Dynamics of Cause Engagement - Final Report

DynamiCs of causeengagement understanding the impact of the digital revolution on cause involvementexploring the connection between cause engagement and behavior change Prepared by: ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide & The center for social Impact communication at Georgetown university november 2011 Dynamics of Cause Engagement i

ii Dynamics of Cause Engagement

about ogilvy Public Relations about the center forWorldwide social Impact communicationogilvy Public Relations Worldwide (ogilvy PR) is a global, Georgetown university’s center for social Impact communicationmultidisciplinary communications leader operating in more than (csIc) is the nation’s leading educational resource on social impact80 markets. for more than two decades, ogilvy PR has been at the communication. Launched in 2008 and housed in the Master offorefront of social marketing—advancing personal and public health Professional studies program in Public Relations and corporateand safety and broader socially desirable goals via communications communications, csIc aims to elevate the discipline by pioneeringinitiatives. We have developed numerous social marketing campaigns industry standards in responsible communication practices andto successfully raise awareness, educate and prompt action regarding by educating and inspiring the professionals who lead the waysome of today’s largest and most complex issues, ranging from cancer in creating positive social impact through their work. for moreto cardiovascular health, substance abuse to homeland security, youth information, visit csic.georgetown.edu.violence prevention to disaster preparedness, and much more. Twitter: @georgetowncsicNamed the 2011 outstanding global digital/social constultancy by TheHolmes Report, ogilvy PR is a unit of ogilvy & Mather, a WPP company © 2011, ogilvy Public Relations and Georgetown center for social Impact communications(NasDaQ: WPPGY), one of the world’s largest communications servicegroups. for more information, visit ogilvypr.com and smexchange.ogilvypr.comTwitter: @ogilvypr and @ogilvyDc Dynamics of Cause Engagement 1

Purpose of the study acknowledgementsThe Dynamics of Cause Engagement is the product of a unique Many thanks to the following individuals for their contributions:partnership and more than a year spent examining trends in the Denise Keyes, Ma; Julie Dixon, Ms; antonella Weyler, MPs; Jackieways in which americans perceive, learn about and interact with Buchy, MPs; and David arnold, MPs (Georgetown university); Jennifercauses and social issues. a small group of graduate students and Wayman, MHs; sarah Temple; Kathryn friedman; Jennifer Patterson;faculty from Georgetown university’s center for social Impact Heidi D’agostino; angie Liang, Ms; and Jennifer Gusikoff, Ma (ogilvycommunication worked side-by-side with senior leaders from Public Relations Worldwide).ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide’s social Marketing practice,identifying gaps in the current cause landscape and devising asurvey that would separate fact from fiction when it comes to the about the Survey:changes brought about by the digital revolution. an online survey was conducted among a nationally representative sample of 2,000 americans ages 18 and over.The partnership was truly collaborative in every sense of the word— The data were balanced to reflect the demographic profile ofnot academic vs. practitioner, not student vs. professional. Indeed, the u.s. adult population based on census criteria to ensure results are projectable to the larger u.s. population.the coupling of a unity of purpose and a diversity of perspectivesallowed us to develop a study with broad implications, relevant to The survey was fielded by TNs Global from November 30 tocommunicators and organizations in the nonprofit, private and public December 22, 2010, and has a margin of error of +/-2.2% atsectors. The results speak to the profound need for strategy and the 95% confidence level.integration when communicating about causes, two things that areat the very heart of what is taught at Georgetown’s Masters of Public Throughout this report, an asterisk ‘*’ next to a numberRelations and corporate communications program and practiced at indicates a significant difference from the corresponding audience at the 95% level of confidence.ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide. and the study results certainlyopen up new dialogues about what it means to be “involved” ina cause today, both in the more traditional sense as well as in theactions of so-called “slacktivists” and others empowered by theavailability of digital tools. What remains to be seen, and studied, isthe overall impact of this involvement.This report summarizes the major findings of our study and providesorganizations and practitioners with useful information to help defineand tailor a strategic approach to deepen the connection between acause and its supporters.2 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Major ThemesBig Picture: The american cause engagement Landscape .................................................................................................4Pulse check: Issues that Matter to americans..........................................................................................................................12Demographic Trends: cause engagement by Gender ..........................................................................................................15Demographic Trends: cause engagement by ethnicity ......................................................................................................23Demographic Trends: cause engagement by Generation ...................................................................................................31Key Lessons ...........................................................................................................................................................................................38 Dynamics of Cause Engagement 3

Big Picture: The american cause engagement Landscapetraditional Forms of Involvement activitiesengagement Reign SupremeDespite the growing popularity of socialnetworking sites and the increased effortsof organizations to engage their supportersvia social media, survey results show thathistorically prominent ways of supportingcauses (e.g., donating money, volunteering,learning more about the cause, talking toothers) are still the first and “most often”ways americans get involved. only 18 percentof americans identified a promotional socialmedia activity (e.g., joining a cause group,posting a cause logo to a social profile,writing about a cause on a blog) as theway they first get involved with causes, andfewer than one in six (15%) say it is the waythey “most often” engage. social mediapromotional activities also fall lower on thelist of activities americans believe give thema feeling of being cause champions (or being “americans still prefer historically prominentvery involved with a cause). ways of engaging with causes as well as traditional sources of cause information.”4 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

