5 February, 2016

After attending the recent CharityComms seminar on digital communication trends, we wanted to highlight and share just two of the many interesting and inspiring ideas discussed, about how we should be using technology now and in the (near) future to engage audiences, and make sure we’re not just talking to ourselves.

Breaking out of the bubble was one of our favourites. Joe Hall of The Climate Coalition and Woo Hoo Yeah Yeah! reinforced the idea that while we might be doing very nicely in our bubble – having fantastic, engaged conversations – many activists and others who care about our issues remain on the outside. Meaning there are literally millions not being reached. Joe is right to argue that these people should become a much more prominent target and a defined focus for future campaigns.

With the assertion that social media is becoming people’s main source of news and information and Facebook making many of us more narrow-minded, it’s vital that we make a conscious and concerted effort to reach less engaged audiences, and not leave them behind.

Virtual reality (VR) was another idea with a lot of buzz. The technology has been around in various forms for a while. It looks like its moment has finally come, as devices are more readily available and affordable. For example with Google Cardboard anyone can make their own headset and experience virtual reality from a smartphone for arond £3.

These exciting developments open up a whole (virtual) world of possibilities for charities and organisations that rely on creating a connection between their work and their audience – giving supporters an immersive experience of the charity’s work.

Some organisations have already been exploring the use of VR. In May last year Amnesty International launched a virtual reality street fundraising project using VR sets to transport members of the public from the streets of London to the war-torn streets of Syria. And it worked. Amnesty reported strong, emotional reactions; some people were brought to tears. The figures are also impressive: after a week they registered a 16% increase in regular givers.

A big thanks to CharityComms for another great event, and to all the presenters for their enlightening talks. We look forward to seeing how these trends influence charities’ communications activities in the coming months and years.

For more info, look on the CharityComms website where you can check out all of the presentations and see some of the Twitter reaction from the day.