Giving back to the community – especially at the holidays – is an incredible opportunity to connect with your customers, engage your employees and grow your business by building your brand.
In today’s world, your customers not only expect your business to deliver exceptional products and services, but contribute to the community and play an active role in addressing societal issues.
A Holiday Giving campaign gives your company a way to strengthen customer and employee relationships by providing an opportunity to make a difference in the community.
“Community relations is the number one way to organically increase brand awareness and catapult to the top of your industry. Clients want to feel good about who they do business with, employees desire opportunities to give back, and companies benefit when local communities thrive.” – Justin Langston, Two Men & A Truck
Common Concerns About Community Giving
Many business owners are hesitant to start a community giving campaign. Here are a few of the most common concerns I hear from my clients:
- It costs too much
- I don’t have the time
- It’s a feel good campaign – it won’t drive business
- It will impact production by taking people away from their jobs
- I’ve never tried it, so I don’t know where to start
“If businesses knew how much getting involved in the community could return in profit and reputation, more would use it as a solid marketing strategy. Consumers want to know what you stand for. They decide, with their dollars, whether to stand with you or not.” – Clarence Fisher, Tulsa Internet Marketing
The Positive Impact of Community Giving
Here are a few reasons why community giving is an important tool to help grow your business:
- 78% of Americans believe companies must do more than just make money; they must positively impact society as well. Source: 2018 Cone/Porter Novelli Purpose Study
- 74% of employees say their job is more fulfilling when given the opportunity to make a positive impact at work. Source: Research from Cone Communication
- Turnover dropped by 57% in employee groups most deeply connected to their companies’ giving and volunteering efforts. Source: 2018 Benevity Engagement Study
“Now more than ever, employees, especially millennials, require a strong community relations strategy to feel engaged and fulfilled with an organization. The strategy does not have to be overly complex, but just enough to meet the employee’s needs.” – Kristi Spaethe, The People Perspective
Ready To Get Started?
To get started building a Holiday Giving campaign for your company, follow these steps:
- Step 1: Establish A Giving Focus
- Determine which cause(s) to support through the Holiday Giving campaign and why you are supporting that cause.
- Define how you will support that cause – fundraising, volunteerism, customer engagement, etc.
- Step 2: Create Holiday Giving Strategy
- Create an action plan
- Implement the campaign
- Step 3: Integrate with Brand Management
- Create a communication plan to tell the story – both internally & externally
- Step 4: Plan Your Next Community Giving Activity
- Don’t wait for next year! Integrate community relations all year long to build your brand and engage your customers.
Want some help?
With more than 20 years of experience in community relations, branding, and communications, King PR and Marketing has the tools and knowledge to create a custom community relations strategy to meet your company’s needs. To learn more, visit www.KingPrMarketing.com or call (918) 731-3339.
