Event Activation Strategies for Socially-Responsible Brands

Have you ever looked for exciting nonprofit events for product sampling and brand activation and found one with your ideal target audience, only to discover that a competitor already snagged an exclusive category sponsorship? 

Don’t fret, there are usually other ways you can reach the same event’s audience. Repetition breeds familiarity and trust, and there are many low and no-cost ways to help your target customers get to that loyal comfort zone with you.

In-kind product donations, a.k.a. sending products to events for attendees to sample, is a well-known marketing and CSR practice that not only spreads brand awareness but also boosts your brand’s reputation. Founders of brands like Stone Brewing, Hint Water, and Kind Bar have been outspoken about using this strategy to generate growth and loyalty through charity and community events. 

Leveraging the power of reciprocity, sampling removes the barriers and financial risk of trying something new for your prospective customers. When your products are at an event that supports a cause they care about, this alignment can enhance their positive feelings about your brand even more.

Let’s explore some event activation strategies so your brand can reach target consumers at highly desirable events without a paid sponsorship.

Why engage in CSR?

Corporate social responsibility, or CSR, is the idea that businesses have an obligation to devote some of their resources towards charitable causes to make the world a better place.

While it initially might not seem productive to “donate,” there are many benefits for you as a donor company as well as the beneficiary in a CSR partnership. Consider the following data from Harvard Business School:

• 77% of consumers are motivated to patronize socially-minded companies over competitors.

• 92% of employees working at socially-minded companies said they’d be more likely to recommend their workplace to those looking for a job.

• 90% of employees working at socially-minded companies say they’re more motivated, hard-working, and loyal.

Not only will you attract prospective customers with your charitable activity, but you’ll make your work environment more satisfying as well. Plus, you may be able to receive a tax deduction for your contributions, which reduces the financial barriers of donating.

What is event activation?

Event activation is a form of brand activation in which your business supplies products or gift certificates to an event for partnership and promotion. In turn, this shares your brand and increases your visibility among new audiences.

This tactic is especially useful as part of a CSR campaign because it allows you to build a charitable reputation while promoting your products and services. So, find nonprofit events that match your values and target market and offer to supply samples for their next event. For example, if you run a pet store, excellent nonprofit partners might be animal shelters or pet clubs and associations.
Unlike TV commercials or social media ads, events are all about socialization and connection, providing you the opportunity to personally connect with potential customers. So be sure to offer ways for attendees to stay in touch, such as signing up to receive special offers on the products they sampled.

Why donate in-kind gifts?

While nonprofits appreciate monetary donations, in-kind contributions can be just as, if not more, valuable to your partner. Some unique traits of in-kind gifts include:

• Scalability. In-kind contributions can be more flexible and scalable than monetary gifts, which may need budgetary review. You could donate excess goods, products designated for marketing promotions, time, or experiences based on your resources and bandwidth.

• Tax-deductibility. In-kind donations may be tax-deductible, so your business can minimize the financial impact.

• More impact for less cost. Your products might be able to help nonprofits offset expenses, but cost you much less than the retail value. In these cases, something that your company may consider excess inventory or a product/service, such as tickets to a museum, that you have ample ability to provide will attribute a much higher value of generosity and support. 

Donating in-kind gifts is an especially useful tactic for brands and services with broad target markets as they can support the nonprofit while spreading brand awareness. So, if your brand qualifies, this is an excellent opportunity to kill two birds with one stone!

Top Event Activation Strategies for Product-Based Brands

Why would a nonprofit consider accepting products from multiple companies for an event? Often, an event requires more variety and volume than one brand can provide. If one event is effectively closed to you due to sponsor preference, other events held by the same organization may not be covered by the same exclusivity clauses. 

Before determining how you’ll present your products, it’s crucial to ensure you find the right events for your needs. Though the prospect of working a large gala fundraiser is tempting, you need to be realistic and consider your time and budget’s flexibility. 

When budgets are tight and you don’t have as much product to give, the trick is finding other highly targeted opportunities like VIP appreciation events or happy hours. While these events are smaller, they’re potentially more personal, impactful, and affordable. 

Now, let’s explore some event activation channels you can use to spread your brand awareness.

Gift Bags

Sponsor exclusivity may not extend to products included in gift bags. When providing products for an event’s gift bags, consider: 

• Pros: Everyone at the event gets your product.

• Cons: You won’t directly interact with consumers, increasing the need for bouncebacks. 

Gift bags are a smart option if you have products to send but are short on time or staff. This low-touch opportunity can establish some brand recognition without pulling too much from your human resources.

Vendor Booth 

Regardless of what competitors are doing, you may still be able to purchase a vendor booth where you can interact with attendees and give away samples. Reach out to see if buying a booth is a viable option for your team. Consider:

• Pros: People get to interact with your team, try your product, and give direct feedback.