When learning about causes, americans still Sources of Information about Causesrely on traditional communications channelsas their primary sources of information.survey results show that the number ofamericans who turn to social media (24%)as a source of information still lags far behindthose who utilize television and print media(77%) and personal relationships (60%).Social media Holds Promise for Fostering engagementWhile promotional social media activitiesmay fall lower on the list of ways americanscurrently learn about and engage withcauses, survey data highlight increasing Online Supportopportunities to broaden engagementthrough the strategic use of social media.the majority of americans recognize the value of social media in facilitating “six in ten americansvisibility and support for causes. Nearly six believe that socialin ten americans (57%) agree that onlinesocial networking sites allow people to media is valuable insupport causes more easily, and 40 percent facilitating visibility andfeel they can help get the word out throughsocial networking sites. support of causes.” Dynamics of Cause Engagement 5

So-Called Slacktivists: “most Often” Ways of getting Involvedmore active than We thinkDoes the relative ease with which we can nowshare information and get the word out aboutcauses translate to slacktivist behavior?contrary to the portrayal of a slacktivistas one who passively “likes” things onfacebook but is not truly engaged, surveyresults show that americans who getinvolved with causes through promotionalsocial media activities (e.g., joining a causegroup, posting a cause logo to a socialprofile, writing about a cause on a blog)also continue to participate in cause-relatedactivities outside of the social media space.In fact, americans who selected socialmedia activities among the “most often”ways they are involved with causes are:• Just as likely as non-social media cause promoters to donate money overall, americans who support causes by In addition, results show that this group also (41% vs. 41%) participating in promotional social media seems to be more willing to go beyond their activities are engaged in a greater number individual contributions and influence others• Twice as likely to volunteer as of different kinds of supporting activities in their networks to become supporters as non-social media cause promoters than americans who do not use social well. They are five times more likely than (30% vs. 15%) media to promote causes (6.7 activities non-social media cause promoters to recruit• Twice as likely to participate in to 2.9, respectively). for these individuals, others to sign a petition for a cause (20% events and walks (25% vs. 11%) social media is simply being added to vs. 4%); four times more likely to ask others their range of engagement activities, not to contact their political representatives replacing the more historically prominent (22% vs. 5%); and three times more likely to ways of supporting causes like donating or request others to donate (11% vs. 3%). volunteering. This is good news for causes.6 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Caution: Digital tools Could Online Support FatigueDrive “Cause Fatigue” as the use of digital tools in causeengagement continues to increase,they could become potential drivers of“cause fatigue” if not used strategically.already, three-quarters of americans(75%) agree that emails about causes cansometimes feel like spam, and about halfof americans believe that they get toomany emails and messages about causesand that everybody “likes” causes onfacebook and it does not mean anything. “almost half of americans believe they get too many emails about causes.” Dynamics of Cause Engagement 7

Cause Involvement gives Cause Beliefsamericans a Sense of Purpose and meaning in LifeRegardless of social media usage, the largemajority of americans believe in the powerof supporting causes. about three-quarters of americans think that everyone can make adifference by supporting causes and that being involved with a cause gives them a sense of purpose and meaning in life and makes themfeel good about themselves. In addition,nearly two-thirds of americans (64%) believethat supporting causes enhances the feeling ofbelonging to a community.The importance of supporting causes seemsto be a family affair for americans as well.Nearly half (49%) of americans considerfamilial involvement with causes important,and more than one-third (35%) were activelyinvolved in causes when growing up.current perceptions of cause engagementare not entirely rosy, though. survey findingsshow that four in ten americans believe thatsupporting causes has become a fad andmore than one-third (36%) think that peoplespend less time actively supporting causesnow than they did five years ago.8 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Personal Relevance engagement DriversDrives engagementWhen it comes to causes and social issues,what are the main drivers of engagementamong americans? Personal relevance,according to study findings. Results showthat americans are most motivated to getinvolved with causes that are important toboth themselves or someone they know(57%) or that impact both themselves orsomeone they know (50%).and, while celebrity endorsementscertainly play a role in garnering attentionfor causes among americans, surveyrespondents identified several factors attention Driversas being even more important than a Many people being affected by it 51%famous face. americans believe that many A timely event or tragedy shedding light on the issue 49%people being affected (51%), a timely Children are impacted by it 43%event or tragedy (49%) and children being Someone famous being personally affected by it 36%impacted (43%) generate the greatest Someone famous supporting the cause 35%attention for a social issue or cause. People within your community being impacted by it 31% If there is a particular month dedicated to it 23% (e.g., October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, etc.) An organization created to advocate on behalf of the cause 21% A company or brand supporting the cause 16% Poor countries are impacted by it 14% A company’s marketing or advertising mentioning the cause 14% Having a social network presence 12% (e.g., groups on facebook, etc.) Products or services displaying the cause’s logo or icon 12% Dynamics of Cause Engagement 9

You are What You Wear: Willingness to Display Supportamericans Displaying their Support for a CauseWhile americans generally do not feel thatproducts or services featuring a cause’s logoor icon generate as much attention for thecause when compared to other factors, nearlysix in ten (59%) are willing to display theirsupport for a cause by using cause-brandedproducts. Wearing a cause ribbon or pin(22%), wearing the color of the cause on aspecial day (21%), or using a reusable bagshowing the cause logo (20%) are at the topof the list of ways in which americans wouldmost likely show their support of a cause.10 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Involvement in Causes Can Behavior Change as Result of Cause Involvementtrigger Behavior Change americans who donate, volunteer orotherwise support a cause may be lookingto impact the world around them, but surveyresults show that they may find that theexperience of being involved with a cause canactually impact their own behavior as well.more than half of americans (52%) affirmed to have changed their behavior as a result of their involvement with a cause.Nearly half of americans (48%) reportchanging their voting behavior as a resultof being involved with a cause, making itthe most common type of behavior change.changing recycling habits (40%), becomingmore energy efficient (34%) and becomingmore tolerant of differing opinions (25%)also neared the top of the list. Health-relatedbehaviors, such as changing one’s physicalactivity (12%), visiting a medical professional(9%), or requesting a specific medical test orscreening (8%), fall lower on the list. Dynamics of Cause Engagement 11

