This workshop was the third in a series of three workshops with the Concern UK Extended Digital Team, which sought to co-design the digital strategy for the team.
In this workshop, the team considered several options for digital engagement strategies, making a decision on which to take forward. This strategy - which focuses on building a strength in supporter journeys - aims to offer clearer focus and be the basis for planning as the team starts working together.
- Participants
- Strategy choices
- Team purpose
- Team vision
- Team strategy - the “Playing to win” framework
- Options for “how to win”
- Voting: the strategy choice
- What Would Have To Be True?
- Team capabilities
- Organisational and brand alignment
- Peer organisations
- Supporter behaviours and our propositions
- External context
- Collaborating partners
- Roadmap: priorities to be validated
- Downloads
Participants
- Ciarnan Moore
- Connor Malone
- Lionel Riviere
- Lucy Noakes
- Vicky Ingram
Strategy choices
- Cliodhna Donnelly
- Hoho Lam
- Lucy Bloxham
- Mark Nambale Mukasa
- Yasmin Boaitey
The session started with a presentation outlining the process to get to this point and reconfirming the draft team purpose and vision statements. Team members had been able to feedback on these statements and had found them inspiring - though they had worried about their ambition.
Team purpose
We craft innovative digital experiences and journeys that offer the most engaging and empowering ways for people in the UK to take action towards ending extreme poverty.
Team vision
By 2026, Concern UK will boast the fastest growing digital income and supporter engagement of all UK INGOs, with a reputation for innovative, authentic, and efficient cross-channel campaigns and journeys that empower and inspire people to act.
Our team will achieve this by working closely together in a smart, agile and growth-minded way: integrating the latest technologies to build our capacity and impact; leveraging data and experimenting to generate insights and ensure focus on our goals; and connecting with internal teams and external partners to seamlessly link in their channels, resources and expertise.
Team strategy - the “Playing to win” framework
Roger Martin’s “Playing To Win” framework was introduced. This framework offers a succint and accessible way of formulating strategy.
Winning aspiration | The purpose of our team; our guiding aspirations |
Where will we play? | The right playing field to compete in (audiences, geographies, sectors) |
How will we win? | The value proposition and competitive advantage |
What capabilities must be in place? | Reinforcing activities, specific configuration |
What management systems are required? | Support systems, structures, measures required. |
Based on team purpose and vision outlined above, the winning aspiration is already defined. And the team’s playing field is already defined too: by being a digital team in Concern UK and focusing on the audiences defined by the wider organisation.
To be the leading UK INGO team in driving digital income growth and supporter engagement by 2026, recognised for our capacity to inspire and empower people in the UK to take action against extreme poverty through innovative and authentic digital experiences.
Engage with mid-life multipliers on their preferred digital platforms in the UK, where they are active in expressing their views on social, ethical, and political matters.
Options for “how to win”
Reviewing and analysing the different models for how to achieve the vision, and making a choice of the strongest bet.
Five different options were presented. The team could win by being the team with:
We will win by forging deep partnerships with a diverse range of agencies, companies, non-profits, individuals and more. Through these partnerships, we will develop new ideas and access expertise and support. Our valued partners will work with us to craft dynamic, cross-channel digital campaigns, supporter propositions and journeys, deepening connections to our cause and inspiring continued support. Our partners will also help us change how we work: fast-tracking our integration of innovative technologies and helping us foster a culture of agility within our team.
Concerns were raised about the potential negative impact of too much diversity on forging these partnerships.
We will win by fostering an unrivalled culture of agility and growth mindset in our team. Our new culture will help us quickly seize opportunities, integrate innovative technologies, and create and develop effective partnerships. By prioritising responsiveness and adaptability, we can mainstream data-driven insights, rapidly adjust our digital communications, and develop and deliver supporter propositions and journeys that resonate with shifting supporter needs and market trends. This will ensure a meaningful, engaging experience for our supporters at all points of contact – driving growth in engagement and income.
The team had mixed views on this. Some felt that it lacked substance and didn't provide a clear path to winning. Others saw the potential in being a smaller team and having the ability to quickly adapt and innovate – and that is provided control and empowerment to the team.
We will win by leading our peers in the swift integration of innovative technologies. Embracing cutting-edge tools and platforms – for example generative AI – will enable us to streamline operations and enhance our agility, gaining the time and resources we need to be the most effective digital team in the sector. Our technological capabilities will also help us deliver efficient, dynamic, and authentic digital propositions that captivate and engage our supporters through the most interactive and personalised experiences, setting us apart.