• Cons: You’ll have to consider the cost of the booth itself and staff time, especially if events last multiple days.

Vendor booths are the best option if you have the time, staff, and budget to make it happen.

Incentives

Fundraising campaigns and a-thons may use packages created with your products to reward participants who reach certain levels. When offering your products to be used as incentives, consider:

• Pros: You receive extra promotion of your items as a coveted prize, lending your brand prestige. Links to your website and social media may be used/promoted as well.

• Cons: Typically no direct interaction with attendees. 

Try this strategy if you can offer universally-desirable, unique packages and want to save time.

Silent Auction or Raffle

If an event has a silent auction or raffle, this may be the easiest way to get brand exposure. Donating a larger basket or bundle, exceeding any competitor’s package if you can, can draw as much attention as a sponsor’s name on a program. Here’s what to expect from this strategy:

• Pros: This is a very common need of nonprofits and schools that fundraise, so can be easily scalable to promote your brand and products and engage as many people at events as you want it's relatively easy to put together a package, such as a bundle of brand favorites or a gift certificate for a popular starter service.

• Cons: There’s no direct interaction with attendees unless you attend the event yourself.

This strategy is best for brands looking for a quick, easy way to get in front of attendees, including new product launches One of the most successful companies to utilize this tactic, becoming the foremost brand in their industry, was Green Mountain Coffee Roasters, which established a national reputation for generosity and was able to introduce their Keurig machines, pods, and convenience into tens of thousands of households through donating to silent auctions alone. 

Day-of Volunteering

If the event is in your community, consider gathering a team to volunteer together. Wear branded attire and talk up your own contributions such as gift bag items or auction or raffle prizes, when meeting attendees. Volunteering considerations include:

• Pros: This strategy is scalable to involve as many or as few of your employees as you want. It also gives you an experience from an attendee’s perspective, so you can evaluate how much to sponsor or participate in future events. Plus, it involves your employees directly, offering them a sense of purpose.

• Cons: This requires your employees and friends to participate, so it’s up to you to encourage them to volunteer. 

This approach is best for causes that are universally liked by your employees. Creating fundraising teams for races and runs can also provide similar exposure.

Committee Volunteering

Allowing your team to join event planning committees as company-paid volunteering can give you the inside scoop on opportunities you may not otherwise hear about, as well as form relationships that can benefit your brand in the future.

• Pros: You’ll gain access to insider information and opportunities. Plus, you could get first rights of refusal for the promotion of your products.

• Cons: It’s a more involved time commitment, depending on the event size, history, and your selected role. 

Consider committee volunteering if you have highly dedicated team members willing to represent your company by taking on more involved roles in community partnerships.

Getting Started

Whether you’re new to partnering with nonprofits or looking for new collaborators, it can be daunting to find the perfect match for your business. But, with the help of event databases and platforms, it’s never been easier to connect with the right organizations. 

A corporate giving platform like DonationMatch enables you to set parameters for finding events by size, location, audience demographics, and event type to identify and directly reach out to event organizers. In turn, you’ll save significant time, effort, and money. 

To start your event activation strategy strong, use DonationMatch to find collaborators that align with your values and goals. Then, plan which event activation tactics work best for you, and start spreading the word about your brand. If you consistently apply these strategies to build and strengthen relationships with consumers through nonprofit partners, your brand will flourish along with your social impact.

Setting Your Company Apart: Benefits Employees Care About

The last three years have been challenging for many employees.

While some may have enjoyed the transition to working from home, others may have missed the camaraderie of connecting with their co-workers in-office and the work/life separation maintained by a physical office. Some may feel fulfilled in their roles, while others may feel like they need to do “more,” whether that’s socially, politically, or something else. And, some may feel secure in their careers, while others feel like they’re quickly being left in the dust in the wake of rapid technological development.

With all of this in mind, the “gimmicky” employee benefits that many companies relied on in the past—pizza lunches, employee lounges, and ping pong tables—may not actually improve employee engagement.

So, which benefits will set you apart as a company that employees want to work for? In this guide, we’ll cover three benefits that modern employees are seeking from their workplaces:

• Skills Training

• Corporate Philanthropy

• Flexible Workspaces

Modern employees want to work for companies that empower them to be better humans overall, whether through training, giving back, or better managing their day-to-day lives. With that in mind, let’s start with the first benefit that employees care about.

Skills Training

For many of your employees, there's a decent chance they've recently needed to develop new skills they didn't have in the past decade, or even the last three years. A few that come to mind include using video conferencing platforms like Zoom, hosting virtual meetings, working effectively from home, navigating new project management systems, or even using new technologies as your industry evolves.

If you thought the past few years have been ripe with innovation, realize that this process is only speeding up. This is why many employees are worried about upskilling in order to keep up with and maintain their current roles.

It’s worthwhile to reevaluate your company’s training curriculum to incorporate more skills training opportunities for employees who want to continue in their professional development journeys. 