Key FindingsPulse check: Issues that Matterimportantand Causes or causes, Americans report a broad range of concerns with economic to americans Top-of-Mind Social Issues When thinking of social issues considerations, healthcare reform and poverty/hunger most top-of-mind.timely Cause Concerns Human Rights/ Women’s Rights/ Abuse/Welfare Budget/Financial Reforms/ Equality Gay/Lesbian Rights National DebtsNot surprisingly, concerns over the economy, Abortionjoblessness and poverty abound among War Healthcare Reform Education Civil Rightsamericans. When asked what comes to Government/ Political Problems Unemployment/ Immigrationmind when thinking about important socialissues or causes, americans reported Cancer Racism/ Low Wages Economy Taxesunemployment and low wages, economic Discrimination Poverty/Hunger Animal Rights/concerns, healthcare reform and poverty/ AIDS/HIV Welfare Homelessness Environment/hunger tops among a broad range of issues. Bullying Child Abuse/Welfare Ecology Global Warming/ Climate Change Helping People in Need Social Security Crime/ViolenceMore than four in ten americans (45%) Preventionare involved in supporting social issues Cause Involvement Americans are most involved in spiritual, health, education,and causes, with the greatest involvement and environment-related causes. Involvement with Causesfound in health, education, spiritual andenvironment-related causes. Spiritual or religious 18% 23% Education 14% 28% Civic or political 12% 24% (voting, tea party movement) Environment 11% 30% (global warming, recycling, green) Health-related (like breast cancer, 11% 31% heart health, diabetes, autism) Animal rights and welfare 9% 23% Poverty and/or hunger 8% 32% Healthcare reform 8% 23% Youth development and welfare (anti-bullying, 7% 20% mentoring, literacy, suicide prevention) Human rights 7% 24% Very Involved Somewhat Involved (Only top ten causes shown)12 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Supporting Our troops and Knowledge and Involvement with Specific CausesSpeciﬁc Causes Knowledge & Involvement withFeeding the Hungry are Knowledge (Very or Involvement (Very orthe top Causes for americans Somewhat) Somewhat) Supporting our troops 71% 39%With which specific causes and issues are Feeding the hungry 65% 39%americans most involved? supporting our Overall, Americans Breast Cancer 68% 32%troops and feeding the hungry, according to tend to be morethe study results. Health-related issues, such as personally involved Heart disease and heart health 66% 30% in social causesbreast cancer, diabetes and heart disease, are that they feel morealso near the top of the list. overall, americans Diabetes 61% 27% knowledgeabletend to be more personally involved in causes Global warming 60% 25% about, includingthey are knowledgeable about. supporting our Drunk driving 73% 23% troops, feeding the hungry, breastLooking ahead, americans expect supporting Domestic violence 61% 20% cancer and heartour troops and feeding the hungry to disease.continue to be the most prominent causes in Bullying 60% 20%2011. Bullying and childhood obesity—both Pro-life 62% 19%of which have received increasing mediaattention in 2010—also are expected to beamong the top causes of 2011. (Only top ten causes shown) “More americans are involved with supporting our troops and feeding the hungry than any other causes or social issues today.” Dynamics of Cause Engagement 13

Controversy Contributes Prominent Causes in 2011 in 2011 Prominent Causesto Perceived Prominence 38% 26% Supporting Tea Partyalmost half of americans (49%) believe our Troops Movementthat society is less open to supporting gay marriage, putting it at the top of the list 29% 26% Feeding the Globalof controversial issues. Interestingly, the Hungry WarmingTea Party movement and global warmingalso appeared high on the list of issues that 29% 26%americans believe society is less open to Childhood Bullying Obesitysupporting, and at the same time, rankedthem among the causes believed to be (Only top six causes shown)the most prominent in 2011. This indicatesthat “fame” is not always translated into Causes americans Believe Society is Less Open to Supporting Causes Society is Less Open to Supportingwidespread support, and that perhapsthe controversial nature of these causes 49% Gay Marriagecontributes to their perceived prominence. 19% Tea Party Movement 16% Haiti Relief 16% HIV/AIDS 16% Pro-life 15% Global Warming (Only top six causes shown)14 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Demographic Trends: cause engagement by Gender Cause BeliefsWomen are Strongest Cause BeliefsBelievers in the Power of MEN WOMEN Strongly/Somewhat AgreeSupporting Causes 73% 80%* I believe everyone can make a difference by supporting causesamerican women are strong believers Supporting a cause can give you a sense of purpose 71% 81%*in the power of individuals to make a and meaning in your lifedifference by supporting causes, while their 68% 80%* Supporting causes makes me feel good about myselfmale counterparts are more likely to view supporting causes as a fad. In addition to 59% 68%* Supporting causes makes me feel like I am part of a communitybelieving that everyone can make a difference 43%* 37% Supporting causes has become a fadby supporting causes, american womenare more likely than men to believe thatsupporting causes creates a sense of purposeand meaning in life, makes them feel good Level of Involvementof Involvement Levelabout themselves and makes them feel likepart of a community. 51 59*Not surprisingly, a significantly higher number of women are engaged with causes and are willing to display their support. 41 49*almost half of american women (49%) reportto be very or somewhat involved in causes, MEN WOMENcompared to 41 percent of men, and nearlytwo-thirds (64%) would display their support, Not Involved Involved (not very/not at all) (very/somewhat)versus 54 percent of men. Dynamics of Cause Engagement 15

