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Need A New Tagline?

July 18, 2008

I’m sure most of you aren’t sitting around planning to change your tagline. Believe me, it’s one of the most challenging and contentious processes any nonprofit can undertake … usually bringing out the worst in committee decision-making!

But if you must plow down this path, definitely read the Getting Attention Tagline Report prepared by Nancy Schwartz. If you’re not contemplating it now, save this report for that fearsome occasion.

You’ll get excellent analysis of scores of existing nonprofit taglines … which ones work and which ones don’t … and why. And clear direction as to how to approach the task and what pitfalls to avoid if you’re planning a change.

Well done, Nancy. You deserve a raise!

Tom

Posted by tbelford | Filed Under You Deserve a Raise, branding, communications, creativity | 1 Comment

How To Say Nothing In 500 Words

July 14, 2008

This is a "chain post" for lack of a better term.

I went from this Seth Godin post, to this Doshdosh post, to this essay.

Skip right to the essay for some great advice on how to sharpen your writing.

Preview of top three tips …

Avoid the obvious content.
Take the less usual side.
Slip out of abstraction.

Enjoyable reading … unless you’re already in Ernest Hemingway’s league.

Tom

Posted by tbelford | Filed Under Pushing the Creative Envelope, communications, copywriting, creativity | Leave a Comment

Buy Dove

July 8, 2008

I’m an unabashed shill for Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, which aims to improve the self-esteem of teen girls.

The Campaign plans to reach 5 million girls by 2010, with most outreach through the Girl Scouts. Dove’s Self-Esteem Fund will spend $1.5-2 million this year.

Are they doing enough? Dove will rake in $2.5 billion in sales this year. Is anyone ever doing enough? Is anyone "clean" enough. I think this Real Beauty effort is for real.

The Campaign’s latest turn is described here by the NY Times, and here is "Under Pressure," the latest in their series of attention-getting videos.

Tom

Posted by tbelford | Filed Under Don't Miss these Posts, cause marketing, creativity | 1 Comment

Thank You For Stealing

July 1, 2008

The maxim very successful fundraisers live by was set forth by George Bernard Shaw 80 years ago: "The mediocre borrow, genius steals."

In short, when you see a winning concept, campaign, technique, whatever, just steal it. Adapt it. Run with it.

Which brings me to today’s plea: All of us need to be sending more samples of good and great campaign or one-off efforts to SOFII the marvelous fundraising attic (aka: swipe file) where you can find all kinds of useful, informative and stealable stuff.

SOFFI just posted its June additions yesterday. For example:

§ActionAid’s controversial Bollocks to Poverty campaign.

§ Inspirational direct mail from a seven-year-old schoolgirl.

§ How Giving Scotland turned a crisis into a triumph.

§ A simple but brilliant idea for involving business people in the fight against heart disease.

§ Croatia’s campaign for mobility and independence for blind people.

§ A small organisation’s low-cost solution to recognising donors.

§ Hannah’s make and bake cake and biscuit sale.

§ The launch of a high level monthly giving product designed to upgrade donors in their thousands.

§ How a beautiful flower, the Edelweiss, became an involvement device and a symbol of hope for a hospice in Romania.

§ Make–A-Wish and upgrade your donors.

§ Twenty years before Barack Obama, the tale of an African American’s bid for the White House. Common Cause takes on the excesses of the American legislature. [Hey, this is copy I wrote 20+ years ago, long before "mid-level donor programs" were even a glimmer in whatever consultants’ eyes and it’s still good, he says, in all modesty ]

Seriously, so much great thinking, great creative and great innovation occurs every day in our trade, but we need to be far more energetic in sharing it with the rest of our world.

So please, vow to take 15 minutes, find one or two samples and get it up on SOFII’s site.

Thank you for stealing.

Roger

Posted by rcraver | Filed Under Uncategorized, advocacy, cause marketing, charities, communications, copywriting, creativity, direct mail, direct marketing, drtv, email marketing, fun | Leave a Comment

Legendary TV Spot

June 18, 2008

Yesterday, Roger featured some "new media" created by the latest generation of hip political junkies.