How to Incorporate This Benefit Into Your Offerings

The best way to incorporate skills training into your overall training curriculum is to invest in micro-credentials. Skyepack defines micro-credentials as “short, stackable courses that learners—whether students, employees, or organization members—take to develop specific skills in their field.”

Micro-credentials tend to target skills in high-growth fields, such as IT support, project management, UX design, cybersecurity, and digital marketing. They’re often asynchronous, meaning employees can begin a micro-credential and work toward it as it best fits into their personal schedules.

Consider working with an instructional design partner to develop micro-credentials that target key skills that would benefit your employees in their personal professional journeys. This partner can work with your training team to develop the digital course materials for your team.

Corporate Philanthropy

After a few years of social, health, and financial distress across society, many employees are seeking to not only work but to make a positive impact on the world while doing so. They want to work for companies that prioritize giving back and are taking direct action both behind the scenes and publicly to do so.

In response, many companies are embracing corporate philanthropy, defined as “the voluntary actions that businesses take to improve their impact on the environment, their communities, and society at large.” This includes sponsoring and donating to nonprofits, incorporating giving programs into their benefits packages, and incentivizing employees to give back themselves.

How to Incorporate This Benefit Into Your Offerings

There are multiple types of corporate philanthropy programs that you can incorporate into your benefits package. Choose the options that would interest your employees the most and align with your available resources.

Some examples include:

• In-Kind Donations: This involves your company donating products or services to nonprofits, rather than monetary donations. These could be resources (ex: gently used computers that your organization no longer needs), your own products and services (ex: a restaurant catering an event or tickets to an amusement park), or even pro bono services (ex: a marketing agency donating a consultation). To match your company and resources with a nonprofit that aligns well with those offerings, consider using an online donation portal designed for creating such matches.

• Matching Gifts: According to Double the Donation, a matching gift program is “a type of philanthropy in which companies financially match donations that their employees make to nonprofit organizations.” Your organization simply sets the parameters for the program, including the types of nonprofits to which you’ll match, the maximum and minimum donation amounts you’ll match, and the ratio at which you’ll match (ex: one-to-one). Then, you share the opportunity with employees.

• Volunteer Grants: These are very similar to matching gifts, except the donation your company makes corresponds to the number of volunteer hours an employee serves at a qualified nonprofit. For this program, you set the parameters for the types of nonprofits, the maximum and minimum volunteer hours, and the financial amount corresponding to the hour amounts. For example, you might pledge to make a $250 donation for every 25 hours worked.

• Run/Walk/Ride Sponsorships: This program is fairly straightforward and involves your company paying registration fees for employees who choose to participate in Run/Walk/Ride events.

Regardless of which type(s) of corporate philanthropy you choose to incorporate into your benefits offerings, the most important thing is communicating it to your employees. That way, they can see that your company prioritizes supporting local organizations and giving back—something that many employees are looking for values-wise.

Flexible Workspaces

Your company may have sent employees to work from home due to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic. When that change happened, and then was extended, employees saw that their work experience could look different than the standard 9 am to 5 pm, in-office tradition.

Now, as offices are reopening, there’s a constant back-and-forth between companies that want a more traditional culture and employees seeking more autonomy over their work weeks from both location and scheduling perspectives. As the conflict evolves, many employers are realizing that a balance of the two priorities is key.

How to Incorporate This Benefit Into Your Offerings

Incorporating this benefit will look drastically different across companies. Begin by examining your long-term business goals, company culture, and work product. Aim to understand what level of flexibility would be possible for your organization when all of these factors are taken into account.

Here are a few examples, listed from most to least flexible:

• A fully work-from-home schedule with flexible working hours. This is built on the idea that as long as deliverables are completed in a timely manner, scheduling is less relevant.

• A hybrid model with designated in-office days. This option gives employees the best of both worlds when it comes to working in-office with colleagues and from home.

• A return to the office with increased flexibility in scheduling. This could mean allowing employees to “reallocate” hours across the week if they need to leave early or come in late one day. For example, an employee might leave three hours early on a Friday afternoon but come in early on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to make up for the time lost.

The strategy you choose could be a combination of multiple examples or none of the above. The most important thing is that you define what flexible looks like for your specific company and then clearly communicate it to employees.

For the past three years, your employees have been functioning with the uncertainty of if they were returning to the office and if so, when. The last thing you want to do is give them a vague pronouncement of flexibility and then not clearly communicate what that means. When you communicate the parameters of your new policies, employees will be able to create their own schedules within it.

Benefits are directly tied to employee engagement, satisfaction, and long-term retention. However, the days of pizza-driven employee appreciation efforts are in the past!

These three benefits target what employees truly care about—self-improvement, philanthropy, and flexibility. Consider how they could fit into your overall benefits package to stand out from the crowd of companies trying to work with your top talent!