Following the pandemic, WaterAid identified a gap between positive attitudes towards charitable causes and meaningful supporter action.
The organisation wanted to better understand the emotional and behavioural factors influencing charitable giving, supporter engagement and long-term advocacy. Traditional audience segmentation helped explain what people thought, but not why they acted. A deeper understanding of motivation was needed to improve targeting, communications and campaign effectiveness.
Unlike traditional audience research focused on attitudes and demographics, we explored the motivations shaping supporter behaviour
We examined the emotional needs, motivations and barriers influencing charitable engagement and decision-making.
Using our Motivation Deep Dive methodology, we explored the triggers and influences that shape whether people choose to support a cause.
Behavioural insight was translated into a motivation-based segmentation framework and practical tools that could be applied across strategy, communications and campaign planning.
Strong support for a cause does not automatically translate into donations, participation or advocacy.
Emotional motivations are often more powerful predictors of behaviour than demographics or stated opinions.
Supporters are influenced by different motivations, including impact, belonging, purpose and personal connection.
Communications are most effective when aligned with the motivations that encourage people to take action.
The research provided WaterAid with a behavioural segmentation framework to guide supporter engagement, communications and audience strategy.
The findings identified opportunities for more targeted campaigns and stronger audience prioritisation.
Teams gained a clearer understanding of how to create messaging that aligns with the motivations driving engagement and support.
The work created a common framework across the organisation, helping teams better understand what motivates people to support a cause and how those motivations can inform future engagement activity.
Discover how behavioural science can uncover the motivations behind engagement, identify the barriers preventing action and help organisations create more effective campaigns, communications and behaviour change strategies.
This work gave us a new lens on our audience — not just who they are, but why they act. It changed how we think about messaging, targeting, and long-term engagement
Talk to us about how behavioural science, customer experience research and customer insight can help uncover the factors shaping loyalty, engagement and decision-making.