We will win by crafting and delivering compelling narratives that illuminate the lives of the people Concern supports, the challenges they face, and the tangible impact of taking action. Our commitment to genuine involvement of beneficiaries in the storytelling process will ensure authenticity and emotional resonance. Through these impactful and emotionally-charged stories, we will form profound connections with our supporters and inspire them to engage more deeply with our cause. By directly linking these authentic stories to targeted supporter propositions and journeys, we will effectively translate emotional engagement into measurable actions, driving our growth.
The discussion emphasized the organisation's strength in providing authentic storytelling and the need to be at the forefront of addressing issues like anti-racism. However, concerns remained about the team’s reliance on other teams for content creation and whether they could continue to be outstanding in this area without the resources that larger charities have.
The team also discussed the potential pitfalls of creating too close a connection between the donors and the beneficiaries. They acknowledged the importance of connecting with donors but also highlighted the need for authenticity in their storytelling and not creating false perceptions of direct impact.
We will win by developing an unparalleled, in-depth understanding of the ‘mid-life multipliers' and their needs, interests, and behaviours. We will use this to create hyper-personalised supporter propositions and journeys that are uniquely tailored to resonate with this specific group. We will also leverage data and insights to rapidly adapt offerings and incorporate innovative technologies in a way that continually enhances the supporter experience. Our agility and supporter-centric focus will drive increased engagement and digital income, setting us apart in the sector and establishing us as the go-to INGO for ‘mid-life multipliers' who want to make a meaningful impact.
Participants expressed concerns about the feasibility of this option given Concern’s current focus on midlife multipliers and the need to engage younger audiences. The team acknowledged the potential challenges of making this appraoch work but also felt that being a smaller team could allow them to have a more grassroots approach and create closer connections with donors.
The team believed that they already had the content and tools to create innovative digital strategies but needed to focus on getting buy-in from everyone and better planning to make these options a reality.
Voting: the strategy choice
After voting on feasibility, viability, and value, it was determined that options four and five received the highest scores in terms of value, while option two was ranked as the most viable.
The team agreed that they wanted to focus on the best digital supporter experience and felt that this option provided a framework for incorporating elements of the other options and could help them connect all the dots in their digital strategy.
What Would Have To Be True?
The second part of the session focused on what the implications of the strategy choice could be. Preparing "What Would Have To Be True?" conditions can outline the assumptions that need to be validated and the capabilities and management systems developed for the strategy to be viable. If any set condition is found to be unattainable, the strategy should be revisited.
The participants were divided into rooms to discuss what factors their team or organisation needs to possess for making the strategy achievable.
Team capabilities
The workshop participants identified several areas related to team capabilities which would be essential to successfully implementing the chosen strategy:
- Access to data and knowledge on midlife multipliers: To implement the strategy effectively, the team would need to have a comprehensive understanding of the target audience segment (including updates to current documents to see what changes and make it more specific for digital). This would also include aligning the database with relevant information around supporters in this segment – and then putting in place processes to keep it updated.
- Access to audience and data analysis and insight skills: The team emphasised the need for these skills to deliver effective planning and strategy execution. They discussed segmentation and personalisation skills, as well as audience insight (to understand supporter motivations) and journey insight (to understand where they come from and what journey they’ve been on). The team discussed a need for specialised roles such as a data analyst.
- Access to supporter journey design skills. They discussed the need to be able to plan supporter journeys offline and online.
- Access to email marketing and copywriting skills: To support the proposed strategy, the team recognised the importance of continuing to develop these specific skills.
- Access to improved data metrics and reporting tools: The team discussed the need to improve their access to high-quality data and develop enhanced reporting tools to better monitor, evaluate and inform their strategy. This includes developing more clearer and more robust key performance indicators (KPIs).
- Technological competence that (at least) tracks audience expectations: to be able to respond to the expectations of their audience, the team will need to continually develop its competence in mastering key digital technologies.
- Horizon scanning: The team would be proactive in identifying emerging trends in digital supporter experience.
“What would have to be true?” conditions (synthesised and edited for clarity):
- Our team would consistently improve and expand our existing data and digital skill sets – directly and through partners – to keep up with evolving trends and supporter expectations.
- Our team would have access to high-quality and regularly updated data that aligns to midlife multipliers and other relevant supporter segments to monitor and understand our supporters and their behaviours and attitudes.
