Marketing/Branding
If You Want to KEEP Donors, Try to DELIGHT Them
Sun May 01 2011
by Jeff McLinden
Many nonprofit organizations are struggling to keep donors and partners engaged and giving. Let me say this as emphatically as I can… There is no such thing as partner “loyalty” without partner “delight.”
People are much more discriminating in this day and age — and some are simply fickle -- quick to be wooed by the power of intense feelings, memorable experiences and superior service. Business author and consultant Tom Peters devotes several chapters of his phenomenal book Re-Imagine to the intense power of the experience in defining superior product, services and companies. It is this power that creates continuing customers – and the same is true in the world of nonprofits and the donors who support them.
As much as you might wish that your donors have “personal and relational loyalties,” the truth is that many of them will turn away from you without much hesitation – UNLESS you move well beyond simply “satisfying” them and begin to concentrate on DELIGHTING them. Especially in times where financial support decisions are difficult because of the choices offered, you need to think long and hard about how to stand out among the many choices that “compete” for your donors’ support dollars. Otherwise, when hard decisions must be made, you may not make the cut!
Take a lesson from Walt Disney. Uncle Walt knew that people, by nature, are motivated by the experiential. And he set out to create lifetime customers by managing as many aspects of their experience with his products. Whether at the movies, or at his theme parks, Disney knew that focusing on “making people happy” would be a powerful motivator for repeat business. In fact, Disneyland was, for many years, advertised as “the happiest place on earth.”
I witnessed this a number of years ago on a visit to Disneyworld in Orlando. It was early in the day. Walking through the colorful entrance to the park, I couldn’t help but notice a young mother, already haggard, dragging her four-year-old daughter by the hand through the throng streaming into Main Street USA. The poor child was wailing uncontrollably. And very loudly. Finally the frustrated lady could take it no more. She knelt down on the hard pavement, drawing the little girl’s tear-streaked eyes to her own. Practically shouting, the exasperated mother looked earnestly into her daughter’s eyes and said, “This is the happiest place on earth! BE HAPPY!!”
It’s a similar message you should be repeating to your organization's friends and financial supporters … but you must make certain that it is true. Ultimately, your word alone that you are doing good work – and doing it well – is insufficient. A significant part of your work, after all, is about ensuring that your donors continue to be supportive. And I would contend this aspect of your work in development is just as important as the work actually accomplished by your organization.
The equation is simple: no partners = no organization.
Many nonprofit organizations are struggling to keep donors and partners engaged and giving. Let me say this as emphatically as I can… There is no such thing as partner “loyalty” without partner “delight.”
People are much more discriminating in this day and age — and some are simply fickle -- quick to be wooed by the power of intense feelings, memorable experiences and superior service. Business author and consultant Tom Peters devotes several chapters of his phenomenal book Re-Imagine to the intense power of the experience in defining superior product, services and companies. It is this power that creates continuing customers – and the same is true in the world of nonprofits and the donors who support them.
As much as you might wish that your donors have “personal and relational loyalties,” the truth is that many of them will turn away from you without much hesitation – UNLESS you move well beyond simply “satisfying” them and begin to concentrate on DELIGHTING them. Especially in times where financial support decisions are difficult because of the choices offered, you need to think long and hard about how to stand out among the many choices that “compete” for your donors’ support dollars. Otherwise, when hard decisions must be made, you may not make the cut!
Take a lesson from Walt Disney. Uncle Walt knew that people, by nature, are motivated by the experiential. And he set out to create lifetime customers by managing as many aspects of their experience with his products. Whether at the movies, or at his theme parks, Disney knew that focusing on “making people happy” would be a powerful motivator for repeat business. In fact, Disneyland was, for many years, advertised as “the happiest place on earth.”
I witnessed this a number of years ago on a visit to Disneyworld in Orlando. It was early in the day. Walking through the colorful entrance to the park, I couldn’t help but notice a young mother, already haggard, dragging her four-year-old daughter by the hand through the throng streaming into Main Street USA. The poor child was wailing uncontrollably. And very loudly. Finally the frustrated lady could take it no more. She knelt down on the hard pavement, drawing the little girl’s tear-streaked eyes to her own. Practically shouting, the exasperated mother looked earnestly into her daughter’s eyes and said, “This is the happiest place on earth! BE HAPPY!!”
