Shifting from seasonal to year-round presence
Helping Crisis cut through the noise in the crowded charity sector was key to supporting their year-round efforts. As the Crisis at Christmas appeal has long been their most recognizable campaign, our research needed to tackle the challenge of building broader awareness for the charity beyond the festive season. Through meticulous tracking of key metrics, we explored brand perceptions and helped optimize their messaging, allowing Crisis to strengthen its presence and reshape attitudes toward homelessness.
Sonder has been invaluable to Crisis' Fundraising and Marketing teams, providing clear insights into our Christmas campaign's success drivers. They've delivered robust data for in-campaign optimisations and long-term strategy validation. Always attentive and collaborative, Sonder feels like part of our team.
Anna Shardlow
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Curiosity
Cutting through the noise in the charity sector is challenging, especially for homelessness charities like Crisis, which often face similar messaging and branding to others. Crisis at Christmas, running since 1967, supports those experiencing homelessness during the festive season. However, despite its heritage, Crisis struggled with the misconception that it exists only during the Christmas appeal, making year-round recognition a key challenge.
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Conscience
Our questionnaire design focused on two crucial elements: awareness of the Christmas appeal and recognition of Crisis as an independent charity. By capturing metrics around charitable giving motivations and perceptions of homelessness, we assessed how effectively the campaign built broader awareness. Tracking the campaign’s activity allowed us to evaluate its impact and offer insights for creative optimisation.
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Complexity
The landscape is multifaceted, with various entry points for engaging with Crisis. To maintain clarity, we tracked four key KPIs, including awareness, throughout the campaign. Layering these insights with campaign activities helped contextualise performance and understand engagement dynamics over time.
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Conviction
As awareness of Crisis grew beyond the seasonal appeal, we noticed the charity’s brand imagery becoming less dependent on the Christmas campaign. This shift aligned with changing attitudes toward homelessness, indicating that the campaign has the potential to reshape perceptions and foster optimism about solving the issue.
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