Cause Involvement triggers types of Behavior Change as Result of Cause InvolvementBehavior Change more Often among Women Types of Behavior Change as Result of Cause Involvementfindings also highlight gender differences Switched towhen it comes to cause-driven behavior Requested a brands/designers Changed Became more Become a Became an Changed Changed mychange. american women are significantly recycling habits energy efﬁcient volunteer organ donor my diet physical activity speciﬁc medical that supported test or screen causes I supportmore likely than men to say they have Men Men Men Men Men Men Men Menchanged their behavior due to cause 36% 30% 28% 12% 15% 10% 7% 11%involvement (55% vs. 48%), including Women Women Women Women Women Women Women Womenenvironmentally-conscious actions (e.g., 44%* 38%* 34%* 18%* 18%* 14%* 10%* 16%*changing recycling habits, becoming moreenergy efficient) and health-related behaviors(e.g., modifying diet or physical activity). “Women are significantlyWomen also are significantly more likely thanmen to say they have switched to brands that more likely than men tosupport causes they support. have changed their behavior due to cause involvement.”16 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

men and Women Share Support Involvement with Specific Causes Involvement with Speciﬁc Causes (Very or Somewhat involved)for Feeding the Hungry and Supporting Our troops 34% Pro-life 19% Feeding the hungryDespite all the differences, men and women 43%* 20%are more alike than different when it comes 39% 13%to which particular causes they choose to Supporting our troops 39% Childhood obesity 18%*support. for both, feeding the hungry andsupporting our troops are among those that 25% Haiti relief 14% Breast Cancer 39%* 15%rank the highest and are believed to be themost prominent causes in 2011. as expected, Heart disease and heart health 28% Gay marriage 12% 31% 14%gender-related health issues like breastcancer and prostate cancer are significantly 26% 13% Diabetes Autismmore likely to be supported by women and 28% 13%men, respectively. In addition, survey results 26% 21%* Global warming Prostate cancerindicate that women are more compelled to 25% 12%support youth-related causes like bullying 21% 13% Drunk driving HIV/AIDSand childhood obesity, while men are more 24% 12%likely to support the tea Party movement. 18% 17%* Bullying Tea party movement 22%* 11% 19% Domestic violence 21% MEN WOMEN Dynamics of Cause Engagement 17

Women more Likely to Donate “most Often” Ways of getting InvolvedPersonal Items and Volunteer Most Often Ways of Getting Involvedtheir time in Support of Causes Women and men also tend to agree on the MEN WOMENways in which they “most often” support their 41% 42% Donating moneychosen causes. for both, more historicallyprominent ways of engaging with causes 34% 33% Talking to others about ittop the list, including donating money, Donating clothing, rewards points, hairtalking to others, and learning more about 18% 30%* or other personal itemsthe issues and impacts. Women, however,are significantly more likely than men to get 20% 22% Learning more about the issue and its impactinvolved by donating clothing and other 19% 20% Signing a petition for the causepersonal items, and volunteering their time insupport of causes. Volunteering time 15% 20%* (i.e., help-lines, soup kitchens, mentoring, cleaning) Social media NET includes social media 12% 17%* Social Media NET promotional activities (e.g., joining a cause group, posting a logo to a social proﬁle or contributing to a blog). (Only top responses shown)18 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Size of Population affected attention Drivers Attention Driversand timely events are top attention Drivers for If there is a particular month Having a social networkmen and Women Someone famous dedicated to it (e.g., October is presence (e.g., groups on supporting the cause Breast Cancer Awareness month) Facebook, etc.)For both men and women, the main drivers MEN WOMEN MEN WOMEN MEN WOMENof attention for a cause or social issue are having many people affected by it, a 32% 19% 10% 38%* 26%* 15%*timely event or tragedy, and children being impacted. However, women are more likelythan men to believe that causes can attractinterest by having the support of a celebrity,a particular month dedicated to it and/or asocial networking presence. Dynamics of Cause Engagement 19

Women are more Likely to Online SupportRecognize the Role of Social Perceptions of Online Involvementmedia in Facilitating Cause Involvement Strongly/Somewhat Agree Online social networking sites, like Facebook, increase the visibility of social causes and issuesWhen it comes to social media, women 58%are more likely than men to recognize the 65%*role that sites like Facebook can play in facilitating cause involvement. Nearly two- Online social networking sites, like Facebook,thirds of women (65%) believe that social allow people to support causes more easilynetworking sites can increase visibility for 53%causes, and six in ten (60%) believe they 60%*allow people to support causes more easily.It comes as no surprise, then, that women I feel like I can help get the word out about a social issue or cause through online socialare more likely to support causes through networks, like Facebook, Twitter and blogspromotional social media activities (e.g., 35%joining a cause group on facebook, posting 45%* MENa cause logo to a social profile, contributingto cause blogs) than men (17% vs. 12%, WOMENrespectively).20 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Women also turn to social media as a Sources of Information about Causes Online Supportsource of cause information more often thanmen—though for both, this lags far behind MEN WOMENtraditional TV and print media sources andpersonal relationships. TV program or news story 62% 64% “Women areWhile women are more likely than men Newspaper article 50% 51% more likelyto believe in the power of social media to than men to Friends 42% 49%*support causes, they are in agreement onthe degree to which online cause-related turn to socialcommunications can sometimes feel like “too Family 41% 46%* media as amuch.” Nearly three-quarters of men andwomen (74% and 73%, respectively) agree Website 37% 38% source of causethat emails about causes can sometimes feel information.”like spam, and about half of both populations Social Media NET 19% 28%* Social Media NET includes blogs andadmit that they get too many cause-related social networking sites.emails now (49% and 45%, respectively) andthat everybody “likes” causes on facebookand it does not really mean anything (48% and Online Support Fatigue Online Support Fatigue49%, respectively). Practitioners should bewary of these indicators and ensure strategic Strongly/Somewhat Agreeuses of these digital tools in order to avoid Emails about causes sometimes feel like spamunintentionally contributing to “cause fatigue.” 74% 73% I get too many emails and messages about causes now 49% 45% Everybody “likes” causes on Facebook, it doesn’t really mean anything MEN 48% 49% WOMEN Dynamics of Cause Engagement 21

