Cause Marketing
We absolutely know what you were thinking about this past year?
What do the Iran election, Michael Jackson, Google Wave, Harry Potter, American Idol, the Superbowl and #musicmonday have in common?
Positive News on Macro Issues Highlighted at DMA Conference
There was a great deal of positive news coming out of the Annual DMA Conference regarding many of the larger issues facing direct marketers today. The DMA’s advocacy initiatives have been successful in ensuring there will be no increase in postal rates in 2010. This news was just announced last week. Additionally, the “Do Not Mail” bills that were pending in six states including California have all been defeated.
Other headway has been gained in the DMA’s environmental efforts with the debut of DMAChoice.org, a consumer-based program of opt-in initiatives that allows for the customization of mail messages consumers want to receive.
John Greco, President and CEO of the DMA credits the association’s preparedness and proactivity for these recent wins.
The other big battle the DMA is gearing up for is the new pending tax laws. These taxes would be imposed by the states as a way of generating new revenue from muliti-channel retailers. The DMA stressed the need for more individual involvement on this issue from all direct marketers, urging each of us to write to our state officials voicing our opposition to these taxes. This isn’t the first time I have heard that 2010 could be “the year of the taxes.” So, I’ll end this post now so I can write my Congressmen.
Omnipresence Theme Permeates DMA Discussions
The need for marketers to be everywhere was a theme that threaded through most every discussion at this year’s annual DMA Conference and Expo. Martha Stewart articulated it for everyone in her keynote remarks that ushered in the event stating, “we want eyeballs and we don’t care where we have t
o go to get them.”
Not surprisingly, harnessing digital media lead the conversations on how to become increasingly omnipresent. With 96% of all Millennials reporting that they are members of social media outlets and women over 50 being the fastest growing segment on Facebook, marketers have been quick to embrace the channel while openly admitting that we’re still pioneers working to understand the space.
Increasingly, “Voice of the Customer” research is being used by both B2C and B2B marketers to help determine which digital conversations to engage in and where. In discussing the needs of the customer, they are also uncovering their online whereabouts. This valuable information helps marketers, engage more appropriately, project a more authentic voice and prioritize online destinations and the connectivity tools to implement on their websites.
If you’re still wondering where to ramp-up your quest for omnipresence, CBD panelists Pam Evan of IBM and Bart Zehran of E-RM stated it best during our presentation on Millennials as the new B2B buyer, “first, get right with Google then make sure your website works as hard as possible to engage prospects and customers.”
Localvores, family farms and the Top Chef Master
By now, all of us Top Chef addicts (the Bravo TV series) know that Rick Bayless of Topolobamp![158633995_6308f084a5_t[1]](http://www.blog.cbdmarketing.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/158633995_6308f084a5_t1.jpg)
o and Frontera Grill fame is the new Top Chef Master. By beating out the worthy competition, Bayless won $100,000 for the Frontera Farmer Foundation, which supports small, sustainable farms in the Midwest. Started by Bayless and his partner and wife Deann, the Foundation provides modest capital grants which can leapfrog a small farm to profitability. Doing so adds to the vitality and viabilty of the local food scene, but there’s a greater good. As he so aptly put on the Foundation’s website: “Great food, like all art, enhances and reflects a community’s vitality, growth and solidarity. Yet history bears witness that great cuisines spring only from healthy local agriculture.” Everyone who champions sustainability owes Rick Bayless a “Bravo” – not just for winning what looked like a pretty intense competition–but for bringing network attention to this worthy cause.
A benefit idea for the recessionista in you
Glitzy galas are not in the cards this year for many organizations…even though keeping people connected to your cause is more important than ever.
One of my charities is taking a page from the Obama grass roots fundraising manual, planning low cost/high touch “House Parties,” and “Bar Parties” in six locations throughout the city and suburbs. Each party will be hosted by a board member, and will bring together existing donors and friends, as well as new people who live in or around that party.
Of course, social media will figure prominently in our invitation and reminder strategy. Our younger donors will go for the bar parties. Others will opt for the house parties. In true recessionista fashion, both celebration types will include modest ticket prices to get in, sponsored drinks and light food and the auction of at least one, truly fantastic item. No black tie, no bands, no venue rental, no floral, fauna or goodie bags. But plenty of good cheer and a pumped-up presentation by a stakeholder who is passionate about the cause. (BTW: In this case, it’s children’s literacy.)
Already, the enthusiasm is higher to help with these small events as compared to the arm twisting we had to go through to get committees together for the “Big Event” model. If it’s true that necessity breeds invention, maybe we’re learning something important about the future of fundraising.
Causes take note: Surveys are (still) PR gold
NFPs ask me for easy ways to get press. Here’s an old idea, but one that merits comment. Online surveys.
I find short online surveys on topical subjects can result in terrific news pieces and other related content. Survey Monkey and other similar tools make online surveys easy.
Causes can survey friends of the organization and associates (use discretion with donors) on any number of relevant topics–giving trends, “Top Ten” concerns related to your cause, opinions on current public policy issues. Design your survey, deploy it to your list with a short deadline built in, summarize your results in a release and promptly begin your press contact.
Here’s a business example:
Several times a year CBD deploys short online surveys related to food industry and other trends. Surveys take 5 minutes, max, to complete. We use our own networks and always wind up with at least 100 responses in the demos we want. Results from our last survey on how young women shop for food wound up in three speeches, on our web site, blog posts and in our e-newsletter to clients and prospects. The press release on the results was picked up by top trade and consumer press. That’s PR gold.
