Memorable Marketing
I just really enjoyed these two articles … so bear with me … I’m sharing them. Both relate to memorable, durable marketing. Easy lifting for Monday.
The first reports on a survey conducted for Forbes on the most memorable fictional brand spokespeople (often spokescreatures!). Survey participants were asked to rank 800 characters on 36 characteristics, including sincerity, likability and coolness. For the Forbes list, they ranked the characters by their appeal–whether people like the characters or not. Watch their cute little slideshow.
Top three are: M&Ms characters, Pillsbury Doughboy, and Tony the Tiger. The article dryly points out the advantage of a sportscreature … they can’t possibly embarrass the brand. Think Tony the Tiger vs Tiger Woods!
My top ten would have included the Michelin Man and Smoky the Bear!
In a similar vein, the second article features a list of the most "brilliant" marketing concepts or campaigns … ideas that "changed everything" according to Entrepreneur.com (as reported by MSNBC).
Top three on this list are: "A diamond is forever" (De Beers), "Does she … or doesn’t she?" (Clairol), and "Marlboro Man" (Philip Morris). Some interesting selections on this list. The article gives the back story on each. Did you know that until 1955 Marlboros were marketed as a premium filter tip cigarette for women?!
Fun browsing while you eat your lunch. Of course I’m assuming that as a dedicated fundraiser you eat at your desk!
If you want a serious question to ponder (and justify your browsing), how many truly memorable and durable nonprofit or public service advertising campaigns or spokespeople (or spokescreatures) can you recall?
I’ll chip in Smoky the Bear and "A mind is a terrible thing to waste" — both from the Ad Council. It’s tough to think of many, isn’t it?
What does this say about the amount of creative energy we put into marketing our causes?
Tom
2 responses to “Memorable Marketing”
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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This may be because I’m a child of the 80s, but the public service campaign that immediately springs to mind is:
This is your brain.
This is your brain on drugs.
Any questions?
Tom,
The two that stand out for me from my childhood was the early environmental ad of the crying Indian and egg symbol for “This is your brain. This is your brain on drugs.” Again, I think that was the Ad Council.
But, when I think of creating brilliant marketing concepts, certainly the pink ribbon for breast cancer awareness and the yellow wrist band with the LiveStrong message have become household symbols.
Craig