Cool. But here’s a real TV legend … the "Daisy" commercial created in 1964 by media guru Tony Schwartz for the Johnson campaign.

For you youngsters, that’s Lyndon Johnson, who nuked Barry Goldwater. Many say this ad played a key role, even though it actually aired only once as a commercial, capturing the angst created by Goldwater’s rather strident anti-communist views.

Here’s the NY Times homage to Tony Schwartz, who died last weekend.

Tom

Posted by tbelford | Filed Under Pushing the Creative Envelope, creativity | Leave a Comment

Where Younger Voters Get Their Information

June 17, 2008

Last week, as the primary phase of the presidential campaigns ended and the run up to the November elections began in earnest, Ad Age and Digital Hollywood held their co-produced extravaganza Advertising 2.0 in New York City.

Among the panelists was Kristi Vandenbosch head of Tequila, the global marketing services network, who put together a video reel to emphasize the dramatic change in politics. Her message and the message of the video is that social media and user-generated content have fundamentally changed the political landscape. Where once the ‘brand" (read ‘candidate’) was controlled by campaigns, control has now shifted to the "consumer" (read ‘voter’).

Ms. Vandenbosch told Ad Age, "The pieces I collected in the video were examples from an informal poll I conducted asking people under 35 where they got their election information. Rather than traditional news outlets, they provided these as samples. They were more likely to trust commentary –even satirical commentary –from their peers than either news or — especially — the candidates’ advertising." I’m not sure the reason for the shift is that clear or simple, but judge for yourself.

You can watch the Ad Age video by clicking here.

Roger

Posted by rcraver | Filed Under General Post, advocacy, branding, communications, creativity, demographic trends, new media, online video | Leave a Comment

The Girl Effect

June 12, 2008

Global Giving, founded and run by brilliant social entrepreneur Dennis Whittle, is one of my favorites. Dennis left his cushy World Bank job to raise a little social hell and do a whole world of good.

Check out Global Giving’s latest flash/splash animation "The Girl Effect" for a lesson in how to do things right –and wrong.

I’m sure that this will be a viral marketing ‘winner’ with both women and men –especially women. Powerful. Energetic. Poignant. But sadly, like some hunting dog ranging out and about on the scent, it takes too long to get to the point — assuming the point is putting some bucks in the treasury of Global Giving on behalf of women.

But, you be the judge. My point in passing this along is to both recognize and praise creativity ( and this deserves praise), but to also point out that too much ‘warm up’ can prove fatal. I love this piece. I only hope that all the brilliant foreplay translates into fundraising action.

Of one thing I’m sure. This piece will certainly make the viral rounds — big time. But will it come back home laden with cash? Please let me know what you think.

Roger

P.S. And Dennis, please let us know how "The Girl Effect" worked from a fundraising standpoint. Big bucks or not, for your consistent pushing of the envelope and Global Giving’s constant efforts at innovation, YOU DESERVE A RAISE!

Posted by rcraver | Filed Under You Deserve a Raise, creativity, fundraising, new media | 7 Comments

Need Some Creative Inspiration?

June 4, 2008

We’ve talked before about the Showcase of Fundraising Innovation and Inspiration (SOFII).

It’s an international online collection of "best of" fundraising efforts, mostly direct mail, some print.

They have a new feature highlighting the top twenty "Best of the Best" campaigns in their library. It’s well worth a browse if you’re looking for some creative inspiration.

We enjoyed the donor "thank you" example from public radio station WDCN in Nashville … the only station responding to this "mystery shopper" test showing any appreciation that their "donation" had come from an obvious bequest prospect.

The quality of a service like SOFII is totally dependent on the participation of the community it seeks to serve. If you have a fundraising package that performed especially well and can help teach others, we encourage you to share it with SOFII.

Roger & Tom

Posted by tbelford | Filed Under Pushing the Creative Envelope, copywriting, creativity, direct mail, fundraising | Leave a Comment