Donating a percentage of sales toward funding high school athletics is an example of which practice?

• A. Philanthropy
• B. Direct marketing
• C. Cause-related marketing
• D. Publicity stunt

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is how a brand connects its sales to a social cause to create value for both customers and the cause. Donating a percentage of sales toward funding high school athletics is classic cause-related marketing: the purchase itself helps fund the cause, so consumers feel they’re contributing by buying. This differs from philanthropy, where donations aren’t tied to specific sales or a product, and from direct marketing, which focuses on generating a direct customer response without linking the donation to sales. It also isn’t a publicity stunt, which is mainly about attracting attention rather than building an ongoing, sale-linked social partnership. So the best fit is cause-related marketing.