The market has become oversaturated with company messages touting the newest, hottest, or cheapest. This has lessened the effectiveness of traditional marketing efforts and jaded the audiences they are aimed at. Relationship and cause marketing are two avenues in which companies can realize the value of their brand, build good will, and establish lasting impressions with their stakeholders. Brands like Avon, The Body Shop, Timberland, and Target have made their social commitments a fundamental component of their corporate mission, and reputation. This attitude is reflected in their marketing efforts and has resulted in a stronger brand reputation, and increased revenues. People want to align themselves with companies they admire and respect.

Conversely, companies that have tarnished their brands by not acting responsibly in regard to their stakeholders have discovered that ignoring social responsibility has irreparably damaged their brand image as well as their bottom line. Enron and WorldCom are two highly publicized examples of companies who put profitability ahead of responsibility. The glare of the media is aimed directly at corporations nowadays; any small glitch in a company’s reputation could dramatically impact their revenues both long– and short-term.