You see a Ralph Lauren polo shirt priced at US$110 with the slogan ‘Japan Hope’ and the promise ‘All proceeds go to…’. Do you think: A) Oh goody, I can treat myself and donate to a good cause at the same time – never mind that it’s a little more expensive; B) Wow, Ralph Lauren has a heart. I’m so impressed that I’ll shop there in the future; C) I’m glad to see fashion houses joining other brands in humanitarian aid, but I’d rather donate directly to a charity; or D) I can’t believe that a fashion house is marketing itself through other people’s loss – I bet only a tiny fraction of the proceeds goes to charity in reality. Your response probably depends on whether you usually donate to relief funds, your level of cynicism when it comes to brand motives, and where you tend to shop.

The cynically inclined see bandwagons overflowing with brands wanting to cash in on causes. In some instances, their doubts about brands’ intentions are well-founded. A case in point is the abundance of pink-ribboned products on sale in October, which happens to be Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Does money go to preventing breast cancer that wouldn’t have been donated otherwise by purchasing these pink-ribboned products? Perhaps, if the brand involved has promised to donate a significant portion of the retail price and does so. But what if only a token percentage is donated and with conscience salved, the consumer feels they’ve done their bit and takes no further action in supporting said cause?

This is the question raised by sociologist Gwen Sharp in relation to Ralph Lauren’s ‘Japan Hope’ polo shirts (www.thesocietypages.org): “Though we’re assured that ‘100% of all proceeds’ will be donated, nowhere could I find out what that actually adds up to,” says Sharp. “Perhaps the donation from each shirt is sizable, but it may just as well be tiny. There’s no way to know what your actual contribution to Japanese relief efforts is. If you wanted to donate US$50 and you buy this shirt, have you met your donation goal?” 

While she may have a point, it’s a very small point in a very big picture, as William Hall, President of Synovate Healthcare in Japan, makes clear: “All big brands, both Japanese and international, have contributed in the aftermath of Japan’s recent earthquake and tsunami disaster. Small businesses and brands have also stepped up to help out. Contributions have been monetary in some cases, with donations to NGOs such as the Red Cross. Others have provided products that are in short supply, ranging from food and heating equipment to personal hygiene products, earthmoving equipment and medicines. Others have volunteered specialised services, such as pharmacists from pharmaceutical companies, and still others have allowed their staff to take time off to offer non-specialised help. The aid, in whatever form, has been gratefully received by those in the disaster-hit and adjacent areas.”

When asked if social responsibility was the cause of this generosity in his opinion, Hall replies: “Given the breadth and scope of the assistance offered, this was clearly not mere marketing/branding. Social responsibility was an important element, which is not to say that some thought of marketing/branding was completely absent. A national “mood” has emerged in Japan that everyone has to pitch in and help in whatever way they can. Perhaps, one could conjecture that a brand or company did not want to be the “odd man out” and excluded from this national mood. However, there is no denying that this national mood is genuine.”

In commenting on consumer’s reaction to brand contributions, Hall added: “Since virtually all brands are making contributions in some form or other, it is unlikely that consumers would spend more on a particular brand simply because of its social responsibility efforts. Further, this social-responsibility-contribution-by-all situation is likely to make it difficult for a consumer to identify and remember the particular action taken by any one brand, unless the action taken by that brand was so differentiated that the action itself was a media event.”

So back to Ralph Lauren’s ‘Japan Hope’ polo shirts. Is this more of a unique advertising ploy to take advantage of a national mood? It’s very unlikely. For starters, their polo shirt is just one of numerous branded t-shirts supporting Japan. Secondly, in teaming up with United Way, a leadership and support organization in over 45 countries and territories worldwide, the brand facilitates direct contributions as well as proceeds from shirt sales.

Especially in times of natural disaster, cynicism needs to be left at the door because, as Oscar Wilde said, a cynic is one “who knows the price of everything, and the value of nothing.”

Contact William Hall, President of Synovate Healthcare in Japan at William.Hall@synovate.com for more information on social responsibility.