Every copywriter worth her or his salt knows that for many causes ‘fear’, ‘urgency’ and, often, ‘ideology’ are key ingredients for success.

EXCEPT when these ingredients are so ineptly combined as to produce a recipe that poisons even the most loyal donor.

Nowhere is the misapplication of solid marketing and fundraising principles so prominent as in political fundraising, where mailing lists, email lists and telemarketing lists containing the names of the political faithful are shared by the party committees, candidates and other sympathetic organizations.

Couple the promiscuous list sharing with the absence of any coordination (the ‘Silo’ rears its ugly head) and any apparent understanding or care about donor sensibilities and you get this egregious mess of a case study. You’ll want to read and take to heart today. Even if you’re not into political fundraising many of the lessons and insights powerfully apply.

Specifically, I’m referring to Horrified by My Party!, a ‘must read” piece that appeared in Denny Hatch’s Business Common Sense last week.”

The guest author is Peter J. Rosenwald, a legendary direct marketer, founder and CEO of both Wunderman Worldwide and Saatchi & Saatchi Direct Worldwide. Not only is Peter a charter member of the Agitator’s DM pantheon, he’s a lifelong, passionate and generous Democrat.

Here’s what led to his legitimate rant and a summary of his insights:

• On Easter Saturday and Sunday Peter received 20 emails — that’s right 20! — from Democratic organizations in 2 days.

• Read the messages for yourself to see how inane they are in the eyes of any serious donor.

And take a few of Peter’s takeaways to heart:

• “20 emails from 15 different Democratic organizations in 48 hours is disgusting.”

• This is not a process. It is promotional chaos driven by the incredibly low cost of releasing millions of electronic communication bullets in the understandable expectation that at least some will hit their targets.”

• “Direct marketing is a process, not a series of techniques.”

• “If the process is not followed, it will certainly lead to customer dissatisfaction.’”

• “Because email is essentially free, marketing decisions are made by the greedy bean counters who don’t care a rap about donor comfort.”

• “Crying ‘wolf’ is a diminishing tactic. Use it too often and you risk not being heard when a real wolf appears on the doorstep.”

• “If you are going to send a breathless communication, make sure it really takes the reader’s breath away.”

Our thanks to Denny for providing Peter a well-deserved soap box. And, thank you Peter for mounting it so eloquently and wisely. You both get an Agitator raise.

Roger

P.S. Fundraising addendum to “The Little Boy Who Cried Wolf” – “Just because email is inexpensive compared to other media, it must not be over used. Even loyalists will turn off.”

P.P.S. “Needed: an email tsar to play traffic cop on promotional efforts from the 15 arms of this obscene Democratic octopus.”