A Special Christmas Song
The Agitator has few traditions at this point. But here is one of them.
For our third Christmas, we urge you to get into a mirthful holiday mood by listening to this unforgettable rendition of O Holy Night.
The Agitator Guarantee: This performance will leave you smiling well into the New Year, or we’ll refund your Agitator subscription fee. But you must listen to the entire performance.
Happy Holidays!
Roger and Tom
P.S. It turns out that many imposters have claimed credit for this stunning performance. Thanks to Agitator reader Barry Fishler, we think we can finally offer the true story.
4 responses to “A Special Christmas Song”
Behavioral Science Q & A
Great question! Here’s how behavioral science can help unpack what might be happening: Pain of Paying: Even a small extra charge can make giving feel more transactional than emotional, potentially reducing generosity. Fairness Concerns: Some donors might perceive donor cover as a surcharge rather than a contribution to the cause. If they feel the charity […]
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The choice between “Your gift CAN…” and “Your gift WILL…” taps into the psychological framing of certainty vs. possibility. Currently, there is no academic research directly comparing these two framings in charitable appeals. However, I suspect no framing is universally better—the outcome likely depends on your target audience and the campaign’s goal. Here are some thoughts: Certainty Framing – […]
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Integrating an individual giving appeal with other communications from a charity can have both positive and negative effects, and the outcome largely depends on how it’s executed. Advantages of Integration Brand Consistency: Maintaining a consistent appearance and messaging across all communications can reinforce the org’s brand identity and strengthen brand recognition and trust among your […]
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I’m not aware of any in-market tests specifically comparing recurring vs. gift frequency language. I suspect the answer might not be the same with all gift frequencies, nor with all people. It sounds like a great opportunity for you to test and find out what works for your audience. Based on the literature, here’s a couple […]
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Based on what we know from existing data, those renewal notices can actually be pretty effective in getting people to donate. They tap into our psychology – creating a sense of urgency, reminding us of past support, and using personalization to make the message hit home. They’re playing on our natural tendencies to feel obligated […]
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Interesting question. I had a quick look at the testing done on this topic. On the positive side, in all cases, over half of donors decide to cover the fee. In some cases, it goes as high as 65%. Not a negligible percentage at all. Here’s another test from iRaiser showing consistent results (see point […]
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All I can say is WOW. And thanks for the smiles this morning!
How did you do it? As soon as I thought the volume was low enough, you got LOUDER, over and over again. Made it impossible to multi-task. Thank you for creating an opportunity to focus on something, as frightening as it was 🙂
Possibly the most painful 3 minutes and 40-something seconds of my entire life — and I’ve both given birth and had root canal done by a dental student. And, fellas, I can only think of — tops — three or four other people in the universe I would have sat through that for. Brightest blessings for a wonderful holiday!
This *was* once my favorite Christmas carol of all time. Now I’ve been traumatized. But I’ll recover quickly to send my best wishes, Tom and Roger, and thanks for all your great work in 2009.