Award Winning Blog - Agitator

So Much For That Theory!

On October 9th I posted I Hate This Study, and predicted that in thirty days it would blow away other posts in terms of open rates. Why? Because, as the neuroscience study it referred to established, negative information and emotions are processed more readily by the brain than positive stuff. So I tested my "Hate" […]

Learn More November 11, 2009

Hug Them!

If you won’t listen to me or Roger on the value of knowing — really knowing — and cultivating relationships with your best donors, then listen to marketing maven Seth Godin. Seth is talking about customers generally, but we know he’d say the same of donors. Writing a post called Some people are better than […]

Learn More November 10, 2009

Now Email Is Dead Too

First, direct mail was dead. Now email is dead. Apparently the only channel that’s alive is social media. At least that’s the POV presented by Jessica Vascellaro in a Wall Street Journal article, Why Email No Longer Rules, published last month. She begins: "Email has had a good run as king of communications. But its […]

Learn More November 9, 2009

Just How Tight Is Your Money?

A new Harris poll reported here by Mediapost indicates that the number of people taking measures to reduce their everyday spending is still on the rise. Leading the list of money-saving measures are buying generic brands (#1 at 62% in October), taking a brown bag lunch instead of buying (#2 at 47%), and fewer visits […]

Learn More November 6, 2009

The End Of An Era. Thank Heavens!

A couple of days ago Tom relayed Ken Burnett’s view of what donors and fundraising will be like ten years from now. In brief, technology will put donors more in control of the channels through which we communicate with them…donors will seek greater accountability, transparency and control of how their money is spent and what […]

Learn More November 5, 2009

It Makes Me Cringe

When I read an article like this one in DM News, it makes me cringe. It’s talking about a study by online agency Return Path looking at the extent to which advocacy and arts groups collect (or not) and then use (or not) personal data on folks who sign up for these groups’ e-newsletters. After […]

Learn More November 4, 2009