Social impact is something that’s becoming required and expected of brands, especially when it comes to events. Consumers are expecting brands to want more than just profit and are relying on social impact to be a huge factor in that, whether the brand is standing for a mission, donating, or just being impactful in other ways. Standard event marketing is facing a huge gap when it comes to driving emotional connections; this is where social impact and cause-driven activations come in. Let’s talk more about cause-driven activations and how you can start engaging customers through social impact at events.

What Are Cause-Driven Activations?

To start implementing this into your event marketing, it’s important to understand exactly what cause-driven activations actually are. Essentially, they are event activations that tie the brand experience to an impact, whether that be social, environmental, or community-based. These types of activations help invoke an emotional reaction and connect more with those who are attending and contemplating purchasing from you. A few different ideas for this type of activation are a charity tie-in, donation-based participation, or volunteer-based events.

Why Cause-Driven Activations Resonate with Audiences

As we stated above, cause-driven activations resonate more with audiences due to the emotional impact they have on them. Most consumers are looking for more when it comes to choosing a brand to purchase from, a brand to support, or an event to attend. Here’s a breakdown of why this type of activation resonates with audiences:

Authenticity Builds Trust: Consumers are looking for brands they can trust, not just ones that are trying to sell to them. Many markets seem saturated due to the number of businesses out there, which means you need to have a real impact. Having a cause-driven approach shows that you are committed.

Storytelling Potential: Storytelling is a great way to connect with people and help them see things in a different light. Social causes provide storytelling opportunities that are meaningful, relatable, and help you connect with your audience.

You Have a Purpose: Having a purpose is important when it comes to choosing your brand or event over another. Experiential marketing and cause-driven activations show purpose beyond just profit.

Shareability: Cause-driven activations are shareable, which means that many people who join your event and see what you’re doing will be more likely to share it. In return, this can help your event and brand reach new audiences and more people.

Best Practices for Designing a Cause-Driven Activation

When it comes to designing your cause-driven activation, it’s important to take into consideration different aspects to ensure that it’s set up for your target audience. Here’s a deeper look at the best practices for designing a cause-driven activation:

• Pick a cause that aligns with your brand values and resonates with your target audience, not just a random cause you decide on.
• Make the activation participatory by creating opportunities for attendees to take action and be involved.
• Balance fun and purpose by showcasing the impactful areas of the event while keeping it exciting and enjoyable for those who attend.
• Be sure to keep the event authentic to your brand and be transparent about aspects of the cause.
• Measure impact by showcasing what you’ve accomplished. Examples could include “meals donated,” “money raised,” or something similar that aligns with your event and social impact goals.

What You Get Out of Cause-Driven Activations

Although you are doing this for a cause and to showcase your social impact, it’s important to still understand the ROI for events like these. When you look at experiential marketing, there are mainly three different areas where you can get a return on investment, which include social, emotional, and business.

Social ROI: This measures the shareability and media earned through the storytelling aspect. Sharing, reposting, and social media engagement can help you gain social ROI, which boosts your visibility.

Emotional ROI: This measures the emotional impact you have on those attending your event. Having an emotional impact builds brand trust and loyalty, creating dedicated customers and audiences at the same time.

Business ROI: This measures the actual numbers you might be familiar with, such as customer retention and brand preference among consumers.

The Future of Cause-Driven Activations

With social impact and cause being at the center of many purchasing and support decisions, it’s expected that these types of activations will continue to grow in popularity. Eventually, they will most likely evolve into the standard for experiential marketing and activations. With that said, technology will play a role in bringing even more depth to these experiences through gamification and AR/VR. As people continue to support more than just material aspects, there’s going to be a need to focus on mission, impact, and value within each business — which should be showcased in activations like these.

Are Experiential Marketing and Cause-Driven Activations for You?

There’s a need for every business to explore the opportunities that come with experiential marketing and cause-driven activations. Ultimately, this will become a standard for marketing, and businesses interested in staying ahead should incorporate it into their strategy sooner rather than later. If you’re a business looking to expand your marketing strategy and make more of an impact on your audience, experiential marketing is a great place to start. At Factory360, we offer expert help in implementing experiential marketing into your business, as well as planning events that are cause-driven and impactful. Contact us today if you’re ready to take the leap, connect with your audience, and truly make an impact on those who experience your brand.