The rise of influencer marketing has paved a new way for cause marketing initiatives.

 
Influencer marketing is no longer the shiny, new trend it once was. Heading into 2017, 48 percent of marketers planned to increase their influencer marketing budget, catapulting the practice into legitimacy. However, there are still organizations that aren’t taking advantage of influencer marketing under the assumption that it’s not the right fit for their brand. Alternatively, there are also others who are all in on influencer, but unaware of another approach that can create a meaningful impact.

The opportunity for nonprofits and corporate social responsibility marketers to implement influencer marketing programs is massive, contradicting the idea that influencer marketing is only a tactic to sell a product. Why? Because cause marketing matters to consumers. In fact, 87 percent of consumers said they’re more likely to switch from one brand to another if the other brand were associated with a good cause.

Furthermore, when properly done, influencer marketing can be designed to get content and messaging in front of the right target audience. When nonprofits leverage this capability, a more meaningful reaction is solicited from the audience, one that inspires them to take action both on and offline.

Whether it’s driving awareness of your brand’s connection to a nonprofit, or inspiring audiences to engage with your organization, there are many meaningful ways to develop these campaigns. Below are a few examples of cause marketing related influencer campaigns that we developed on behalf of both brands and nonprofits.

Hyundai Hope on Wheels, #EndChildhoodCancer

Hyundai Hope On Wheels, a nonprofit organization of Hyundai Motor America, is committed to finding a cure for childhood cancer. And in 2016, the company launched the Hyundai Quantum Grant to support transformational research on cancers with low survival rates. Carusele partnered with Hyundai by working with several inspiring influencers to promote the event and generate awareness of the organization. One influencer even attended the launch so followers could virtually participate. The motivational messaging of the campaign and high-quality content helped audiences see that large corporations are still investing in giving back to an important cause, and were willing to speak out about it.

American Heart Association, Go Red for Women, #YouGoGirl

The American Heart Association’s initiative, Go Red For Women, aims to dispel myths and raise awareness of preventative measures that women can take for their health. The most important of those preventative measures being a woman’s annual Well-Woman visit with her doctor. This led to the Carusele influencer campaign #YouGoGirl, where we partnered with highly influential female influencers across multiple industries to help raise awareness of women’s high risk of heart disease and stroke and stress the importance of an annual Well-Woman visit.

IKEA, #PlayForAll

Although many people think first of furniture when they think of IKEA, the retailer actively fights for the right for all kids to have a genuine childhood through the IKEA Foundation and the IKEA Good Cause Campaign. In 2016, in an effort to continue to raise awareness and incentivize donations, Carusele partnered with IKEA to execute the #PlayForAll campaign, highlighting the importance of play for all children and its impact on child development.

ConAgra Foods, #FacesBehindHunger

In an effort to create awareness around food insecurity and child hunger in America, Carusele promoted ConAgra Foods partnership with Child Hunger Ends Here and Feeding America to highlight the stories of fourteen “Hunger Heroes,” people hard at work in communities across the country impacted by food insecurity. The program supported the idea that it’s easy to make a difference – whether by volunteering at a local food bank, entering codes from specially-marked ConAgra Foods products to donate the monetary equivalent of one meal to Feeding America, or taking food to a family in need, everyone has the power to “feed one more!”

Champions for Kids, #FillTheCart

As a way to get people involved in making a difference in the lives of underprivileged children in their own communities, Carusele partnered with Champions For Kids to show how simple it can be to give back. The #FillTheCart campaign highlighted the ease of donation, with influencers highlighting their own experiences when going to their local Walmart and purchasing select products to donate on site.

Walgreens, Unilever & Me to We, #GiveH2OPE

As two iconic brands, Walgreens and Unilever came together to partner with the Me to We Foundation to create a program designed to provide clean water to families in need. Carusele supported this partnership by teaming up with content creators to conduct social shops at their local Walgreens, and relay the impact of their purchases with their social audiences. Not only did the community express extreme gratitude towards the brands, but the campaign helped raise over 17.5 million gallons of water.

Walgreens, #RedNose Day

Red Nose Day was originally a well-known fundraiser across the UK hosted by Comic Relief and designed to raise money to end child poverty. But in 2015, Red Nose Day was about to debut in America, and Comic Relief partnered with Walgreens as the designated destination to purchase the iconic red nose. In support of the initiative, Carusele created the Red Nose Club, a group of highly influential content creators who helped launch the Red Nose Day debut and inform audiences on where to purchase their red noses, which quickly sold out.

As the influencer marketing space continues to grow, more and more opportunities are being created for brands and nonprofits in the cause marketing space. If you're interested in learning more about our programs and how they can be applied to your organization, contact us today.