We want to make the most of life while we can. This includes helping others. For this reason, reminders of mortality induce strong emotions in us, such as empathy. These emotions influence our behaviour, including our likelihood to donate.
Fransen et al. showed this in an experiment where one group was exposed to insurance brand logos and others weren’t. Insurance brands are frequently associated with death and accidents, so seeing these logos reminded them of their mortality.
The group that was exposed to the logos gave more to charity than those who hadn’t seen them.
This change in spending behaviour can be seen as a way of dealing with the negative emotions associated with death. When people are reminded of death, they’re reminded that life’s short. Donating to charity is a moral norm and is something that’s well-regarded by others. So, it’s something we want to make sure that we do before we die.
Create effective campaigns with the right associations
The reminder of mortality is not the only association that plays a role in increasing likelihood of donation. Associations are powerful tools to influence behaviour and can increase the effectiveness of charity campaigns.
Wiseman studied this with an experiment where he left various wallets on the street with different photos inside. One had a photo of a family, one had a photo of an older couple, another with a puppy and one with a baby. The wallet containing the photo of the baby was returned most often. This is because babies activate the feeling in us of wanting to be caring and to be helpful.
Watch the short video explaining this study here:
Similarly, people are more likely to volunteer their time after reading about superheroes as superheroes are also associated with helpfulness and caring behaviour.
Therefore, make sure your campaign activates the right associations. Associations with mortality and helpfulness can increase donations.
