BURLINGTON, Vt.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--By now, we’ve all seen the compelling data as to why brands should invest in cause marketing – and our study supports prior findings, with 67% of teens saying they were more likely to purchase from a company that supports a cause versus a company that does not. But in our study completed this month of 2,000 U.S. teens between the ages of 14-17, we identified additional insights for brands as they consider their cause marketing programs.
What Teens Care About
One of the most interesting findings
from our similar 2016
study was that the Environment did not rank as a key concern of
teens. But in our 2018 survey, the Environment is back on the list.
Ranked in order, the top five key concerns of teens are:
- Education
- Jobs and Unemployment
- Prejudice and Racism
- The Environment
- Terrorism
Teens Have Ramped Up Their Activism
Another notable change
since 2016 has been in teens’ more assertive activism. More than a
quarter of respondents said they have “attended protests or rallies” or
“boycotted a company” in the last year. In that same period, teens cited
taking the following actions:
- 60 % Recycled regularly
- 42% Educated family and/or friends about a cause
- 33% Volunteered their time to a cause
- 22% Donated money to a cause
Teens Say Corporations Have an Obligation to Solve Social Issues
One
of the most fascinating findings of our study is teens’ belief that
corporations have the same obligations as teens themselves to help solve
social issues. 68% said companies have an obligation to help solve
social problems, while 67% said they themselves have that
responsibility. Only 10% said neither they, nor corporations, have an
obligation to solve social problems. And how do teens think companies
are doing? Not so well. Only 28% of teens think companies are doing
enough to support causes teens care about.
Communicating Cause Marketing Authenticity to Teens
After
learning a company supports a social cause:
- 69% of teens say they trust the company more
- 62% said they are more likely to purchase the company’s products
- 66% said they pay more attention to the company’s marketing/advertising
But teens are discriminating, if not skeptical:
- 50% of teens said they believe a company’s cause marketing is genuine if it makes a financial donation to a cause
- 50% of teens said they believe a company’s cause marketing is genuine if its employees work on the issue
- 44% of teens said they believe a company’s cause marketing is genuine if the company communicates about their efforts in their marketing/advertising
Taking Steps Toward Effective Cause Marketing
In our 2016
study, the brands whose cause marketing efforts most resonated with Gen
Z included Ben and Jerry’s, Chili’s, and the NFL. Our 2018 study
includes three new companies getting the attention of teens:
- Walmart’s partnership with Feeding America
- McDonald’s HACER Scholarships and the Ronald McDonald House
- Microsoft’s K-12 STEM programs
For more information about teen-centric cause marketing strategy and best practices, please contact us.
About Fuse
Fuse
is an independent agency that creates authentic brand engagement for
teens and young adults. We specialize in content, campus, influencers,
sports, music and retail while providing services across brand strategy,
social, creative and experiential. Our staff, led by partners Bill
Carter, Issa Sawabini and Brett Smith, is comprised of experienced
marketing professionals and cultural experts who maintain unrivaled
attention to authenticity. For more about Fuse, check out our website or
find us on Instagram, Twitter,
and LinkedIn.
