If You Have to Claim It, You’re Not
Margaret Thatcher said, “Being powerful is like being a lady. If you have to tell people you are, you aren’t.” The same can be said for being trustworthy or authentic; if you have to claim it, you’re not it. And if you’re having internal meetings about how your brand can be more trusting and authentic then you’re probably trying to put a cat in a suit and expecting it to lead the board meeting.
Trust and authenticity are bestowed on you by what you do and say. Claiming trustworthiness not only doesn’t make it so, it make it the opposite.
Research shows that public companies 10-K filings (effectively a mandatory annual report) using more self proclaimed trust language are,
- viewed more suspiciously by investors
- more likely to be investigated (by the SEC)
- more likely to pay higher audit fees and
- last but not least, have lower Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ratings.
Here’s a few examples that I’d wager are in many a charity annual report at least in spirit if not verbatim (emphasis added).
- Coca-Cola: Our vision sustainable growth includes being a responsible global citizen that makes a difference
- HSBC: Our management procedures focus on ethical…Critical to our relationship with our customers is their trust..
- Bank of America: effective governance characterized by clarity and transparency.
To misquote Shakespeare, “The company doth claim too much, methinks”.
Kevin
2 responses to “If You Have to Claim It, You’re Not”
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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I actively avoided auto repair shops with names like “Integrity Automotive” or “Honest Bob’s transmissions”
Amen. 😃