- Our team would be able to access and use the digital and data technologies and tools needed to design optimised supporter journeys and monitor, evaluate and adjust them.
- Our team would have an outwards-looking culture and ways of working, proactively scanning the horizon to identify and adopt emerging tools and techniques to keep up with or surpass supporter expectations.
Organisational and brand alignment
The participants in the organisational and brand alignment breakout room raised several critical points:
- Alignment of the strategy with the organisation's brand identity: It was recognised that the organisation's existing strategic focus on supporter journeys is well-aligned with the digital strategy. However the team highlighted that this alignment with the brand identity and strategy of Concern UK and Concern Worldwide would need to remain.
- Target audience differentiation: The team believe that peers are not focusing on the same target audience as Concern UK, and that the mid-life multipliers audience differentiates it in the market. Ensuring this differentiation continues will be crucial for the success of the strategy.
- Focus on providing digital data and a holistic view: The team suggested that the organisation would need to invest in research and insight to provide a more holistic view of the supporters and their motivations and journeys.
- Importance of developing and aligning KPIs: The team highlighted the need for key performance indicators to monitor the effectiveness of the strategy to be developed and aligned to the organisational strategy
- The necessity for the CRM and a data hub: The participants outlined how essential the CRM project completion is and also proposed establishing a data hub within the organisation to centralise data-related activities and promote data-driven decision-making.
- Wider organisational cultural transformations necessary for optimal alignment. The team’s culture and ways of working need to be more agile for this strategy to achieve – something that may be hard to achieve if organisational agility doesn’t also increase.
- Faster organisational uptake of new technologies. This strategy relies on better access to technology and the organisation would be essential in facilitiating that.
- Regular meetings to discuss insights: The participants underlined the importance of regular meetings to discuss insights and bridge the gap between different teams within the organisation, promoting better internal alignment.
- Strengthening internal partnerships: Enhancing collaboration around a number of areas was mentioned. One example is audience insights.
“What would have to be true?” conditions (synthesised and edited for clarity):
- Concern UK’s strategic focus on supporter engagement and Mid-Life Multipliers target audience would remain, with flexibility for necessary adjustments.
- Concern UK’s culture and ways of working would foster innovation, agility and rapid adoption of changing technology across all teams, not just the digital team.
- Concern UK would have systems that allow easy access to the data the organisation holds, particularly around audience insights.
- Concern UK teams would seek strong internal partnerships and regular interactions with the digital teams, enabling more integrated strategic planning and implementation.
Peer organisations
- The need to constantly undertake peer research: It was acknowledged that tracking the the actions and strategies of peer organisations (their successes and failures) is key for benchmarking, idea generation, competitive analysis and to understand data at a granular level (i.e. why different tools, strategies and tactics work better or worse for different organisations).
- Agility and risk aversion: Participants suggested being less risk-averse than other organisations and prioritising agility to adopt new innovations, aligning with current trends to maintain a competitive edge. Conversely, if Concern isn’t agile it could be outmanouvered.
- Understanding innovation in other organisations and non-profits: The team discussed the necessity of integrating insights and learnings from other organisations and non-profits into their strategy and approach.
- Peer target audiences compared to Concern: it was highlighted that the strategy will be tougher to realise if many peers competed for the same group of supporters.
“What would have to be true?” conditions (synthesised and edited for clarity and relevance):
- Peer organisations would not be targeting the same audience segment as we are, thus reducing competition for attention and resources.
- Peer organisations share the learnings from tactics and strategies they adopt and these are transferrable to our context, allowing us to adopt or adapt them.
- Peer organisations would not invest in their digital strategies, technologies and tactics in ways that create expectations among our supporters that we cannot match.
- Peer organisations would not adopt digital strategies or innovations that meet the needs of our target audience significantly faster or better than us, because they are larger, more complex and less agile.
Supporter behaviours and our propositions
The team raised several important points regarding supporter behaviours and propositions:
- Supporter fatigue and content variety: The team discussed the potential for fatigue due to monotonous content and emphasised the need for a variety of content, topics, and engagement levels to sustain interest and engagement.
- Understanding potential audiences and their motivations for engaging with Concern: The participants identified understanding the potential audiences and how they relate to the target audience as crucial for effective strategic planning.
- Designing for the midlife multiplier audience: The team discussed the need to tailor a journey to meet their specific needs. Designing specifically for them is vital for crafting an effective proposition that resonates with this particular audience segment.
- Supporters would continue to adopt digital tools and be more digital.