It’s a similar message you should be repeating to your organization's friends and financial supporters … but you must make certain that it is true. Ultimately, your word alone that you are doing good work – and doing it well – is insufficient. A significant part of your work, after all, is about ensuring that your donors continue to be supportive. And I would contend this aspect of your work in development is just as important as the work actually accomplished by your organization.
The equation is simple: no partners = no organization.
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The Marketing Paradigm Has Shifted - Has Yours?
Wed Feb 02 2011
By Jeff McLinden
The discussion among nonprofits about the value of social media and Internet marketing is raging...sort of.
We've found among certain clients that this issue has become a dominant part of the strategic conversation. WIth others, it registers as simply one of many "popguns" trying to command the attention of the executive team and board concerned about the broader concerns of challenged capacities to deliver client service while suffering from understaffing and underfunding.
Here's why branding, marketing and the role of Internet and social media strategies MUST become part of the strategic dialogue...
Nearly all consumers (97%) now use online media when researching products or services, according to BIA/ Kelsey’s ongoing consumer tracking study. The misconception is that only young people use these technologies for shopping but in fact, nearly all of the buying public now use them. Marketing has shifted from a one-way broadcast to a multi-point conversation. In the past, communications were “broadcast” exclusively through mass marketing channels like radio, TV, newspapers and even the door-to-door distribution of directories like the Yellow Pages.
Not only are consumers seeking product information to drive purchase, they are also seeking information -- period. That includes information about every cause imaginable -- including yours. The Internet has become the most dominant repository of information readily available to anyone anywhere. And that knowledge is influencing not only alignment decisions, but also investment decisions.
In the past, for-proft and nonprofit companies marketed online by building Web sites and sending emails to subscribers—both “broadcast” activities in the sense that communication was one-way. Banner ads, news items, emails and other tactics drove prospects to Web sites where companies tried to communicate their messages and influence behavior. With social media, however, much of the communication is controlled by the target audiences. Members can ask their community about a product, service or company and get multiple opinions, recommendations or referrals. Conversely, members freely discuss their experiences with their friends and followers. Online, the new “word-of-mouth” is social media like Facebook and Twitter, which have more than 700 million members combined.
Social Video Channels
YouTube is now the second largest search engine, according to comScore, with 50% more searches than Yahoo! And 180% more searches than Bing. YouTube has 300 million visitors every month who watch more than 12 billion videos.
As a social medium, YouTube features user generated content and facilitates video sharing, commenting, rating and the ability to create special interest channels that attract friends and subscribers who share interests and can interact with each other. Users look for videos to entertain and inform. Businesses participate by providing answers to users’ questions, how-to content, product reviews, instruction, expert opinions, etc. It is a forum for establishing “social authority” that businesses seek for the topical areas most related to their services or products. According to Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, “One of the tenets of social media is that you can’t control your message, you can only participate in the conversation.” By building social authority in a subject area, a business -- or a nonprofit or ministry organization -- can participate in the “conversation” and become a relevant influence in that conversation.
What are you doing to engage your donors in meaningful conversations? Have you shifted YOUR marketing paradigm? Or are you just grinding gears?
Your ability to engage donors and partners using THEIR media of choice may play a very significant role in your ability to not only KEEP the ones you currently have, but also to FIND AND KEEP new donors and partners. The implications are staggering for your organization's brand, for your ability to recruit staff, for your ability to acquire and retain donors, and ultimately for your ability to remain relevant in your area of service.
If you're not having serious strategic conversations -- not about WHETHER to enter this arena, but about WHEN and HOW -- you must begin now. If you are afraid of the costs, the staffing needs, the learning curve, etc., you needn't be.
You must enter the conversation. Let us show you how.
The discussion among nonprofits about the value of social media and Internet marketing is raging...sort of.
We've found among certain clients that this issue has become a dominant part of the strategic conversation. WIth others, it registers as simply one of many "popguns" trying to command the attention of the executive team and board concerned about the broader concerns of challenged capacities to deliver client service while suffering from understaffing and underfunding.
