Achieving a win-win-win
Good things come in threes — like MD Anderson’s corporate alliances initiative.
The program teams MD Anderson with corporations that conduct customer transactions, with a portion of those transactions benefiting cancer care and research.
“MD Anderson increases its fundraising dollars and national awareness, while corporations move toward their business or marketing goals, and consumers contribute to a cause that’s important to them, most often through products they were going to purchase anyway. It’s a three-way win,” says DeDe DeStefano, executive director for Corporate Alliances. “Good corporate alliances benefit all involved.”
In the past year, MD Anderson initiated two new corporate alliances that achieved major win-win-wins.
The first alliance teamed the cancer center with delicatessen restaurant group Jason’s Deli to raise funds for the Breast Cancer Moon Shot. For every co-branded water bottle it sold, Jason’s Deli donated 10 cents, raising $250,000. The alliance grew to include sales of bandanas featuring the MD Anderson cancer strikethrough logo.
“Many in our Jason’s Deli family have been touched by cancer,” says Jamie Cohen, chief branding officer at Jason’s Deli. “We want to do more to help the communities we serve. We want to raise awareness about cancer and help MD Anderson so future generations won’t experience this disease.”
Last spring, Jason’s Deli created a healthy menu item with help from MD Anderson nutritionists. The Wild Salmon Salad was a hit, and Jason’s Deli is working with nutritionists on a second menu item, Quinoa and Mango Salad.
“The success of this campaign has been overwhelming,” Cohen says. “Water bottle sales are up and the salmon salad sales have exceeded expectations.”
MD Anderson also teamed with Stripes Convenience Stores to raise funds for MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital during Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month this past September.
In its Stripes Stores Celebrates Tomorrows campaign, Stripes employees and customers purchased $1 pinups to help kids with cancer. The initiative raised more than $1.4 million. The James B. and Lois R. Archer Charitable Foundation and Triumph Over Kid Cancer Foundation matched all donations, doubling the final contribution to more than $2.8 million.
“The funds raised will benefit MD Anderson Children’s Cancer Hospital, allowing the hospital to offer more hope and healing for many children,” says Eduardo Pereda, Stripes vice president of marketing.
