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168 Volume 26 • Number 3 • 2017 • Sport Marketing Quarterly

Sport Marketing Quarterly, 2017, 26, 168-175, © 2017 West Virginia University

Corporate Reputation and Cause-Related Marketing in Professional Sports: The Case of Devon Still and the Cincinnati Bengals Bridget Satinover Nichols and Jennifer Gardner

Bridget Satinover Nichols, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Marketing, Sport Business & Construction Management at Northern Kentucky University . Her research interests include consumer retail behavior, advertising, cause-re- lated marketing in sports, and health marketing . Jennifer Gardner, MA, is a senior lecturer and director of the sports business program in the Department of Marketing, Sport Business & Construction Management at Northern Kentucky University . She entered academia after 18 years of experience in sports agency, collegiate, and professional athletics . Her research interests include sport fan behavior and team affinity .

Abstract

This case study demonstrates the managerial conflicts and decision-making scenarios associated with corporate giving and cause-related marketing . Using the Cincinnati Bengals and their affiliation with pro- fessional football player Devon Still, we describe a series of events that led to a spontaneous nation-wide fundraising campaign to benefit pediatric cancer . The cause-related marketing (CRM) campaign raised conflicting benefits and consequences for the organization in the context of sport administration and cor- porate reputation . This case highlights some of the strategic and tactical dilemmas associated with CRM and corporate giving in sports marketing, public relations, and resource management . It also exemplifies the contextual facets of corporate reputation within one professional sport market .

Introduction It was August 2014, and the Cincinnati Bengals were finalizing their team roster for the upcoming National Football League (NFL) season . Twenty-five-year-old Devon Still, an All-American defensive tackle from Penn State University, was about to be cut from the team when his 4-year old daughter, Leah, was diag- nosed with a rare form of brain cancer . Wanting to help, the Bengals found a creative way to provide Dev- on with the medical benefits he needed for his daugh- ter’s treatments, and also to support their plight to fight the disease . The Bengals launched a cause-related marketing campaign to sell Devon Still Bengals jerseys exclusively through their team-operated pro shop . It was uncharted territory for the small organization and a lot was riding on its success, including their volatile corporate reputation . Despite their good intentions, the jersey campaign was laden with risk, particularly as it pertained to their brand image .

The reputation problems primarily reflect the team’s owner, Mike Brown, who is repeatedly named as one of the “worst” or “most despised” sport franchise owners of all time (Lund, 2014; Nachman, 2011; Real Clear Sports, 2014) . The criticisms revolve around his style of management (namely his refusal to hire a general manager), continued support for head coaches like Dave Shula, whose record of 19-52 disgruntled Bengals fans (Gallo, 2013), and for signing and supporting players with multiple encounters with law enforcement (e .g ., receiver Chris Henry was arrested five times in his tenure with the Bengals, and 10 others were arrested in a 14-month time span) . As of 2016, the Bengals are the only NFL team without a player hall of fame, ring of honor, or any formal tribute to former players (Skinner, 2016), adding to fans’ contempt with Brown . While tarnishing, even these instances are overshadowed by what is called “the worst stadium deal” in sports history, referring to the Bengals’ agreement with city

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officials to finance Paul Brown Stadium, where the Bengals play (Albergotti & McWhirter, 2016) .

The problems with player conduct, in particular, was a major driving force behind Brown’s decision to participate in the 2009 and 2013 seasons of “Hard Knocks,” the HBO television series that documented the team during training camp . According to Brown, he agreed to do the show in the hopes it would change the image of the franchise and the way the Bengals do business, and to give viewers a more intimate look at the players who received so much negative attention (Associated Press, 2013) . But even Brown knew that altering the public’s perception would be a process, stating that “it takes time to get a unit of guys that are solid people, and it takes longer than that to make the public see you in that light” (Associated Press, 2013, para . 10) .

Troy Blackburn, the executive vice president, and Monty Montague, the team’s pro shop merchandise manager, took charge of the jersey fundraiser . Though their primary goal was to help Devon and Leah and make pediatric cancer research a top-of-mind issue, they also knew that cause-related marketing programs are capable of enhancing brand image (Lachowetz & Gladden, 2003) and generating revenue for the firm . One problem with this dichotomy of benefits is the potential for consumers to perceive revenue generation as the primary goal for the organization, rendering the cause effort as insincere (Becker-Olsen, Cudmore, & Hill, 2006), and potentially harming the company’s reputation . Another issue is that many firms lack adequate experience in strategizing and executing cause-related marketing efforts, making them a risky venture if something goes wrong . For the Bengals, these issues were complex . They had no experience managing and executing cause-related marketing campaigns, and they had limited manpower in terms of staff employees who had time to dedicate to the endeav- or, but wanting to support Devon and Leah, they were convinced it was the right thing to do .

