From a consumers point of view it’s heart-warming and pleasant to see that a brand associates itself with a charity, and research has shown that 60% of consumers are generally willing to pay more money for the product if a brand works with a charity that their audience wants to support. While over 80% have a more positive perception of a brand associated with a charity close to their hearts. It’s nice to think that a portion of the money we spend on our crisps, shampoo or iPods goes to people that need it.

 Of course, experiential events are a great way for brands and charities to tell the world about their collaboration. Experiential marketing has the power to pinpoint a precise target market in many different environments, making it ideal for two companies at the same time to approach their audience. This year has seen an influx in brands and charities working together to put together some incredible activities.

 At iD we recently worked with Benefit Cosmetics on their Mascarathon in association with Refuge. The event was a charity run from Scotland to London to raise awareness and money for Refuge, a national domestic violence charity for women and children. Taking place from the 15th – 29th June 2012 the run started at Edinburgh and stopped off at Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Oxford and came to a finish in Spitalfields London. The event raised 144% of their initial target amount of cash, which is outstanding! The event was a huge success and a fantastic project to work on.

 Far from the joys of getting stopped in the street by a charity rep who insists in stopping us when we’re in a rush, more engaging experiential events are a great new way to make impression on donators and are sure to grow in number over the coming months!

 Chrissy Beck is Production Executive at iD Experiential