Women Support Companies that Support Causes MEN WOMENcause marketers often target the female Sources of information about causesdemographic with campaigns, and with Advertisement from a corporation 11% 15%* sponsoring a cause the hungrygood reason—survey results confirm thatamerican women are significantly more Product package or insert from a 6% 9%* corporation sponsoring a causelikely than men to show their support of a cause by purchasing products or In-store promotion and displays 4% 9%*services from companies who support the cause. In addition, women are more likely Most often means of involvement with causes Buying products or services fromto learn about causes through corporate companies who support the cause 10% 15%*partner or sponsor promotions, includingadvertisements, product packaging, and in- Attention Driversstore displays. A company or brand supporting the cause 15% 18% A company’s marketing or advertising 13% 15% mentioning the cause Products or services displaying the cause’s logo or icon 11% 12%22 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Demographic Trends: cause engagement by ethnicitySocial media Plays greater Online Support Online SupportRole in Cause engagement For african americans and Strongly/Somewhat AgreeHispanics Online social networking sites, like Facebook, “african americans increase the visibility of social causes and issuesamong american adults, there appear to be 60% and Hispanics aresome significant differences in how various 65% significantly morepopulation segments perceive social media 65%and their effectiveness in facilitating cause likely to believe thatinvolvement. african americans and Hispanics Online social networking sites, like Facebook, allow people to support causes more easily they can help getare significantly more likely to believe that they can help get the word out about a 54% the word out about 62%*social issue or cause through online social 64%* a social issue ornetworks (58% and 51%, respectively, vs. 34%of caucasians). They also subscribe more I feel like I can help get the word out about a social cause through onlinereadily to the belief that social networking issue or cause through online social networks, like Facebook, Twitter and blogs social networks.”sites like facebook make it easier to support 34%causes today, and that these sites help 58%*increase visibility for causes. nearly one in 51%*three african american adults (30%) and four in ten Hispanics (39%) say they are more I am more likely to support a causelikely to support a cause or social issue online online than ofﬂinethan offline today—both significantly higher 24%percentages than among Caucasians (24%). 30%* 39%* Caucasians African Americans Hispanics Dynamics of Cause Engagement 23

Sources of Information about Causes Sources of Information about Causes African Caucasians Americans HispanicsWhile traditional media (print and television) TV program or news story 64%* 66%* 57%and personal relationships remain the primaryways in which americans learn about causes, Newspaper article 54%* 42% 43%both african americans and Hispanics are significantly more likely than Caucasians Friends 47%* 51%* 38%to look to social media as an additional source of information (31% and 27% vs. 21%, Family 45% 47% 39%respectively). Website 36% 41% 41%similarly, social media are not among thetop ways americans “most often” support Social Media NET Social Media NET includes blogs 21% 31%* 27%*causes—donating money or personal items, and social networking sites.talking to others and learning about the is- (Only top responses shown)sues rank the highest—but again, africanamericans and Hispanics are significantly “most Often” Ways of getting Involved Most Often Ways of Getting Involved Africanmore likely than caucasians to engage with Caucasians Americans Hispanicscauses through promotional social mediaactivities (e.g., joining a cause group on face- Donating money 42% 38% 39%book, posting a cause logo to a social profile,contributing to cause blogs). Talking to others about it 34%* 39%* 27% “african americans Donating clothing, rewards points, 25%* 25% 19% and Hispanics hair or other personal items are significantly Learning more about the issue 22%* 22% 16% and its impact more likely to Signing a petition for the cause 20% 18% 18% engage with Volunteering time (i.e., help-lines, 18% 18% 16% causes through soup kitchens, mentoring, cleaning) promotional social Social Media NET 13% 20%* 18%* media activities.” Social media NET includes social media promotional activities (e.g., joining a cause group, posting a logo to a social proﬁle or contributing to a blog). (Only top responses shown)24 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Potential for Social media Online Support Fatigue Fatigue Online SupportOverload across ethnicities Strongly/Somewhat Agree Emails about causes sometimes feel like spamamericans of all ethnicities are generally 76%*in agreement when it comes to potential 66%cause-related social media overload, though 69%they differ in the degree to which certain Everybody “likes” causes on Facebook, it doesn’t really mean anythingtools drive their “cause fatigue” the most. 47%for example, caucasians are significantly 41% 57%*more likely to feel that emails about causes I get too many emails and messages about causes now Caucasianssometimes feel like spam (76%, vs. 66% of 48%*african americans and 69% of Hispanics). 33% African AmericansHispanics are significantly more likely 51%* Hispanicsto believe that everybody “likes” causeson facebook and it doesn’t really meananything. and while half of Caucasians and Hispanics (48% and 51%, respectively) agree that they get too many emails about causes now, a significantly lower number of african americans (33%) feel this way. Dynamics of Cause Engagement 25