This case study demonstrates the use of cause-re- lated marketing as a contributing factor of corporate reputation for professional sport organizations . It also highlights the need for a strategic plan to deal with cause-related marketing, as well as “human factors” sport managers are likely to encounter, but might not have experience dealing with . During the course of the Devon Still jersey campaign, the Bengals faced several decision points that were critical to the success of the cause effort and improving their corporate reputation in the Cincinnati region . The case illustrates some of the challenges sport organizations might face when embarking on a cause effort that is not aligned with core organizational competencies or capabilities . It also

highlights the potential benefits and consequences of cause-related marketing campaigns for regional sport teams that are often subjected (by fans and the media) to a comparison of in-market competitors .

The case study begins with a background of the Ben- gals, Devon and Leah Still, and the formulation of the jersey fundraiser campaign . Next, the corporate repu- tation of the Bengals and their ownership is discussed and contrasted to that of the Cincinnati Reds . The pur- pose of this comparison is to contextualize the severity of the Bengals’ image problems among Cincinnatians . Then, a literature summary of cause-related marketing and corporate reputation are provided, followed by a detailed account of the events that took place when the Bengals undertook the Devon Still jersey cause-related marketing campaign .

Background: Devon Still and the Cincinnati Bengals Born in Camden, New Jersey, Devon Still was an All-American defensive tackle and team captain on Penn State University’s football team . Though drafted by the Bengals in the second round of the 2012 NFL draft (a high level pick), Devon was quickly plagued with injuries, including a back surgery . As the 2014 season approached, Devon’s potential to contribute to the team was questionable, and in the summer of 2014 the coaching staff decided he would not be kept on the 53-man team roster .

At the same time, sitting in his office at Paul Brown Stadium overlooking the Ohio River, Bengals vice pres- ident Troy Blackburn learned of a recent development in Devon’s family . His 4-year-old daughter, Leah, was diagnosed with stage four neuroblastoma, a rare form of pediatric cancer that occurs most often in children under the age of 10 . Troy and the executive team knew that if Devon were completely released from the team he would lose the medical benefits his daughter needed . He also knew that the coaching staff had just decided that Devon was not going to be part of the team’s final roster, which would earn him an annual salary of about $570,000 and full medical benefits .

With a heavy heart, Troy discussed the situation with the ownership executive team, and Monty Mon- tague, the team’s long-time merchandise manager . After learning more about Leah’s grim prognosis and projected cost of care (estimated to exceed $1 million; O’Keefe, 2014), they came up with a unique solution: Devon could remain with the team as a member of the 10-man practice squad . In 2014, NFL practice squad players, who could remain on the squad for no more than two seasons, earned a minimum of $6,000 per week . In addition to base salary, NFL policy stipulated that practice squad players receive full medical benefits

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for three years (including their dependents), even if they only played one season . While earning a generous salary and receiving medical benefits, the Bengals also allowed Devon to spend considerable time away from the team during training camp (a time when atten- dance is typically very strict) in order to be by Leah’s side at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (Pennsylva- nia), where she was receiving medical care .

Once Devon was signed to the practice squad, news of the arrangement went viral on social media, made headline stories on national television news, and drew interest from national newspapers and Internet sites like USA Today and The Huffington Post. The story about how the Bengals re-signed Devon so that he could provide medical care coverage for Leah’s cancer treatment was gaining traction . As word spread and fans continued asking the Bengals how they could help, Troy, the executive team, and Monty discussed how they could provide a pathway for fans to show support for Devon and Leah . A logical idea surfaced: sell Devon Still Bengals jerseys to raise money for pediatric cancer . The idea was a good one, but the Bengals had an un- stable public reputation that could affect the success of the fundraiser . They also had one of the smallest front office staffs in the NFL, begging the question of how they could make the jersey drive work when most of the employees already had a full workload . This meant they had to be sure they could make the jersey drive successful not only for Devon and Leah’s benefit, but to protect themselves from public scrutiny .

The Professional Sports Landscape in Cincinnati

Cincinnati Bengals and their Corporate Reputation Located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Mike Brown and his family, including son-in-law Troy Blackburn, own and operate the Cincinnati Bengals franchise . Unlike many NFL owners who have numerous business ventures, the Bengals’ organization serves as the sole business for the Brown family .

