Note: The iDare2Care campaign is one of 600 trends pulled from the Springleap Creative Insights Platform. For further information on subscribing to the platform, go to www.trends.springleap.com
The iDare2Care campaign, organised by charity iCare, happened in the streets of Durban earlier this year in May. A completely new and experimental charity drive, over 1,000 participants took to the streets of the CBD to spend a night the way thousands of street kids do - every night. This idea created a shock factor. The campaign asked the participants to do something simple in context but extreme in reality - sleep without a bed. To follow through with the campaign, a big collection of blankets was distributed to the homeless people in surrounding neighbourhoods
It is the unique idea of campaigns like these that set the stage for further innovation in giving back to the community. Instead of organising a drive to collect money or tangible items, the brand gave participants a primary experience of what it is like to live on the streets. This first-hand account of being placed in someone’s less fortunate situation made the campaign much more effective.
iDare2Care - Why Did It Trend?
Although the campaign was set to raise awareness about the lives of homeless people in general, there was emphasis placed on street children. The reality of the matter is that children will always have a more emotional part to play in the eyes of the consumer. The people who were drawn in to participate were from fortunate, privileged backgrounds. All races and both genders found themselves willing to join, especially those within LSM groups 6-10 and defined as “middle to upper class”.
More impact is made when people are asked to do things that they would never need to do. This is a distinctive quality found in the market that participated. Besides from actually caring about the plight that homeless people experience everyday, these people are adventurous and excited to step out of the comfort zone. It’s not everyday that participants are rallied into action like this. The campaign has given insight into the diehard willingness of this target market.
In addition, when organised in a community driven way, charity always has the potential to bring the masses together. It’s seen as a trendy thing to participate in charity if the experience is talkable afterwards.
As a charitable act of this immensity, many people would want to be seen doing their part for this innovative campaign. The iDare2Care ultimately gained its hype through the core message and actionable experience for consumers.
iCare released a teaser video to generate hype about the campaign.
iDare2Care - Competitor Landscape
Durban is not short on charities by any means. Being a typical growing South African metropolis, the city plays host to a big scale of social inequality.
Despite the singular NGOs, the KZN province is even supported by 31 Club, which aims to serve as financial aid for a number of private charities too. Whilst iCare is taking a more unconventional approach to raising awareness and funds, other charities in the city still rely on traditional media to better leverage their brand positioning.
It is a very grey area to place competition in the world of charity. At the end of the day, these entities commonly serve to uplift the lives of those less fortunate. Although charities do compete for attention and funds to be channeled into their efforts, iCare has really taken it up a notch for the industry. It will be a challenge for other brands to one-up this campaign, however the stage for innovation in charity has most certainly been laid out.
Charity-driven campaigns become trendy because of the ability to resonate with the hearts of consumers. Our Creative Insights Platform has catalogued a growing number of these charitable brand activities and can be used to unpack the ones that affect your industry.
iDare2Care - Actionable Insights & Consumer Trends
One could learn that consumers respond well to unique experiences, but this is a given. An invaluable insight to be gained here is that a high number of established city dwellers were willing to go beyond their comfort zones and experience a reality that plagues many South Africans.
This is relatable to many elements of marketing and advertising; consumers want to be part of innovation. An individual of fortunate backgrounds being able to discuss his/her experience in “making a difference” like this is a truly engaged individual. One that will be sure to talk about it a lot; offline and online.
For iCare, this act bolstered their brand name up to the top of the local charity industry. The campaign made its mark in the scene, and has revolutionised the way South Africans think about how they can help out to make a difference. It’s now either up to iCare to bring more innovation to the table or for another charity to challenge the newfound standards.
Photo Credits
ethekwinigirl (Flickr)
