In today’s crowded media environment, brands face an uphill battle to capture attention. Traditional advertising alone doesn’t cut through the noise. What does? Campaigns rooted in community. When brands show up authentically in people’s lives, not just pushing products, but participating in the spaces and stories that matter, they build loyalty, advocacy, and long-term relevance.
Take Big Green Egg. The grill brand recently shifted its marketing strategy from product-first to experience-first. Instead of focusing on hardware, they’re leaning into the stories of friends, family, and neighbors gathering around the grill. It’s no longer about features; it’s about what happens when the grill brings people together.
This campaign reflects CTP’s point of view: the most effective brand campaigns today don’t just sell, they connect.
Why Community Matters
Audiences are savvier (and more skeptical) than ever. They know when a brand is just paying lip service. What they’re looking for is authenticity – proof that a brand is invested in more than just transactions. This authenticity pays off. Over 64% of consumers say that their loyalty to a brand increases when they feel a connection to it.
And this isn’t just warm fuzzies. Research shows the majority of consumers are more likely to support brands that actively back their communities. In fact, 80% of people report buying from local businesses to support their community, which tells us connection isn’t optional; it’s part of how people choose where to spend. Translation: good community work pays off in both reputation and revenue.
The Ingredients of a Community-Driven Campaign
Launching a community-driven campaign can be a challenge. The successful ones usually have a few things in common:
- Focus. Every brand can’t be everywhere, and trying to “support the community” in a vague, scattered way often rings hollow. The most effective campaigns identify one space that feels authentic to the brand’s DNA, whether it’s small businesses, local arts, sustainability, or youth programs, and go deep. Alignment matters more than breadth.
- Collaboration. The most resonant community campaigns are built with the people they aim to serve, not just for them. That might look like inviting community members to shape the message, elevating their stories in the creative, or partnering with local voices who already have trust and credibility. For example, for our work with the Cambridge Office for Tourism, we’ve partnered directly with local artists, chefs, politicians, and more to create unique social media content. This content has been some of the clients’ top-performing to date, and has helped us secure a 3.7% year-over-year increase in travelers to Cambridge. When people see themselves reflected in the work, it becomes theirs too.
- Grassroots Beginnings. Community impact doesn’t always come from the biggest spend or splashiest activation. Sometimes, a tightly scoped pilot program, a neighborhood event, a partnership with a local nonprofit, or an influencer collaboration in one key market is enough to prove the concept. Smaller starts also give you flexibility to test, learn, and refine before scaling.
- Consistency. One-off moments rarely move the needle. Communities build trust when they see a brand show up consistently over time. That could mean a multi-year sponsorship, an ongoing content series, or a repeated seasonal activation. Consistency signals commitment, and commitment is what separates authentic investment from opportunism. For example, our client Eastern Bank’s ‘Join Us For Good’ brand platform resonates because it reflects consistency on two levels: in action and in communication. For decades, Eastern has supported its local communities through devoting 50,000 employee volunteer hours each year, making significant charitable contributions to local nonprofit organizations, celebrating social justice advocates in their communities, and so much more. Just as importantly, they’ve told that story with discipline — by showing up regularly, across channels, with a steady voice that hasn’t wavered because of trends or other pressures. By pairing consistent action with consistent communication, Eastern has made community support a defining part of its identity.
The brands that endure aren’t the ones shouting the loudest; they’re the ones that people invite into their lives. Community-driven work is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s the foundation for trust, loyalty, and cultural relevance.
When a brand chooses to show up authentically, consistently, and in partnership with the people it serves, it stops being just another marketer in the feed. It becomes part of the fabric of the community, a catalyst for connection, pride, and belonging.
In the end, the most powerful creative brief isn’t about product features, impressions, or media tactics. It’s about people.