Though they have a deep history in Cincinnati, Mike Brown and the Bengals franchise have long been chastised for their lack of charitable giving, community outreach, and civic responsibility (Williams, 2014) . Despite this dominant public opinion, the club partic- ipates in several NFL-friendly philanthropic activities including the United Way, Boys and Girls Clubs, and Toys for Tots . It also partners with local charitable agencies like the Freestore Food Bank that provides food to homeless and low-income Cincinnati citizens . The Bengals have hosted an annual canned food drive to benefit the food bank since 1986 . The club and the Brown family frequently support the foundations

of current and former players, and host events that benefit the foundations’ missions . For example, fans can donate directly to the Marvin Lewis Foundation’s “Learning is Cool” initiative for youth education from the Bengals’ website, and the Brown family often provides personal financial support to these initiatives (Williams, 2014) . In fact, people close to the team and the family consistently described the Browns as ex- tremely benevolent (Williams, 2014) .

With respect to corporate philanthropy, the Bengals have never created their own charitable entity . Instead, they opt to weave their philanthropic consciousness into the fabric of the community by quietly casting a broad net, choosing to support many charities that already do great work in and around the city of Cincin- nati . According to Mike Brown, “That’s just the way it grew over the years . We believe it’s a good way . We have chosen not to create another level of infrastructure, running funds through a team-controlled third party, but rather to steer those funds directly to agencies we trust to do a great job” (Bengals in the Community, n .d ., para . 6) .

In spite of these efforts, the Bengals are the subject of negative publicity for issues like high rates of player misconduct (31 arrests between 2005 and 2014, ac- cording to USA Today), and a public feud over stadium funding that left stadium costs accounting for as much as 16 .4% of the budget in Hamilton County, Ohio (where the stadium is located), a place where one in seven people live below the poverty line (Albergotti & McWhirter, 2011) . The stadium issue left a bad taste in the mouths of Cincinnatians as the Browns staged a threat to move the team to another city if they weren’t allowed to build a new one . (In 2014 the County also had to pay three-quarters of the cost, around $7 .5 million, for a new scoreboard under the original agreement’s “state-of-the art” clause .) Furthermore, ownership is criticized as one of the worst in the league in terms of team performance and financial growth (Cogliano, 2014; Solomon, 2011), ranking 29th of 32 teams in 2015 for team value (“The Business,” 2015) .

To complicate the matter, Mike Brown rarely speaks with the media, granting only a handful of interviews each season that last only a few minutes . Although the Brown family and team players are engaged in many ef- forts to serve the community, the lack of a philanthrop- ic arm to centralize and promote them leaves many of these activities unnoticed and unreported by the local media . Over the years this has left many good deeds in the dark shadow of ownership critics and facilitated an overall fragile public image .

Mike Brown’s ideology of personal and professional privacy is another reason these charitable acts go largely unrecognized . While some professional team

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owners like Jerry Jones (Dallas Cowboys), Mark Cuban (Dallas Mavericks), and the late George Steinbrenner (New York Yankees) shined in the limelight of profes- sional sports and sports media, Brown is reclusive and publicity-averse, contributing even more to the Bengals’ public image and corporate reputational challenges . To make matters worse, the Bengals face a substantial in-market competitor for professional sports allegiance and their corporate reputation stands in stark contrast to that of the Cincinnati Reds . A brief review of the Reds and their ownership highlights several of these points of difference in the eyes of Cincinnatians .

Cincinnati Reds and the Reds Community Fund Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Cincinnati Reds (whose Great American Ball Park was also part of the Hamilton County tax agreement) are highly regarded by peers in all professional sports for the community service arm of the organization, the Reds Community Fund (RCF; Williams, 2014) . Programs and initiatives of the RCF include the Reds Rookie Success League (a free youth character building program), neighborhood field renovations (more than 325 fields to date), and youth baseball funding . The RCF is proudly regarded by citizens of Cincinnati, partly because of the high visibility of their endeavors and annual investment of over $1 million in local baseball and softball programs (“Reds in the Community,” 2016) . In contrast to the Bengals, the RCF enables fans and the community to see tangible actions and results of philanthropic initia- tives that relate to the Cincinnati Reds and is a model of sport community relations that directly affects the residents of the Cincinnati metropolitan region . While primarily philanthropic, the RCF coordinates several cause-related marketing efforts throughout the year, including the annual Reds Fest event that provides direct financial support to the RCF .

