How to Demonstrate Cause Impact

As consumers become savvier about social and environmental issues, organizations are continually challenged to deliver sophisticated programs with an eye toward transparency. One way companies can keep up with consumer expectations is by communicating progress toward stated goals or measuring the results of programs in relevant and compelling ways. We took stock of the ways organizations are reporting results and consumer impact and identified six common approaches:

1. Ongoing Tracking – Results are continuously updated in real time

2. Interactive Impact Calculator – Impact is shown through an interactive calculator

3. Storytelling – Impact is communicated by sharing personal stories of people who were affected by the issue and helped by the program

4. Customized Mapping – A customized map shows consumer impact – locally or globally

5. Mosaic – Consumer effort (making a donation, signing a pledge) helps complete a visual mosaic representing the campaign

6. Social Math – Potential consumer impact is demonstrated through a simple, clear (often one-to-one) equation

For more on each of these approaches, including pros, cons and examples, visit the What Do You Stand For? blog.

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