Nearly two-thirds (64%) of Americans say they are more inclined to support social and environmental issues in a variety of ways, including volunteering, donating and sharing information, after first “liking” or “following” an organization online, according to new research by Cone Communications.
Americans also view their online activities as a positive way to make an impact on the issues they care about, with 60 percent believing tweeting or posting information online is an effective form of advocacy or support.
Digital is changing not just how, but where and when donations are made, the survey found. Of those who made a donation in the last 12 months, nearly four-in-10 did so via digital channels, such as online (27%) or via mobile device (11%), while 23 percent did so via regular mail.
If given the opportunity, respondents said they most want to engage online in ways that result in a direct impact on issues, such as voting, signing petitions and learning about changes they can make in their everyday lives. Other actions they are willing to do online include giving feedback directly to companies, making donations, watching a video with a social or environmental message or purchasing a product from a socially or environmentally conscious retailer.
A majority of Americans are motivated by making a meaningful difference on an issue that is compelling or urgent, the survey says. This includes believing that their participation will make an impact, there is an urgent need for immediate support, it is easy to participate, the issue is personally relevant, the content triggers an emotional response or the appeal allows participants to show their social networks what is important to them.
Unsurprisingly, the research found that mainstream social media platforms are the key channels to engaging people around social and environmental issues. Americans see Facebook as the primary social media channel to participate in and learn about issues they care about, followed by YouTube, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Millennials and Hispanics are two segments of the American population that are consistently more engaged in social and environmental issues online, according to the survey. Both segments skew significantly higher in their use of mobile apps to learn and participate in issues. They are using apps to learn about companies’ social or environmental business practices, give feedback directly to companies about social or environmental business practices and learn about ingredients or components in products.
A recent report by CBRE Group found that Millennials may not be that different from the older generations, at least when it comes to workplace preferences. The study found that, while current assumptions about millennials are driving the design of many workplaces today, there is actually little difference in workplace preferences between millennials, Generation Xers and baby boomers.
Another recent study by BSR, GlobeScan and Net Impact found that current and future leaders believe the most significant leadership challenge facing business today is the integration of sustainability into core business operations. The survey shows a remarkable alignment between the perspectives younger and more tenured leaders on the state of sustainable business.
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Founder & Principal Consultant, Hower Impact
Mike Hower is the founder of Hower Impact — a boutique consultancy delivering best-in-class strategic communication advisory and support for corporate sustainability, ESG and climate tech.
Published Nov 12, 2014 11am EST / 8am PST / 4pm GMT / 5pm CET