Beyond the RCF, Reds owner Bob Castellini is a wealthy and well-respected businessman in the Cincin- nati community who frequently speaks to the media and engages in local events . Since purchasing the team in 2005, the team’s valuation has increased from $270 million to $680 million (Schwartz, Raskin, Soshnick, & Roux, 2013) . In contrast to Mike Brown, Castellini is praised for the productive and wise management of his team (Wetterich, 2013) . According to former MLB commissioner Bud Selig, the reason he awarded the 2015 All-Star Game to Cincinnati was because Castelli- ni and the Reds “authentically exude social responsibil- ities” (Wetterich, 2013) .

Cause-Related Marketing and Corporate Reputation in Sports Cause-related marketing is a marketing tool linking a company to a relevant social cause or issue for mutual benefit (Pringle & Thompson, 1999) . More specifi- cally, it is a formal relationship between a company and a cause in which the corporate contribution is conditional on consumers engaging in some form of revenue-producing transaction (Varadarajan & Menon, 1988) . Its purpose is to communicate to consumers through marketing campaigns typically focused on raising awareness of an important issue and generat- ing funds for the cause, while also having beneficial outcomes for the company (Trimble & Rifon, 2006) .

Cause-related marketing initiatives in the sport domain are often viewed through the corporate lens; however, sport leagues and properties are also heavily involved in these activities . Some of these are directly tied to nonprofit partners or sponsors, including MLB’s affiliation with Autism Awareness, FC Barcelona’s commitment to UNICEF, and the National Basketball Association’s (NBA) partnership with the Boys and Girls Clubs of America . Cause-related sports market- ing (CRSM) is focused on the creation of a mutually beneficial link between a company, sport organization, or athlete and a social cause through the use of sports events or programs (Lachowetz & Gladden, 2003) . A key tenet of Lachowetz and Gladden’s (2003) concep- tualization of CRSM is the importance of emotional connection and involvement consumers have towards their preferred sport brands and athletes, making cause-related connections a persuasive reason for consumers to develop more positive feelings towards the sport brand .

Besides organizational philanthropy, sports fans are demanding socially responsible behavior from their favorite teams . A poll by Roy and Graeff (2003) found that 92% of consumers believe that franchises in the NFL should be socially responsible . Empirical studies overwhelmingly suggest that cause-related marketing improves consumer attitudes toward the sport organi- zation and improves purchase intentions or support for the cause (Irwin, Lachowetz, Cornwell, & Clark, 2003; Kim, Kwak, & Kim, 2010) .

A framework for successful CRSM requires four conditions that must be met: resonance, organizational commitment, tangible exchange, and promotion of the CRSM program (Lachowetz & Gladden, 2003) . Resonance means that the cause should fit well with the organization and be consistent with its values . Organizational commitment refers to full support and advocacy of the cause throughout all levels of the company so that consumers do not become skeptical

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about the company motives . Tangible exchange refers to a visible and concrete demonstration of how the organization is benefiting the cause . For example, the company should specifically identify the ways in which it is transferring money, services, or goods to the cause . Finally, promotion of the CRSM program will help ensure that consumers are aware of the effort and be persuaded to support it .

One major problem with many cause efforts is that they often suffer from a lack of strategic planning on the part of the firm (Porter & Kramer, 2006), which could lead to detrimental outcomes, including those that reflect upon corporate reputation . Corporate rep- utation is the extent to which an organization is held in high esteem (Weiss, Anderson, & MacInnis, 1999), and an attribute that reflects how much stakeholders view the company as “good” (as opposed to “bad”; Roberts & Dowling, 2002) . A company’s reputation is one of its most valuable intangible assets (Hall, 1992), and cultivating positive relationships with consumers is crucial for companies who are attempting to bolster their reputations (Rindova & Fombrun, 1998) . Besides impacting society, cause-related activities can have positive influence on an organization’s reputation, par- ticularly when the effort is perceived as sincere (Hess, Rogovsky, & Dunfee, 2002; Yoon, Gürhan-Canli, & Schwarz, 2006) . Cause-related marketing also improves consumer perceptions of the company, particularly af- ter the company was viewed negatively (Creyer & Ross, 1996) . For sports teams, socially responsible behavior is increasingly important for reputation management due to the strong link between the organization, the consumer, and the community (Walker & Kent, 2009) .

Though some research indicates that socially respon- sible activities enhance sports fans’ view of their favor- ite sport organization (Walker & Kent, 2009), effects of cause-related marketing on the sport organization’s reputation tend to vary as some cause efforts generate controversy rather than commendation . Controversy is typically related to the perceived motivation of the sport property, which affects the degree to which fans view the effort as sincere (Speed & Thompson, 2000) .

