We have all these tools – computers, web sites, pinups, social networks, QR Codes, mobile technology – but we’re not sure  how they work or what they’re for. Often times we expect them to do things they can’t do. A hammer doesn’t make a home. Its job is to pound in nail. It’s a tool.

We need to set aside our tools and focus on what will truly build our success. Only then can we choose the right tool for the work ahead.

• Take a good look at your brand. It’s the #1 predictor of cause marketing success.  I’ve learned the hard way that cause marketing doesn’t build brand, but it does reflect it.
• Analyze your assets. What is it about your cause or company what makes it truly special, unique. What do you have that others would die or really fight for.
• Focus on things that work – the tangible, the measurable.
• Work on developing your story.
• Before you try to construct or innovate anything, focus on the building blocks, your foundation.
• Stick with the basics. They work!
• Start with ideas. They’ll drive your success better than any tool.
• Focus on a lasting value. Something that shines through and pervades everything you do.

With your help, I’m sure there many other things we could add to this list.

A house divided against itself cannot stand. Cause marketing and technology are tools that need to be backed by ideas, purpose, identity, results and values. When we say a house has “character” we recognize the craft and art of the maker, not the tool that made it.

It’s time to choose. Do you want to be a builder or a hammer?

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