Here's why branding, marketing and the role of Internet and social media strategies MUST become part of the strategic dialogue...
Nearly all consumers (97%) now use online media when researching products or services, according to BIA/ Kelsey’s ongoing consumer tracking study. The misconception is that only young people use these technologies for shopping but in fact, nearly all of the buying public now use them. Marketing has shifted from a one-way broadcast to a multi-point conversation. In the past, communications were “broadcast” exclusively through mass marketing channels like radio, TV, newspapers and even the door-to-door distribution of directories like the Yellow Pages.
Not only are consumers seeking product information to drive purchase, they are also seeking information -- period. That includes information about every cause imaginable -- including yours. The Internet has become the most dominant repository of information readily available to anyone anywhere. And that knowledge is influencing not only alignment decisions, but also investment decisions.
But the most significant change in the past several years has been the movement from the Internet as "information repository" to Internet as "catalyst for community and conversation." And social media is responsible for this dramatic change, dramatically changing the landscape for marketers by enabling continuing "conversations" with customers and donors in real time.
In the past, for-proft and nonprofit companies marketed online by building Web sites and sending emails to subscribers—both “broadcast” activities in the sense that communication was one-way. Banner ads, news items, emails and other tactics drove prospects to Web sites where companies tried to communicate their messages and influence behavior. With social media, however, much of the communication is controlled by the target audiences. Members can ask their community about a product, service or company and get multiple opinions, recommendations or referrals. Conversely, members freely discuss their experiences with their friends and followers. Online, the new “word-of-mouth” is social media like Facebook and Twitter, which have more than 700 million members combined.
Social Video Channels
YouTube is now the second largest search engine, according to comScore, with 50% more searches than Yahoo! And 180% more searches than Bing. YouTube has 300 million visitors every month who watch more than 12 billion videos.
As a social medium, YouTube features user generated content and facilitates video sharing, commenting, rating and the ability to create special interest channels that attract friends and subscribers who share interests and can interact with each other. Users look for videos to entertain and inform. Businesses participate by providing answers to users’ questions, how-to content, product reviews, instruction, expert opinions, etc. It is a forum for establishing “social authority” that businesses seek for the topical areas most related to their services or products. According to Dr. Pamela Rutledge, Director of the Media Psychology Research Center, “One of the tenets of social media is that you can’t control your message, you can only participate in the conversation.” By building social authority in a subject area, a business -- or a nonprofit or ministry organization -- can participate in the “conversation” and become a relevant influence in that conversation.
What are you doing to engage your donors in meaningful conversations? Have you shifted YOUR marketing paradigm? Or are you just grinding gears?
Your ability to engage donors and partners using THEIR media of choice may play a very significant role in your ability to not only KEEP the ones you currently have, but also to FIND AND KEEP new donors and partners. The implications are staggering for your organization's brand, for your ability to recruit staff, for your ability to acquire and retain donors, and ultimately for your ability to remain relevant in your area of service.
If you're not having serious strategic conversations -- not about WHETHER to enter this arena, but about WHEN and HOW -- you must begin now. If you are afraid of the costs, the staffing needs, the learning curve, etc., you needn't be.
You must enter the conversation. Let us show you how.
Fundraising's Most Important Word
Wed Dec 30 2009
by Jeff McLinden
Many people have the wrong idea of marketing. They tend to equate marketing with selling. But that's a flawed view that prevents many organizations from achieving the type of success that can win -- and KEEP -- customers (or donors, if you happen to be a nonprofit group).
A good definition of marketing is giving people more and more of what they want and less and less of what they don't want. The emphasis here is, of course, on people, rather than on products. If you are truly sensitive to the needs and desires of your customers/donors, then the marketing messages you use to communicate with them will benefit greatly through the use of the most important word in marketing: YOU.
Ad agency owner Larry Thompson coined the term "you-focus" back in 1983 to describe the slanting of communications toward the reader / listener / viewer. In order to connect with the target customer / donor, frequent use of the word "you" is an essential element to establish an emotional connection and to help the prospect "see" his or herself as the beneficiary of your product or service. The superiority of benefits over features has long been established in marketing communications -- but that is so seldom the focus of sales or fundraising copy!