Public attitudes toward companies who engage in charitable acts are usually dependent on previous attitudes toward the company, and the degree to which they believe the activity is driven by altruistic motives (Bae & Cameron, 2006) . For example, in the years since the NFL’s partnership with the Wounded Warrior Foundation, the month of November has been dedi- cated as “Salute to Service” month, during which time teams host veterans and showcase service members in on-field patriotic demonstrations performed by active duty military members . The NFL also sells officially licensed military-themed gear on the league website

and donates a portion of the revenue to the Wounded Warrior Foundation . To the dismay of some who believed that these acts were solely motivated by league and team patriotism and their desire to honor the U .S . military, reports surfaced in 2015 that many teams ac- cepted payments from the U .S . Department of Defense to coordinate such endeavors (Isadore, 2015) . For ex- ample, 13 NFL teams accepted $5 .4 million in taxpayer money between 2011 and 2014 from federal contracts that paid for some of the military appreciation activi- ties (Clayton, Rosenberg, & Hutchinson, 2015) . Though a legal and a legitimate means of attracting citizens for military recruitment, fans and mass media criticized the league and the teams, accusing them of taking pay for patriotism (Isadore, 2015) .

The preceding scenario highlights the manner in which public perceptions of cause-related marketing can affect corporate reputation . When considered sincere, there is little doubt that CRSM can promote positive corporate reputation and influence sport con- sumers . The NFL scenario also highlights the need to formulate an internal strategy and contingency plan for dealing with a broad scope of CRSM issues . Although there are many benefits, some cause-related activities pose considerable conflicts within an organization . Such dilemmas are especially likely if the cause efforts are disruptive to the primary organizational processes .

Disrupting the Organization—The Devon Still Jersey Campaign Unlike many NFL teams, the Bengals manage their own pro shop merchandising . Monty, who had been managing the team’s pro shop since 2000, made a call to Nike, the team’s uniform sponsor, to discuss the possibility of making Devon Still jerseys . At the same time, Troy called upon his longtime friend, Michael Fisher, President and CEO of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital (CCH), to discuss a partnership . Although Leah was being treated in Philadelphia, the Bengals agreed that any fundraising revenue should benefit the greater Cincinnati community through its Children’s Hospital . “This wasn’t a cold call that Troy made to us,” Fisher said . “This arrangement came about because of the long-term relationship we had with the Bengals’ organization . The willingness for the Bengals to do this for their home institution shows a truly virtuous act” (M . Fisher, personal communication, August 18, 2015) .

Since Devon was not a high-profile player, or even on the team’s active roster, Nike did not make a Devon Still jersey at the time . Forecasting sales of about 100 jerseys, Nike and Monty came to an agreement to pro- duce 100 jerseys at a cost of $47 .50 each and sell them for $100 (of which the NFL takes a royalty of 2 .5%) . According to Troy Blackburn, “we were excited to do

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this because it was an identifiable way for fans to show support and addressed their interest in supporting Devon and Leah” (T . Blackburn, personal communica- tion, August 8, 2015) . With CCH on board, the Bengals promoted and sold the jerseys exclusively on their pro shop website, where they agreed to donate the full net proceeds to the hospital’s cancer research fund (about $50 each) . In addition, they created a pledgit.com web- site so that people could donate any amount of money to the cause without purchasing a jersey .

Amidst the media frenzy that was occurring, Devon, a formerly obscure and relatively unknown player, was fast becoming a public figure . He made appearances on morning and daytime television shows like The Ellen Show, the Today Show, and Good Morning America. In interviews, Devon praised the Bengals for their selfless display of humanity and understanding of his personal situation . His appearance on The Ellen Show alone was viewed more than 500,000 times on the show’s You- Tube channel . He repeatedly thanked the Bengals for their generosity and dedication to bringing awareness to neuroblastoma through the sales of his jerseys . In an ABC News interview Devon commented, “They could have washed their hands with me and said they didn’t care about what I was going through off the field . It’s like a blessing in disguise .”

To Monty and the rest of the Bengals’ surprise, the jerseys quickly sold out—selling more in the first 24 hours than any other Bengals jersey had ever sold in a single day . After the second day of offering the jerseys, Monty had taken nearly 1,000 orders . Of those first sold, Sean Payton, head coach of the New Orleans Saints, had purchased 100, which he then donated to CCH . Payton was quoted as saying, “I thought it was a class move by Mike Brown, (Coach) Marvin Lewis, and the entire Bengals organization to keep him on their roster and allow him to get the proper benefits so he could give the best care to his child” (DeShazier, 2014, para . 7) .

