Award Winning Blog - Agitator

What Your Appeals Sound Like When You’re Not in the Room

Every fundraising appeal is written by someone, often many someones. It’s you, your agency, a committee, a boss, or a document that’s been revised so many times nobody remembers who it was originally for. A voice emerges out of that process and not one in the brand guide but instead, the one that survives review, […]

Learn More February 11, 2026

Every Movement Needs a Symbol

Last night, millions watched Bad Bunny deliver a Super Bowl halftime performance that was more than just entertainment. It was a defiant, vibrant display of Puerto Rican pride, punctuated by the flags and cultural symbols that spoke volumes without a single word. His powerful visual declaration reminded us of a fundamental truth: every movement needs […]

Learn More February 9, 2026

Is Your Quality Data 3,008 or So 2000 and Late?

The Black Eyed Peas may not dominate my playlists, but they were right about one thing. Some ideas age badly, and you tend not to notice until you’re already behind. Retention data is one of those ideas. Not because it is useless, but because it tells you what already happened, long after you had a […]

Learn More February 6, 2026

Can Direct Response Do Brand’s Job?

I was wrong about direct response and and brand. I told myself a comforting story, direct response acquisition spend is our brand spend. We’re reaching new people, telling stories, and putting our name in front of audiences who had never heard of us. Sure, we also asked for money but that didn’t negate the brand […]

Learn More February 2, 2026

Your Generational Mkt Deck: Horoscopes in Business Casual

I’m still alive and the world hasn’t ended, so it must be time for our semi-irregular tilt at the horsh$% windmills of generational marketing. The equine dung pile of evidence against is deep, here’s another gem. BBH Labs created a “Group Cohesion Score” to measure how alike different groups actually are, using UK survey data […]

Learn More January 30, 2026

Cost to Raise a Dollar Is a Terrible North Star

Nonprofits don’t drift into short-termism because fundraisers are shallow, boards are naïve, or donors are irrational. They drift because volume machine system scorecard makes short-termism feel responsible. Conversion rate, cost per acquisition, ROAS, and cost to raise a dollar define success as whatever is immediate and attributable. Inside that world, the only decisions that look […]

Learn More January 28, 2026