Organization-centric or product-centric copy tends to discount the significant role of the customer as the focus of marketing messages. Check your marketing communications, advertising or fundraising messages and circle every use of the words "we," "our," and "us." Now rewrite the copy to make it address the target audience liberally using the word "you" instead. Read the end result out loud and you'll notice a significant difference.
Marketing author and M/J vice president Barry McLeish addresses this concern in several of his books including The Donor Bond and Yours, Mine & Ours: Creating a Compelling Donor Experience. For fundraisers, these books are excellent in helping shift the focus to the prospective or already active donor. You can learn more about creating compelling marketing copy for fundraising communications through several articles in the M/J archives. If you want to REALLY reach your customers and donors, keep this mantra in mind: It's all about THEM, NOT about you!
Many people have the wrong idea of marketing. They tend to equate marketing with selling. But that's a flawed view that prevents many organizations from achieving the type of success that can win -- and KEEP -- customers (or donors, if you happen to be a nonprofit group).
A good definition of marketing is giving people more and more of what they want and less and less of what they don't want. The emphasis here is, of course, on people, rather than on products. If you are truly sensitive to the needs and desires of your customers/donors, then the marketing messages you use to communicate with them will benefit greatly through the use of the most important word in marketing: YOU.
Ad agency owner Larry Thompson coined the term "you-focus" back in 1983 to describe the slanting of communications toward the reader / listener / viewer. In order to connect with the target customer / donor, frequent use of the word "you" is an essential element to establish an emotional connection and to help the prospect "see" his or herself as the beneficiary of your product or service. The superiority of benefits over features has long been established in marketing communications -- but that is so seldom the focus of sales or fundraising copy!
Organization-centric or product-centric copy tends to discount the significant role of the customer as the focus of marketing messages. Check your marketing communications, advertising or fundraising messages and circle every use of the words "we," "our," and "us." Now rewrite the copy to make it address the target audience liberally using the word "you" instead. Read the end result out loud and you'll notice a significant difference.
Marketing author and M/J vice president Barry McLeish addresses this concern in several of his books including The Donor Bond and Yours, Mine & Ours: Creating a Compelling Donor Experience. For fundraisers, these books are excellent in helping shift the focus to the prospective or already active donor. You can learn more about creating compelling marketing copy for fundraising communications through several articles in the M/J archives. If you want to REALLY reach your customers and donors, keep this mantra in mind: It's all about THEM, NOT about you!
A Resurgence of Activism
Fri Aug 14 2009
by Jeff McLinden
The term continues to evoke mental images associated with the sixties. Perhaps that is why "activism" on behalf of causes has been viewed with disdain by "mainstream" Americans for the past few decades.
We tend to associate activism with negative images, such as the violent Black Panther movement, of the so-called "eco-terrorists" or the extreme edges of the OPPOSITE political party from our own. Yet activism in the name of more mainstream causes is how things get done -- and is experiencing a resurgence within our culture. Political activism is not the only arena in which attention is garnered. In more sedate nonprofit enterprises, such as the arts, or social services causes -- and even in ministry pursuits -- people are discovering that their voices and their actions speak louder than organizational brochures and newsletters.
"Doing something" to make a difference seems to be taking on new meaning as huge numbers of people are more actively participating in all sorts of activities on behalf of their favorite non-profits. And it isn't simply the usual events that have traditionally sought to engage donor participation, such as banquets, walk-a-thons, charity balls, golf tournaments, etc. You'll find passionate participants getting their hands dirty in some very interesting -- and creative -- ways to promote their cause, gain broad attention for it, and raise significant sums to benefit it. Here's a quick example...
Renee Davis runs a summer "theater camp" for teens as a means of supporting a local pregnancy center called Life Network. How does that work? With casting, costuming, set design and memorization done in advance, Renee pulls everything together during a two week period -- set construction, play blocking, rehearsals, lighting, sound and four performances that include the show and dessert. The venue is donated, parents and teens provide labor, acting and other services, refreshments are donated by local establishments and hundreds of tickets are sold.