Though excited to see the orders pouring in, Monty and Troy began to worry . With jersey sales skyrock- eting, they and the rest of business operations were feeling the pressure and beginning to realize the com- plexity of their situation . During the first days of the online sales, the Bengals pro shop website experienced record-breaking activity, slowing the customer order- ing experience . Further, because Nike only carried a pre-determined supply of Bengals colors (ordered in the previous season), they were unable to produce the jerseys quickly, with delivery timeframes taking up to four weeks . One shipment was held up several addi- tional weeks at a customs check in California, delaying customer delivery even longer . Monty was responding to customer inquiries constantly, falling behind with the rest of the merchandise operations . One of his

major tasks every fall was to begin working on the following season’s sales forecast and placing orders with suppliers . Monty now had to separate the Devon Still jersey sales from the “regular” sales trend in order to place an accurate order for the following season .

Not only did the Bengals lack a large pre-arranged order with Nike, Monty and his merchandise team were becoming overworked . Each Devon Still jersey was shipped directly from Nike to the merchandise office, where orders were filled and reshipped to cus- tomers . To handle the excess work, Monty was forced to hire part-time staff to work after hours packaging and shipping the jerseys . The additional staff, between 6–12 additional workers per day, was a direct cost to the Bengals’ payroll . According to Monty, “For 15 years I have had a sense of normal, so I knew this situation needed attention, especially with personnel” (M . Mon- tague, personal communication, December 10, 2015) . Other costs associated with the fundraiser were adding up too . New printers and new computer software were needed to help manage the orders and shipments .

During the jersey fundraiser, another problem surfaced . As a loyalty reward, Bengals season ticket holders receive a 10% discount from the pro shop on any merchandise purchase . Monty and Troy had to consider whether or not to honor the discount on the Devon Still jerseys, as the Bengals had already prom- ised that proceeds (any revenue above the jersey costs) would be donated to CCH . The Bengals had to pay Nike the full $47 .50 regardless of their sales price . Honoring the discount would result in about a $10 reduction in donation for each jersey sale .

Furthermore, although they first determined to donate the net proceeds of each sale, Monty and Troy quickly realized that some consumers believed that their full $100 purchase price was going to the CCH fund . Troy and the executive team discussed the possibility of donating the entire sale price of each jersey to CCH, which would cost the Bengals around $50 for each jersey sold ($47 .50 in production cost, and $2 .50 from the NFL’s royalty) . By early October, the Bengals had sold around 10,000 Devon Still jerseys . Their pledgit.com account was nearing $20,000 in cash donations . Donations from other NFL franchises approached $75,000 . Troy and Monty could see their efforts were having a positive impact, but the jerseys were causing major organizational disruption, especial- ly in Monty’s department .

As sales of the jerseys continued to flow and national attention to the cause remained high, the Bengals were finally being cast in a positive light . The jerseys and the scenario surrounding Devon Still were elevating the Bengals in the public eye, especially with Devon’s frequent updates about his daughter on his social

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media profiles and his national media appearances . This situation was occurring amid a major investiga- tion regarding the league’s handling of two high-profile player incidents involving domestic abuse (Ray Rice) and child abuse (Adrian Peterson) . While the NFL’s public opinion was suffering (Armstrong, Lorenzo, & Rosenberg, 2014), the Bengals were being projected as corporate heroes . Despite the positive press, Troy and Monty had some important decisions to make . Know- ing that consumers can be critical of organizations that mismanage cause efforts (even unintentionally) or appear misleading in their support to the cause, the Bengals had to tread carefully . The Bengals are a small market team with an equally small staff that already had a full workload . Organizationally, their primary focus was on football and football operations (includ- ing making a profit), not on fundraising or charitable donations .

It was now early October and Troy called a meeting with Monty and the executive team, focused on the following issues: what portion of the sales price of the jerseys should be donated to CCH? What should they do about the season ticket holders’ 10% discount that is honored on regular merchandise and what will the impact be on their bottom line? Should they end the fundraiser? How could they best highlight fan generos- ity toward Leah and Devon’s plight? What should their stance be in terms of taking credit for the donation drive? Troy and Monty realized how important some of these decisions would become in the public eye and knew they had to act quickly .

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Authors’ Note The authors wish to thank Joe Cobbs for his reviews and comments on early versions of this manuscript .

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