Cause InvolvementSupporting Causes Level of Involvementis a Family affairamericans are in strong agreement thateveryone can make a difference by support- 47 48 55 58*ing causes. However, african americans and Hispanics are significantly more likely than Caucasians to be involved with causes and 45 53* 52*to believe that supporting causes makes 42them feel like a part of a community. Theyalso are significantly more likely to feel that Americans Caucasians African Hispanics Americansit is important that their family be involved incauses (55% of Hispanics and 54% of afri- Not Involved Involvedcan americans, vs. 46% of caucasians), and (not very/not at all) (very/somewhat)to have been actively involved in supportingcauses when growing up (40% of Hispan-ics and 45% of african americans, vs. 32% of Cause Beliefscaucasians). African Caucasians Americans Hispanics Strongly/Somewhat Agree 76% 79% 78% I believe everyone can make a difference by supporting causes 76% 78% 78% Supporting a cause can give you a sense of purpose and meaning in your life 74% 73% 77% Supporting causes makes me feel good about myself 61% 69%* 70%* Supporting causes makes me feel like I am part of a community 46% 54%* 55%* It is important to me that my family is involved in causes 32% 45%* 40%* I was actively involved in supporting causes when I was growing up26 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

types of Behavior Changes types of Behavior Change as Result of Cause InvolvementVary across ethnicitiesIn addition to making people feel good about Types of Behavior Change as Result of Cause Involvementthemselves and giving them an increasedsense of purpose and meaning in life, study Went to see Changed Became a doctor Changed theresults show that cause engagement can recycling more energy or medical Became a way I behave efﬁcient professional mentor towards othersactually trigger changes in behavior for those habitswho are engaged. about half of Caucasians, Caucasians Caucasians Caucasians Caucasians Caucasiansafrican americans and Hispanics (50%, 42%* 36%* 9% 8% 18%54%, and 56% respectively) agree that they African African African African African Americans Americans Americans Americans Americanshave changed their behavior as a result of 34% 28% 15%* 16%* 25%*cause involvement, with some differences Hispanics Hispanics Hispanics Hispanics Hispanicsamong ethnicities in the types of behaviors 35% 29% 9% 8% 24%*most often changed. african americansand Hispanics are significantly more likelythan caucasians to agree that they havechanged the way they behave toward others(25% and 24%, vs. 18%), while caucasiansare significantly more likely to have madeenvironmental behavior changes (e.g.,changing recycling habits, becoming moreenergy efficient). and african americans aresignificantly more likely than either caucasiansor Hispanics to have visited a doctor ormedical professional as a result of theirinvolvement in a cause (15%, vs. 9% each). Dynamics of Cause Engagement 27

Involvement with Specific Causes Involvement with Specific CausesSupporting Our troops, (very or somewhat involved)Feeding the Hungry and Health-Related Causes Supporting our troops 40% 38% Pro-life 19% 19%Receive greatest Support 37% 24%across ethnicities Feeding the hungry 38% 46% Prostate cancer 15% 20% 38% 19%overall, americans of all ethnicities are in 30% 13% Breast Cancer 40% Childhood obesity 24%*agreement when it comes to the causes 34% 23%*in which they are most involved, with 29% 11% Heart disease and heart health 30% Haiti relief 25%*supporting our troops, feeding the hungry 31% 20%*and health-related causes (e.g., breast cancer, 24% 14%heart disease) topping the list. However, Diabetes 34%* Tea party movement 9% 32%* 18%african americans and Hispanics are 24% 11%significantly more likely than Caucasians to Global warming 25% Autism 15%be involved in several key issues, including 31% 20%diabetes, domestic violence, bullying, 21% 12% Drunk driving 29% Gay marriage 11%childhood obesity, Haiti relief and HIV/aIDS. 25% 19%* 17% 9% Domestic violence 28%* HIV/AIDS 24%* 27%* 21%* 18% Bullying 24%* 27%* Caucasians African Americans Hispanics “african americans and Hispanics are significantly more likely than caucasians to be involved in several key issues, including diabetes, domestic violence, bullying, childhood obesity, Haiti relief and HIV/aIDs.”28 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Which cause is perceived to be the most Prominent Causes in 2011 Prominent Causes in 2011prominent in 2011? according to caucasiansand Hispanics, supporting our troops will Caucasians African Americans Hispanicsremain the most prominent issue during this Supporting our troops (41%*) Childhood obesity (37%*) Supporting our troops (30%)year, while for african americans, childhood Feeding the hungry (31%*) Supporting our troops (33%) Global Warming (28%)obesity ranks higher. Bullying (29%) Breast cancer (32%*) Bullying (26%) Tea party movement (29%*) Feeding the hungry (32%*) Gay Marriage (25%) Global Warming (25%) Bullying (31%) Breast cancer (24%) Childhood obesity (25%) Global Warming (25%) Feeding the hungry (24%) (Only top six causes shown) Dynamics of Cause Engagement 29

african americans more Willing Willingness to Display Supportto Display Support of CausesWhen it comes to displaying their support fora cause, african americans are significantly more willing to show their support than Caucasians and Hispanics (72%, vs. 57% and62% respectively). Wearing a cause ribbon orpin and wearing the color of the cause on aspecial day are on top the list of ways africanamericans say they would show their support.30 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Demographic Trends: cause engagement by GenerationPersonal Word-of-mouth, tV Still Inform Cause engagement most across generationsDespite the growing popularity of social Sources of Information about Causes Sources of Information about Causesmedia as means of engaging with causes Gen Y Gen X Baby Boomers Silent Gentoday, americans still look to personal Family (48%) TV program or news story (56%) TV program or news story (70%*) TV program or news story (70%*)communication with friends and family as Friends (46%) Friends (47%) Newspaper articles (56%) Newspaper articles (65%*)well as traditional media when learning TV program or news story (45%) Family (45%) Friends (45%) Friends (45%)about and telling others about causes. While Website (38%) Website (43%) Family (45%) Family (38%)Generation Y is significantly more likely Social networks (32%*)/ Newspaper articles (41%) Website (36%) Magazine Article (37%*)than its older counterparts to utilize social Newspaper articles (32%)media to learn about causes, more than Social Media NET (35%*) Social Media NET (30%*) Social Media NET (21%) Social Media NET (13%)4 in 10 americans age 18-29 still get theirinformation from family (48%), friends (46%) Social Media NET includes blogs and social networking sitesand TV (45%). Generation Definitions: • Gen Y: ages 18 to 29 • Gen X: ages 30 to 45 • Baby Boomers: ages 46 to 60 • silent Gen: age over 60 Dynamics of Cause Engagement 31

