“It’s all about synergy.” — B.E. Well Co-Founder & experience builder digs into brand communities.

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We pulled this conversation from our monthly Experience Exec Live event. Our most recent, "Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: Advice From a Community Builder to Brand Leaders,” aired on April 9th, 2024, and can be watched for free at this link or on AnyRoad’s LinkedIn page.

“At the heart of it,” Danielle Hester explains to the camera, “you should know what your consumers value, what they’re interested in, and how it connects to your brand values.”

• Danielle Hester, a passionate advocate for DEI experiences, is a Co-founder of B.E. Well, a holistic wellness platform dedicated to enriching and empowering the Black community through curation, programming, experience facilitation and production, and consultancy. With over 60 executed wellness events under B.E. Well’s belt, Danielle drives brands to take a more active stance in their brand communities.

“We want to have personal experiences with each other. We want to be in spaces that are specifically for us and that connect to categories, like outdoor activities. You build a community that way — brand-to-consumer value alignment.”

• Brands may support their different audiences vocally, but that’s no longer enough. With Millennials and Gen Z holding the majority purchasing power, their social awareness needs to become part of your strategy. They’re more likely to Google a brand and decide their spending based on what brands are actually doing vs. what brands say.

Going Deeper?

Danielle Hester is intimately familiar with community building, thanks to years-long advocacy and work to grow and support local and national initiatives continually. An unflinching advocate and a trailblazer in the brand community space, Danielle’s experiential agency takes supporting DEI to a whole new level. Read on to hear more of our favorite insights:

On why brands aren’t nailing community building: “As we look at the DEI space, a lot of brands jumped on the bandwagon of supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion without taking a step back internally to revisit their strategy. 82% of black consumers stopped supporting a brand because they felt they couldn’t trust them.”?

Why is distrust a problem?

Black consumers in the US (as of 2021) make up $1.4 trillion of buying power. 82% of $1.4 means brand sales lost 1.1 trillion dollars.?

On the new way to consider loyalty strategies: “It’s about connection with the consumer overall. Today’s consumers that drive revenue, Millennials and Gen Z specifically, are very socially connected and aware of what’s happening in the market. They’re more likely to Google a brand before opening their wallets and spending. Consumers want to see alignment between what brands are saying they’re committing to versus what they’re actually doing.”

Why does aligning actions to values work?

The annual spending of households headed by American Gen Zs and Millennials hit $2.7 trillion in 2021, around 30% of the total. And for them, with that buying power comes responsibility. 93% of Gen Z and 94% of Millennials are sustainably driven; studies show that many Gen Z consumers are willing to pay more for ethically sourced, environmentally-friendly products or support social causes. That’s 2.5 trillion dollars in lost revenue.

On how to be a good brand partner to communities:?

“When we look for brand partners, we’re looking to make sure that our values align. At the heart of it is what they value and how it connects to your brand’s values. Community-based activities should be curated as like-minded spaces curated for a particular group based on interests, concerns, and passions—this thinking fosters hope, inspiration, and aspirational pursuits.”

How do you get involved with community building?

Going local is a great way to start finding specific, targeted groups you can support. Consumers will feel connected to your brand, and you can start creating entire programs based on each of your values. Brand loyalty and connection go hand in hand, improving a consumer’s lifetime value between 20% to 50%.

Do you want more of Danielle’s insights? Then watch the full 16-minute Experience Exec Live, where we ask:

• What a good community partner looks like
• How brands can invest externally in DEI
• And more!

B.E. Well’s Wellness Summit, which will be held on May 18th, 2024, from 9 AM to 6 PM EST in Brooklyn, is a great opportunity to learn about the community and partner with the experience builder herself. “The B.E Well experience is a one-day holistic wellness summit covering a variety of topics that address the needs of the Black community. Get ready for an immersive day full of inspiration, growth, and connection. From yoga and sound bath, to financial advising and career planning, to cooking demos and relationship fireside chats, we've curated nine hours of programming, all led by top BIPOC health and wellness experts.”

More Like This

If you’re interested in more experiential education, we've gathered up some other community-oriented resources for you:

• Bringing brands to festivals — A step-by-step guide through the entire festival activation process and how it creates new fans and devoted advocates.
• Heineken’s global community strategy — When it comes to community building, Heineken stands apart as one of the best. Check out Benjamin David, Heineken’s Head of Sales, Marketing, and Customer Service, and his mindset for building a global community of super fans.
• Learn your audience’s values — See the latest technology designed specifically for brand activations. Learn how three brands use it to build community and learn more about their consumers.