"I love doing this for Life Network," Renee says. "The kids get a chance to really understand that their hard work can benefit others. They learn about the organization and their work takes on new meaning and new importance. And, in the end, everybody wins."
She's right. At the end of the two weeks, 800 people saw an excellent performance of "Les Misérables" and heard a brief presentation about Life Network, 30 students and their families contributed hundreds of man-hours volunteering for the cause, the greater community read articles in the local paper about the effort, and the ministry organization received a much needed budget boost through a $5,000 contribution -- and significant exposure to new audiences.
Is that "activism?" The dictionary describes activism as "using vigorous activity or campaigning to bring about political or social change." With that definition it will be interesting to see just how creative organizations can be to prompt constituencies to find new ways to "participate" in furthering their causes. But the real issue -- why this "works" -- is the fundamental principle that "experience trumps knowledge." The most powerful fype of interchange between an organization and its customers/donors is NOT the financial transaction -- rather it is how the customer/donor experiences the brand. Experiential marketing taps into the natural desires people have and reinforces their perception of the organization -- good or bad.
How do people experience YOUR brand? Can you create meaningful, positive and beneficial experiences that allow your donors to be "activists" for your cause?
The term continues to evoke mental images associated with the sixties. Perhaps that is why "activism" on behalf of causes has been viewed with disdain by "mainstream" Americans for the past few decades.
We tend to associate activism with negative images, such as the violent Black Panther movement, of the so-called "eco-terrorists" or the extreme edges of the OPPOSITE political party from our own. Yet activism in the name of more mainstream causes is how things get done -- and is experiencing a resurgence within our culture. Political activism is not the only arena in which attention is garnered. In more sedate nonprofit enterprises, such as the arts, or social services causes -- and even in ministry pursuits -- people are discovering that their voices and their actions speak louder than organizational brochures and newsletters.
"Doing something" to make a difference seems to be taking on new meaning as huge numbers of people are more actively participating in all sorts of activities on behalf of their favorite non-profits. And it isn't simply the usual events that have traditionally sought to engage donor participation, such as banquets, walk-a-thons, charity balls, golf tournaments, etc. You'll find passionate participants getting their hands dirty in some very interesting -- and creative -- ways to promote their cause, gain broad attention for it, and raise significant sums to benefit it. Here's a quick example...
Renee Davis runs a summer "theater camp" for teens as a means of supporting a local pregnancy center called Life Network. How does that work? With casting, costuming, set design and memorization done in advance, Renee pulls everything together during a two week period -- set construction, play blocking, rehearsals, lighting, sound and four performances that include the show and dessert. The venue is donated, parents and teens provide labor, acting and other services, refreshments are donated by local establishments and hundreds of tickets are sold.
"I love doing this for Life Network," Renee says. "The kids get a chance to really understand that their hard work can benefit others. They learn about the organization and their work takes on new meaning and new importance. And, in the end, everybody wins."
She's right. At the end of the two weeks, 800 people saw an excellent performance of "Les Misérables" and heard a brief presentation about Life Network, 30 students and their families contributed hundreds of man-hours volunteering for the cause, the greater community read articles in the local paper about the effort, and the ministry organization received a much needed budget boost through a $5,000 contribution -- and significant exposure to new audiences.
Is that "activism?" The dictionary describes activism as "using vigorous activity or campaigning to bring about political or social change." With that definition it will be interesting to see just how creative organizations can be to prompt constituencies to find new ways to "participate" in furthering their causes. But the real issue -- why this "works" -- is the fundamental principle that "experience trumps knowledge." The most powerful fype of interchange between an organization and its customers/donors is NOT the financial transaction -- rather it is how the customer/donor experiences the brand. Experiential marketing taps into the natural desires people have and reinforces their perception of the organization -- good or bad.
How do people experience YOUR brand? Can you create meaningful, positive and beneficial experiences that allow your donors to be "activists" for your cause?
Why is "Branding" an Issue?
Thu May 14 2009
By Jeff McLinden
Why is "branding" an issue you need to consider?
Well, how about "survival?"
Some ministry organizations are discovering that rethinking their brand is a necessity for surviving within a hyper-competitive marketplace. I'm not talking here about a simple change of a logo or adding a tag-line to the organization's stationery or even a new website. It's far more complex than that.
