Emotional Branding: The Art of Winning Support for Your Charity
In the same way that most people buy something based on an emotional connection with a brand, they give to charitable causes that pull on their heartstrings.
There is a psychology behind why donors decide to give to certain charities and not others, and emotional branding plays a key role in these decisions. The question is, what is emotional branding?
Emotional branding explained
Emotional branding is shaping your charity organisation's messaging to appeal to the emotions of donors, volunteers, and partners.
It means that everything that your charity does from the smallest visual element to the donation experience is designed to reach people on an emotional level. It could be tapping into people's personal values and beliefs or altruism to build an emotional connection.
The power of emotional branding
People are motivated to give, whether it's their time or money, to good causes for different reasons, which is why bog standard branding will have very little effect if you're trying to win people to your cause.
When you understand what motivates your audience, that's when you can truly put the power of emotional branding to good use. What then motivates people to give their time and money to good causes?
#1 - Personal beliefs and values
There's no greater motivator for people to give to good causes than their personal beliefs and values. If your values and beliefs as an organisation align with those held by an individual, emotional branding helps you to connect with people on an emotional level.
By clearly communicating your organisation's mission, vision, and activities, and making it obvious how a donor or volunteer can support your mission, it will reinforce a sense of purpose and will help to build long-term engagement with people.
#2 - Emotion
Emotion is a big driving force behind a decision to support a cause. We're emotional beings 🙂
Pebble Beach Fundraising points out that "compelling stories and imagery that spark feelings of compassion, empathy, and hope", tend to have a significant impact on donor and volunteer behaviour.
People are much more likely to donate or volunteer if they feel a strong emotional connection to your cause and those that you support. Emotional branding helps to show people where their help is needed, and the difference that their contribution will make to the lives of others.
#3 - Influence and social norms
Because we're social beings, our behaviour is often influenced - maybe more than we'd like to admit - by peer pressure and social norms. That's why social proof has become a big part of brand building for charity organisations.
The fact is, people are much more likely to do something if other people are doing it. Remember the ice bucket challenge? It recently celebrated its 10th anniversary having become a global phenomenon in 2014.
It all started with three young men living with ALS, Anthony Senerchia, Pete Frates, and Pat Quinn, who dumped ice water on their heads to raise awareness of ALS. They inspired more than 17 million people to do the same, raising $115 million worldwide for the fight against ALS.
This is the kind of trend your charity brand can capitalise on by highlighting the collective impact of donations and showcasing the support of your existing donors. Emotional branding via your social media platforms is a great way to amplify your influence.
These are just some of the ways emotional branding can shape how your charity brand is perceived. To prove that emotional branding is powerful, Persuasion Nation provides some key statistics highlighting its impact
The rate of people who recommend a brand based on emotional connection is 71%.
There is a 38% chance that anger-inducing content will go viral.
The success rate of emotional marketing campaigns is 31%.
There really is power in emotional branding 💥
How a charity branding agency can help your organisation
Creating and maintaining an effective emotional brand strategy requires expertise and resources that your organisation might not have in-house. This is where a charity branding agency can support you.
An agency that specialises in charity brand building has the experience to help you create and execute a branding strategy that connects with people on an emotional level. Here's how:
Standout storytelling
If there's one thing that charity branding agencies bring to the table, it's standout storytelling. With an ability to craft compelling narratives that will capture every detail of your charity's mission and impact, you can present your brand to the world, telling stories to spark emotion and drive action.
Using techniques like character-driven narratives, emotional arcs, and powerful visuals, a charity branding agency can help you create something that connects with people on a deeply personal level - not just to win them to your cause but to make them long-term, loyal ambassadors.
Creating a cohesive visual identity
Us humans are a very visual species, which means that imagery, colours, and even logos can spark certain emotions.
A charity branding agency can help you to build a visual identity that captures audience imaginations, taps into the right emotions, and really showcases your organisation's personality.
Targeted messaging
Charity branding agencies understand the importance of language in emotional branding.
They can develop messaging that speaks directly to the emotions, values, and aspirations of your target audience. This includes creating taglines, social media content, and campaign materials that inspire and engage.
Donor experience enhancement
Partnering with a charity branding agency equips you to enhance the donor experience by creating interactions and immersive experiences that reinforce the emotional connection.
This can include designing impactful events, creating engaging online experiences, or developing personalised communication strategies that make your donors, volunteers, and partners feel valued and appreciated.
Transform your charity with emotional branding
Emotional connections drive action and that's why emotional branding is a powerful tool for making a greater impact. By tapping into the emotions of potential supporters, you can inspire empathy, create a sense of belonging, and reinforce positive feelings.
Perfect your emotional branding with Sodium & Co.
We're not your typical branding agency, we're a charity sector specific agency that gives you virtual support at your fingertips.
We understand the Third Sector space more than most branding agencies, which is why we're the ideal collaborators to give you the long-term brand management support you need.
Everything you need from a branding company for your charity can be found under our roof. We are a collective of hybrid branding and marketing specialists that build brands with staying power.
We are the creative force to champion your cause.
Let's talk brand consultancy. Book your FREE, 30-minute call with Navi Aulkh, for a detailed discussion about your organisation, branding requirements, our prices and packaging - and how to get the most out of working together.