have its 1-for-1 campaign, would you have ever heard about them? Would you have cared if you had? That campaign put the cause on the map–the shoes came along for the ride. Their shoes are good, but lots of shoes are good. Their cause is why you bought.
• If Product(Red) products didn’t support Red, would you ever buy Red products? Or would you just not bother, or just buy the color you actually prefer? The products selected are usually great, but would we care if it was just… red products? Their cause is why you bought.

What if those brands decided to defer doing social good until “later”? (Tip: Weave your chosen cause into your existing message, and let people know what you stand for. tryABC.net will help you integrate your message.)