Offline exchange of Cause Ways People tell Others about Causes Ways People Tell Others about CausesInformation Still Vital Baby Gen Y Gen X Boomers Silent Genface-to-face, offline conversations appear Tell me in person 56% 59% 65% 63%to still be the way information about causesis most often relayed among americans of Forward me an email about a cause 29% 41% 41% 49%*all generations, according to survey data.nearly two-thirds of americans (62%) Tell me over the phone 24% 29% 35%* 38%*report that being told in person is the way they are typically informed of causes and social issues in which others want them Write me a personal email 19% 33% 28% 33%to be involved. even among GenerationsY (ages 18 to 29) and X (ages 30 to 45), Send me information about a website to visit 24% 29% 27% 30%who are significantly more likely than oldergenerations to report being sent messages or Invite me to join a cause on Facebook or another online social networking site 26% 26% 19% 14%invitations via social media or text messaging,more than half (56% and 59%, respectively) Send me a message on Facebook or other online social networking site to 23%* 23%* 14% 12% add the cause logo or icon (like a ribbon) to my Facebook page or blogreport this face-to-face engagement as theprimary way they learn about causes. Tell me via text message 14%* 11%* 7% 3% Tell me via instant message (e.g., AIM, Google Chat) 7% 8% 4% 3% “Nearly two-thirds of americans report that being told in person is the way they are typically informed of causes and social issues in which others want them to be involved.”32 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Social media: Beliefs vs. actions Online Support Online Supportamericans of all ages are in agreement that Strongly/Somewhat Agreethey can make a difference by supporting Online social networking sites, like Facebook, increase the visibility of social causes and issuescauses; however, they disagree in their 70%*perception of the extent to which social 68%*media can help accomplish this. When 60%it comes to showing support for causes, 51%generations X and Y subscribe more readily Online social networking sites, like Facebook, allow people to support causes more easilythan Baby Boomers (ages 46 to 60) and 68%*the Silent generation (age 61 and over) to 62%the beliefs that social networking sites like 57%Facebook help increase visibility for causes 43%and help them get the word out about causes more easily. Generations X and Y also I feel like I can help get the word out about a social issue or cause through online social networks, like Facebook, Twitter and blogsare significantly more likely to report that 55%*they would support a cause online rather than 51%*offline (36% and 37%, respectively). 37% 23% I am more likely to support a cause online than ofﬂine Gen Y 37%* Gen X 36%* Baby Boomers 25% 17% Silent Gen Dynamics of Cause Engagement 33

However, even for younger generations, “most Often” Ways of getting Involved Top Six Ways of Being Most Often Involvedsocial media continues to remain relatively low on the list of ways americans typically Baby Gen Y Gen X Boomers Silent Gensupport causes. While Generation Y ismore likely than older generations to make Donating money 27% 39% 44% 50%*use of promotional social media tools Talking to others about it 31% 31% 33% 37%(e.g., blogs, cause icons on social profiles,cause groups) these still rank below more Donating clothing, rewards points, 14% 22% 25% 31%historically prominent types of engagement hair or other personal items(e.g., donating, talking to others about social Learning more about the issue 15% 19% 21% 26%*issues, volunteering, signing a petition). and its impact Signing a petition for the cause 15% 17% 19% 24%* Volunteering time (i.e., help-lines, 15% 17% 19% 16% soup kitchens, mentoring, cleaning) Social Media NET 21% 18% 14% 8% Social media NET includes social media promotional activities (e.g., joining a cause group, posting a logo to a social proﬁle or contributing to a blog).34 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Different generations, Online Support FatigueDifferent Drivers of Online Cause Fatigue“Cause Fatigue” Strongly/Somewhat Agreesocial media users or not, study findings Emails about causes sometimes feel like spamacross all generations point to the potential 70% 72%for online cause overload. More than 7 in 10 76%report that emails about causes sometimes 76%feel like spam. The silent Generation—which Everybody “likes” causes on Facebook, it doesn’t really mean anythingis significantly more likely than younger 60%•generations to be told about causes by 56%• 44%email—also is significantly more likely to say 39%they receive too many emails about causes I get too many emails and messages about causes now Gen Y(55%). Generations X and Y are significantly 42% Gen Xmore likely to believe that everybody “likes” 42%causes on facebook and that it doesn’t really Baby Boomers 47%mean anything. 55%* Silent Gen Dynamics of Cause Engagement 35

gen X Strongest Believers in the Levels of Involvement Level of InvolvementPower of Supporting Causes Very InvolvedMore than younger and older generations, “Generation X is the mostGeneration X has the highest number ofpeople who report being very involved with concerned about family 9% 11%causes. Generation X is also more likely to 8% 7% 6% involvement in causes;believe that supporting causes provides asense of purpose and meaning in life and Americans Gen Y Gen X Baby Boomers Silent Gen Generation Y reportsenhances the feeling of belonging to a having the greatestcommunity. In addition, generation X is the most concerned about family involvement involvement growing up.”in causes. Generation Y, on the other hand,reports having the greatest involvementgrowing up. Cause Beliefs Cause Beliefs Baby Gen Y Gen X Boomers Silent Gen Strongly/Somewhat Agree 69% 79% 77% 78% I believe everyone can make a difference by supporting causes 69% 80% 77% 76% Supporting a cause can give you a sense of purpose and meaning in your life 69% 78% 73% 73% Supporting causes makes me feel good about myself 58% 68% 64% 62% Supporting causes makes me feel like I am part of a community 48% 55% 48% 43% It is important to me that my family is involved in causes 41% 36% 36% 31% I was actively involved in supporting causes when I was growing up36 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