Some are seeing that "branding" means a complete change of identity that coincides with the implementation of a renewed vision and strategic objectives. Such an identity change includes the selection and promotion of a new name for the organization with accompanying creation and application of a strong visual identity across the ministry’s marketing, ministry and communications materials. But while establishing names and creating logos is the traditional view of “creating a corporate identity,” we believe that today’s highly competitive marketing and ministry environment demands a more comprehensive approach.
Even in the ministry world, strong brands increasingly have become the one and only sustainable competitive advantage. Brands must be viewed as the primary factor that differentiates a nonprofit organization from others with similar causes. In this respect, it is not the causal products with which customers or donors develop relationships… It is your brand. Powerful brands are created through a carefully crafted, and even more carefully managed, combination of visual AND experiential factors that work together to create indelible impressions and interactions in the minds and hearts of organizational stakeholders.
The problem is to craft a branding strategy that goes beyond mere satisfaction for various constituent groups… Rather, you must seek to create and implement an experientially superior brand/image/identity that will not only delight current stakeholders in your ministry (including missionaries, staff, donors, churches, board members, etc.) but will serve as a magnet to attract new missionaries, new donors, new church partners and more.
We view this process, not as merely a departmental issue or a communications strategy, but as an organizational imperative. Branding will affect the name, the look, the feel of your ministry, to be sure. But it will also affect the language of your organization, its customer/donor interfaces, its service to various stakeholder groups, how it recruits and follows-up new missionary candidates, etc.
The ultimate objective is not merely to establish a strong brand. Rather it is to establish and maintain strong brand loyalty. Creation of a strong brand identity is part of that task. Successful implementation of that brand identity is the result of creative applications across all marketing materials and customer/donor engagement arenas, and effective marketing and communications planning and execution.
How's your brand? Perhaps the best way to find out is to see how your competitors are doing. And how many of your stakeholders are leaving.
Why is "branding" an issue you need to consider?
Well, how about "survival?"
Some ministry organizations are discovering that rethinking their brand is a necessity for surviving within a hyper-competitive marketplace. I'm not talking here about a simple change of a logo or adding a tag-line to the organization's stationery or even a new website. It's far more complex than that.
Some are seeing that "branding" means a complete change of identity that coincides with the implementation of a renewed vision and strategic objectives. Such an identity change includes the selection and promotion of a new name for the organization with accompanying creation and application of a strong visual identity across the ministry’s marketing, ministry and communications materials. But while establishing names and creating logos is the traditional view of “creating a corporate identity,” we believe that today’s highly competitive marketing and ministry environment demands a more comprehensive approach.
Even in the ministry world, strong brands increasingly have become the one and only sustainable competitive advantage. Brands must be viewed as the primary factor that differentiates a nonprofit organization from others with similar causes. In this respect, it is not the causal products with which customers or donors develop relationships… It is your brand. Powerful brands are created through a carefully crafted, and even more carefully managed, combination of visual AND experiential factors that work together to create indelible impressions and interactions in the minds and hearts of organizational stakeholders.
The problem is to craft a branding strategy that goes beyond mere satisfaction for various constituent groups… Rather, you must seek to create and implement an experientially superior brand/image/identity that will not only delight current stakeholders in your ministry (including missionaries, staff, donors, churches, board members, etc.) but will serve as a magnet to attract new missionaries, new donors, new church partners and more.
We view this process, not as merely a departmental issue or a communications strategy, but as an organizational imperative. Branding will affect the name, the look, the feel of your ministry, to be sure. But it will also affect the language of your organization, its customer/donor interfaces, its service to various stakeholder groups, how it recruits and follows-up new missionary candidates, etc.
The ultimate objective is not merely to establish a strong brand. Rather it is to establish and maintain strong brand loyalty. Creation of a strong brand identity is part of that task. Successful implementation of that brand identity is the result of creative applications across all marketing materials and customer/donor engagement arenas, and effective marketing and communications planning and execution.
How's your brand? Perhaps the best way to find out is to see how your competitors are doing. And how many of your stakeholders are leaving.