CauseOn Brings Consumers Bargains While Giving Back to Community

PORTLAND, Ore., Aug. 18 /PRNewswire/ -- CauseOn™ (http://causeon.com) today announced a new approach to online discount couponing with the launch of its first site in Portland, Ore. CauseOn will not only focus on giving consumers amazing deals, with discounts ranging from 50 percent to 90 percent, but will give up to 20 percent of its revenues to a cause of the customer's choice. CauseOn also announced its first five cause partners, led by Susan G. Komen for the Cure, the global leader of the breast cancer movement.

CauseOn is innovating on the concept popularized by Groupon and others in which customers who sign up for the service receive "daily deals" specific to their city or area. They can either have the daily offers e-mailed directly to them or go to the CauseOn site to access the daily deals. CauseOn brings customers the best possible prices on deals including restaurants, spas, salons, tickets, tours, hotels and entertainment, localized to their metro region.

While others have developed online coupon sites, no other site incorporates the deep partnership with causes that sets CauseOn apart. Each CauseOn metro site partners with leading local causes and allows customers who purchase CauseOn coupons (CauseOns) to designate which cause will receive the contribution from their purchases.

According to a 2008 study on cause marketing and consumer behavior, 85 percent of Americans say they have a more positive image of a product or company when it supports a cause they care about and 79 percent say they would be likely to switch from one brand to another, when price and quality are about equal, if the other brand is associated with a good cause.

CauseOn Partners: Komen for the Cure, Dougy Center, Girls Inc., YWCA

"CauseOn is a unique concept that we are enthusiastic about supporting," said Chris McDonald, executive director of the Komen Oregon and SW Washington Affiliate. "It gives consumers and our members a great deal, helps merchants market their products and services and gives back to the community through contributions to Komen and other non-profits."

Each cause is carefully vetted before being named a CauseOn partner. Other cause partners in addition to Komen debuting on CauseOn Portland include the Dougy Center, Girls Inc., Oregon League of Conservation Voters Education Fund, TechStart Education Foundation, Oregon Robotics Tournament and Outreach Program, and the YWCA of Greater Portland. Many others are expected to follow when the first deals are launched, giving customers a robust choice of causes.

Portland CauseOn is live now for consumers to sign up. The first deals will be offered on Sept. 1. Consumers can join on the site at no cost and then have daily deals pushed to them via e-mail. CauseOn's initial daily deals will include products and services such as yoga classes, rock climbing gyms, bakery goods, tanning services, restaurants and cosmetic surgery treatments. Initial Portland deals will be offered by these providers:

• Key Laser Institute, Portland's premier full-service laser skin care provider
• Seven Planet, the world's first chain of green general stores
• Eco Dry Cleaner, a new type of dry cleaner, utilizing nontoxic cleaning agents
• The Circuit Bouldering Gym, one of the largest bouldering gyms in the world, expanding soon
• Yoga Union, a community wellness center and premier citywide yoga destination

CauseOn was founded by Portland entrepreneur Craig W. Barnes. Barnes is a veteran of the Portland startup community and is associated with several private and venture-backed technology companies, including Now Software, Extensis, Attensa and Panels Network. After studying at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, Barnes started his first software company in Portland in 1985.

CauseOn Plans Aggressive Rollout of Sites in Major U.S. Metro Areas

"We believe we are bringing a significantly different twist on the online coupon model that is becoming so popular with consumers," Barnes said. "Consumers are eager to find easy ways to give back to their communities, and CauseOn provides them with an easy way to give back while also controlling the causes that receive their contributions."

CauseOn plans an aggressive rollout. Within a year, the company expects to have a presence in 45 U.S. metro areas. CauseOn will roll out its next sites in New York City, Seattle, Denver, Orange County, Calif., and Los Angeles. The expansion list includes virtually every major U.S. metro area in the first year.

About CauseOn

CauseOn is a Portland-based group buying site that offers deep discounts on products and services, focusing on small businesses. In addition to providing consumers with discount offers, it also contributes up to 20 percent of its revenues to a variety of causes that are selected by the customer. CauseOn's commitment to giving back extends to the formation of the CauseOn Foundation as well as providing paid leave for all employees to volunteer for causes in their communities. CauseOn opened its first site in Portland in August 2010 and plans to roll out sites nationwide.

To get CauseOn's daily free e-mail for the best in your city, subscribe at http://causeon.com.

CauseOn is a trademark of CauseOn Inc. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE CauseOn Inc.