Award Winning Blog - Agitator

The Pseudoscience of Brand Personality

Have you ever been in a discussion about brand attributes or brand personality? What about research studies measuring how much donors think the brand fits certain attributes? Did it feel wildly generic or maybe, contrived? Does anybody think about a brand as being charming or good looking? One of the most well-respected marketing and brand […]

Learn More June 9, 2023

Personality and Emotion Words

Make it emotional is one of my favorite, paper-thin, directives from the department of shallow fundraising thoughts. Which emotion exactly? A positive one, negative, both? This also glosses over the fact that emotion doesn’t cause behavior, it’s the goal. Is my aim to make you feel sad or angry at some crappy or unfair situation? […]

Learn More June 7, 2023

People Are Different But In Predictable Ways

People are different in their motivation and interests and yet the sea of sameness of one-size-fits-all fundraising dominates. The Control ad and a Test ad both going to a single audience; the unspoken assumption is that everyone’s the same. But what if the test failed because it did well with some people but poorly with […]

Learn More June 5, 2023

We Are What We Choose

Are you more outgoing and social or introverted? Are you described by others as being warm, friendly and often helping others? Might people describe you as hard-working, dependable and a planner? You almost certainly had answers for all 3 questions that came naturally and quickly. These are typical descriptors for people and well, you know […]

Learn More June 2, 2023

Is Your Online Fundraising Like Warby Parker?

Warby Parker launched in 2010 selling eyeglasses online. The founder loathed the idea of physical retail space, planning to cut out the middleman, eliminate the landlord and avoid long-term leases. Today they have 200 stores in 36 states. The founder of apparel store Everlane said he’d rather shut the company down than open a physical […]

Learn More May 31, 2023

Memorial Day 2023

MOURN. REMEMBER.

Learn More May 29, 2023