Until recently, ethics were not highly featured when thinking about marketing. However, lately there seems to have been quite a shift towards marketing approaches with a positive initiative behind them, with companies not just meeting ethical standards but actually implementing marketing tactics that aim to improve communities as well as promote their business.
Buy-one-give-one (BOGO) is when for every product purchased by a consumer, one is donated to a person in need.TOMS shoes, the footwear brand launched in 2006 is one of the most popular examples of this approach, with their ‘One-for-One Movement’. Another example is Smile Squared, a business donating a toothbrush (seen as a basic necessity) to a child in need for every $6 tootbrush purchased. This approach is becoming increasingly popular possibly due to the fact that it enables consumers to do a ‘good deed’ in a clear direct way, thereby making the consumers feel good themselves. In these cases, even if the product is slightly more expensive, consumers may still be willing to purchase it in the name of philanthropy.
However, nothing is ever perfect and even these attempts have some faults. In areas where TOMS shoes are distributed, local footwear businesses are facing difficulties. Also, donations have always been seen to create an aid-based dependency in the countries that receive them. The distribution of shoes is seen as a short-term fix in communities where long-term sustainable solutions are more necessary.
Having said that, I think it is definitely a step in the right direction. These companies could be investing their resources on other marketing tactics which could increase their short-term profits. It seems as though companies are increasingly relying on the possible long-term benefits expected from using ethics and social responsibility in marketing.
http://www.nusereview.com/2013/04/09/bogo-a-marketing-campaign-or-social-impact-tool/