Involvement with Specific Causes Involvement with Speciﬁc Causes (very or somewhat involved) 31% 19% 36% 21% Supporting our troops Domestic Violenceall generations Share Support 39% 47%* 22% 17%for Feeding the Hungry and 30% 15% 15%Supporting Our troops Feeding the hungry 37% 42% Haiti relief 14% 42% 14% 19% 13%americans of all ages are generally in 24% 14% Heart disease and heart health Tea party movement 32%* 14%agreement about the causes in which they 14% 39%*are most involved, with supporting our troops 24% 21%and feeding the hungry at the top of the list. 33% 26% Breast Cancer Bullying 21% 33%Health-related issues, such as heart disease 35% 12%and diabetes, garner stronger involvement 16% 15% 23% 15% Autismfrom Baby Boomers and the Silent Diabetes 28% 14% 35%* 10%generation, while global warming ranks 27% 19%slightly higher among generations X and Y. 28% 20% Global warming Childhood obesity 26% 16% 21% 9%Looking ahead to the remainder of 2011, 12% 16%generation Y believes that gay marriage will Prostate cancer 15% HIV/AIDS 15% 16% 12%be the most prominent cause (28%), followed 21%* 8%closely by supporting our troops, bullying and 23% 18% 25% 16%global warming (26% each). older americans Drunk driving 24% Gay marriage 12% 18% 8%(Generation X, Baby Boomers and the silent 17%Generation) are in agreement that supporting 20% Pro-life 21%our troops will remain most prominent (31%, 18% Gen Y Gen X Baby Boomers Silent Gen39%, and 50%, respectively). top 5 most Prominent Causes in 2011 Top 5 Most Prominent Causes in 2011 Gen Y Gen X Baby Boomers Silent Gen Gay marriage (28%) Supporting our troops (31%) Supporting our troops (39%) Supporting our troops (50%*) Supporting our troops (26%) Bullying (28%) Feeding the hungry (33%) Feeding the hungry (38%*) Bullying (26%) Breast cancer (25%) Bullying (30%) Tea party movement (33%*) Global warming (26%) Global warming (24%) Global warming (27%) Childhood obesity (33%*) Feeding the hungry (22%) Childhood obesity (24%) Tea party movement (25%) Bullying (30%) Dynamics of Cause Engagement 37

Key LessonsThe results of this study suggest could become drivers of “cause fatigue” engagement drivers for your specificopportunities for organizations and if not used strategically. strategic use of target audience is fundamental in orderpractitioners to deepen the connection digital media means thinking beyond the to tailor strategies and tactics that willbetween a cause and its supporters. The “hot tool” of the moment and carefully resonate with and move them to the nextfollowing are key findings that should be integrating digital initiatives into a level of involvement.considered when designing strategies and broader strategy to help achieve the • Consider cause involvement as a strategy tactics to foster cause engagement: defined goals and objectives. to foster behavior change. Results • think Beyond Stereotypes: So-Called highlight a potential connection between• Don’t Lose Sight of traditional Forms Slacktivists are more active than You may cause involvement and behavior change. of engagement. Results highlight the think. americans who support causes by More than half of americans (52%) affirmed continued importance of historically participating in promotional social media to have changed their behavior as a result prominent types of supporting activities activities are engaged in a greater number of their involvement with a cause. This (e.g., donating money, volunteering) and of different kinds of supporting activities figure is even higher among women (55%) of traditional channels of communication than americans who do not use social media and Generation X (58%). Therefore, social (e.g., television and print media, personal to engage with causes. This indicates that marketers should consider adding cause relationships) in cause engagement. social media activities actually supplement— engagement to their tool box of strategies• make Strategic Use of Social media rather than replace—the range of historically to motivate behavior change. to Broaden engagement. although prominent types of cause engagement In conclusion, the study results reinforce promotional social media activities may activities. engaging supporters through social the importance of combining multiple not be at the top of the list of ways in media, therefore, holds potential to deepen strategies to offer supporters a wide variety which americans currently engage with their overall involvement with a cause. of opportunities to engage. Integration is the causes, americans do recognize the • Design strategies and tactics based on key in a world where social media is expanding importance of social media in facilitating audience-specific drivers of engagement: and opening new venues for involvement, the support of causes. This is particularly there is no “one size fits all” formula for but, at the same time, the traditional forms true among women, younger generations, cause engagement. findings highlight of cause engagement remain critical. the african americans and Hispanics. These significant demographic differences in the bottom line: the most appropriate channel groups also are more likely than their types of causes americans support, how depends on your audience and objective. If counterparts to learn about and engage they learn about and engage with causes you can banish thinking about “online” versus with causes through social media. and how important cause involvement is “offline” engagement, and integrate a variety of However, as the use of digital tools in for them personally and for their families. approaches based on audience research, you cause engagement increases, the tools Therefore, a deep understanding of the will have more success in engaging supporters.38 Dynamics of Cause Engagement

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Dynamics of Cause Engagement - Final Report

by Center for Social Impact Communication, Georgetown University

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