- Supporter attitudes to aid. Currently Concern supporters are engaged and have not become susceptible to anti-aid rhetoric.
“What would have to be true?” conditions (synthesised and edited for clarity and relevance):
- Our supporter’s preference for digital interactions and receptiveness to digital strategy would continue to grow, ensuring our efforts remain effective.
- Our supporter’s motivations and values would stay closely aligned with our mission and offerings, sustaining their engagement and support.
- Our supporter’s digital content consumption and behaviours would evove in a manageable way, allowing us to adapt our strategies effectively.
- Our supporter’s viewpoints would not be drastically affected by the changing wider social, economic, and political context, including attitudes towards aid and charitable giving.
External context
The team raised several vital points about the external context:
- Changing platforms and technologies: The team emphasised the importance of keeping up with the evolving digital adoption trends and audience platform usage. They stressed the need to adapt to the decline of existing platforms, test emerging platforms, and tailor communication styles and strategies to these platforms to remain connected and relevant to their audience.
- Changing attitudes and legislation around data privacy and protection: The team underlined the importance of ensuring any personal data used is permissible, recognising the significant role of data protection regulations in their strategy.
- Increased focus (and ability) to focus investment on impact: The team discussed the need to measure and prove the conditions that would make their proposed strategy successful. They emphasised the need for rigorous impact evaluation, focusing on midlife multipliers as an essential external condition for their digital strategy's success.
- More challenges from economic or social changes: The team highlighted the need to prepare key messages to deal with external issues such as anti-aid rhetoric and changing economic conditions (including the cost of living crisis), acknowledging the shifting context in which the digital strategy operates.
- Constant need to update resources: The team recognised the need for continuous updates to data, tools, and resources due to the rapid pace of change in the digital landscape.
“What would have to be true?” conditions (synthesised and edited for clarity and relevance):
- Society’s views towards aid remain positive or neutral, avoiding a growth in anti-aid sentiments.
- Society’s digital behaviours would continue at a steady or increasing rate, ensuring a positive growth environment for our digital engagement.
- New platforms and technologies would replace or complement any that decline, keeping the digital landscape diverse and engaging.
- Society’s legal and moral stance on supporter data would continue accept its use for personalised supporter engagement, allowing us to connect effectively.
Collaborating partners
- The need to develop new partners: The team highlighted the necessity of engaging a consultant to gain qualitative insights from donors.
- The need to use partners for horizon scanning and to leverage insights: The team emphasised the role board members and partners can have in horizon scanning of evolving tools and techniques and leveraging insights.
- The importance of building deeper relationships: The team recognised the need to deepen and maintain strong relationships with CRM teams, existing agencies, and key partner organisations like SystemSeed, Platypus, and Facebook. The partnership would be deeper, so they understand the strategy and also other major concern initiatives like that on Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
- The need for stronger internal collaboration processes: The team identified the need for robust internal collaboration processes. Although the benefits of such processes may be harder to prove, the team felt them essential for the effective implementation of the strategy.
“What would have to be true?” conditions (synthesised and edited for clarity and relevance):
- Suitable partners would exist in the marketplace who are able to offer the specific expertise or resources we need, at accessible costs.
- Our external partners, both existing and new, would be innovative and committed to deepening our collaborative relationships.
- Our external partners would stay ahead of digital trends, understand our supporter journeys, and provide valuable insights.
- Our external partners would have cultures that share ourvaliues and commitment to wider initiatives like EDI.
Roadmap: priorities to be validated
Very important conditions to validate, where it is relatively easy to do so:
- That the mid-life multiplier audience is a valid audience in digital terms: they use digital, are reachable through digital channels – and will continue to be so for the period to 2026.
- That the team is able to keep up with its target audience in terms of the platforms they already use – and will have the understanding and ability to keep up with those as they change.
- That the Concern team can foster strong internal links and collaboration on digital – within the team but also with other teams.
- That the team is able to communicate Concern messages in a way that remains engaging to supporters.
Very important conditions to validate, but validation may be harder:
- That Concern UK can improve access to and use of data through the CRM and support broader innovations.
- That the team can access the skills, knowledge and tools needed to understand what supporters want and build the best journey for them.
- That Concern UK’s strategy and target audience (mid life multipliers) remain the right choice for Concern and therefore a focus for the digital team.
- That the team can develop a strength in horizon-scanning and benchmarking / analysis of tools and techniques used by in supporter engagement by peers and others.
