This document summarizes the key findings of a report on community investment trends among top organizations from 2017-2019. It found that 53% of Fortune 50 companies and billion dollar clubs have dedicated community programs, with community relations being the most common type. By region, North America had the most programs while technology and finance industries also had high rates. It identified pitfalls like treating community as branding or CSR instead of a strategic asset. The document advocates for aligning community work to business needs, listening to communities, cross-departmental education, and seeking new growth opportunities.

1. Built to Belong: The
Community Investment
Trends of Top
Organizations
Carrie Melissa Jones,
Gather Community Consulting
@workwithgather @caremjo
NOV2019

2. 2
Who Am I?
Currently:
● Strategist and Coach: American Medical
Association (with Sharehold), Brainly, Buffer,
Google, Patreon, one of the 2020 US Presidential
Candidates
● Author: Building Brand Communities - Spring
2020
● M.A. Student and Researcher of Online
Communities: UW-Milwaukee
● Formerly: COO, Founding Partner of CMX
Carrie
Melissa
Jones

3. 3
Today’s
Talk
Methodology01
02
03
04
Trend Report
Pitfalls
05
Macro-Trends
Where Do We Go
From Here?

4. Methodology
01

5. 5
01 Wall Street Journal Billion
Dollar Club (2017-2019)
Fortune Global 50
(2017-2019)
Data
02
Data collected from 2017
until Q1 2019

6. 6
The top 100
companies:
64% North American
36% Asian
18% European
Data Snapshot:
Region

7. 7
The top 100 companies:
24% Consumer Internet
21% Technology
16% Finance
Other industries represented:
auto, chemicals, retail,
telecommunication
Data Snapshot:
Industry

8. 8
The top 100
companies:
5% less than 5 years
23% 5-9.9 years
22% 10-19.9 years
50% 20+ years
Data Snapshot:
Age

9. 9
Total revenues and
valuations of top
100 companies:
$9.635 Trillion
Snapshot:
Revenue

10. Community
Investment
Criteria
Do they employ a Community
Manager?
Do they have a dedicated
program?
01
02

11. Community
Investment
Criteria
Do they employ a Community
Manager?
Do they have a dedicated
program?
What type(s) of community
program(s) do they have?
Among those companies,
what is their age, region, and
industry?
01
02

12. 12
01
02
03
Acquisition
Community Relations
Developer
Employee
Engagement
(Partners, Customers, Prospects)
Feedback
Platform
Offline
Success (includes Support)
Organizational
Purposes Served
by Brand
Communities
04
05
06
07
08
09

13. Macro-Trends
02

14. 14
State of Community Investment
Percentage of Top Companies with Community Programs
2018 Fortune 50
60%
53% 53%
2019 Billion Dollar Club Left Billion Dollar
Club 2018-2019

15. 15
Community Relations Predominates Fortune 50
Percent of Fortune 50 Companies with Community Programs
That Are Focused on Community Relations
47%

16. 16
Still, Plenty Invest
in Community

17. Communities matter.
W E K N O W. . .

18. Communities drive
value.
W E K N O W. . .

19. Why are we still
struggling?
S O

20. Trends
03

21. 21
By Region
Percent of All Companies with Community Programs by Region

22. 22
By Age
Percent of All Companies with Community Programs by Age

23. 23
By Industry
Percent of All Companies with Community Programs by
Industry
Technology Automobile
67% 64%
44%
FinanceConsumer Internet
58%

24. 24
Program Type: Fortune 50
Percent of 2018 Fortune 50 Companies with
Community Programs by Type
Community Relations
47%
DeveloperEmployee Engagement Success
13%
33%
13%
10%

25. 25
Program Type: Startups

26. 26
Program Type: Startups

27. 27
Program Type: Unicorns That Went Public
Percent of 2019 Billion Dollar Club That Have IPOed
by Type

28. Community strategies
are infinite.
S U R P R I S E !

29. Pitfalls
04

30. Community “branding”
CSR as Community Building
4 Ways
Community
Investments are
Misallocated
Social Media
Customers

31. Community “branding”
CSR as Community Building
4 Ways
Community
Investments are
Misallocated
Social Media
Customers

32. Community “branding”
CSR as Community Building
4 Ways
Community
Investments are
Misallocated
Social Media
Customers

33. Community “branding”
CSR as Community Building
4 Ways
Community
Investments are
Misallocated
Social Media
Customers

34. Community “branding”
CSR as Community Building
4 Ways
Community
Investments are
Misallocated
Social Media
Customers

35. 35
“Engagement, innovation, that’s how we had to sell
community. I told stories and separated my work from
social. I also put together a patchwork of data to show how I
impacted these outcomes.”
COMMUNITY LEADER
Fortune 50 Healthcare Company

36. 36
The Final Pitfall: Ignoring Your Core
T H E
W H O L E
W I D E
W O R L D
V
A
L
U
E
V
A
L
U
E
C E N T E R

37. Where dowego
fromhere?
05

38. Align the needs of the
business to your work.
01

39. Don’t arrive and announce.
Stop and listen.
02

40. Educate and build bridges
between departments.
03

41. Seek new growth
opportunities.
04

42. Download the Report!
http://bit.ly/gatherresearch

43. Questions?

44. Newsletter: bitly.com/gathernewsletter
Email: carrie@gathercommunityconsulting.com
Gather on Social
Find Me Online
@workwithgather
Personal Twitter
@caremjo