Direct response TV lessons
Historically, the most consistently successful nonprofit fundraisers using DRTV have been the child sponsor agencies — Save the Children, Worldvision, Christian Children’s Fund, etc.* Their campaigns effectively married strong emotional visuals and case statements with the sound ROI economics of monthly giving.I’ve always thought that animal welfare and protection organizations would be another logical candidate for this medium. Clearly the emotional content would be ample. The bigger challenge would be crafting a programmatic “call to action” that supported a monthly gift.This recent DMNews article reviews the status of DRTV, with a very informative focus on the ASPCA and its masterful use of the medium.In the online era, DRTV can offer multiple impulse response options, not just 1-800 numbers. But with that convenience comes greater complexity in tracking campaigns and measuring ROIs. This is not easy stuff.At the same time, the internet provides more access opportunities for more organizations to experiment with video direct response. For one thing, the “gatekeeper” problem that kept advocacy groups and associated controversial messages off television doesn’t exist online … plus the “inventory” — always a limiting problem given television’s finite shelf space — is limitless online.For any nonprofit contemplating video appeals, either online or on conventional TV, this article will be helpful.Tom*I’m referring here to ongoing fundraising campaigns. TV-based “disaster” fundraising is obviously also successful and capitalizes on online donation capture, but these are “one-off” campaigns driven by extensive free media exposure … a different kettle of fish.
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Behavioral Science Q & A
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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There’s just one thing to consider when designing a supporter journey: the supporter. More specifically, you need to take into account: Who the supporter is i.e. their identity, which is the reason they support this cause, and their personality, which describes the way they “see” and process the world. These will determine the kind of […]
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I’m not an expert in this but a quick search surfaced this article on the effect of tax reforms on 2019’s charitable giving. The researchers didn’t find a reduction. Actually, they observed an “increase in charitable contributions in 2019, even with the lower tax rates and the dramatically smaller number of taxpayers who itemize their […]
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read you blog Tom and wanted to add some things to your comments from the European market:
Many animal charities in Europe have been heavy users of DRTV for a long time – IFAW, Dutch Animal Protection Society and SPCA in the Netherlands; SPCA, Blue Cross and the RSPCA in the UK for example. The emotional content is easy to find and many people would rather give to animals than people!
But also health charities have had lots of success with DRTV, with cancer leading the pack, as so many people are directly affected by cancer in their lives and the subject is thus very emotional. Cancer Research UK has been running DRTV for at least 10 years.