Keep The Spark Alive
Via Marketing Profs, here is some loyalty advice from the commercial space. “Keep the spark alive” says this article … Brand Love for the Long Haul. I mean, if you can inspire ‘brand love’ for Brillo soap pads (100 years old this year), why not for Oxfam or the San Diego Zoo?
Here are the five tips (with examples) offered for “keeping a fiery connection”. [Wait, is this Marketing Profs or Cosmopolitan?]
Spend quality time together. The Agitator translation: spend time really getting to know and experience your organization from the donor’s perspective. Think Undercover Boss!
Delight with novelty. Break the routine now and then, but stay true to your brand.
Know when to over-communicate and when to listen (genuinely). Engagement must be two-way. Listen, of course; but also respond.
Create surprise that’s emotionally relevant. This tip caught my attention. When was the last time you actually tried to surprise (and delight) your donors? How might that be possible for your organization?
Embrace companion love. What they’re saying here is provide plenty of scope for your true believers — your most committed donors and activists — to act upon their emotional commitment. Think Maker’s Mark Ambassador program.
Marvin Gaye (aka Tom)
2 responses to “Keep The Spark Alive”
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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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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Very much on target, I think, Marvin/Tom. I particularly like the following:
— Communicate AND LISTEN, GENUINELY. I’m always asking fundraisers, “Do you actually care about your donors? Or are your donors a means to achieve your mission?” There is a difference. Donor-centered means that your donors’ interests and feelings (emotions!) matter. Donor-centered means you help donors fulfill their own aspirations. And maybe that means that the donor doesn’t give large to you. Maybe you help the donor give large elsewhere.
— Create SURPRISE that is EMOTIONALLY relevant – and DELIGHT WITH NOVELTY. I talk about creating extraordinary experiences for donors. Those extraordinary experiences create memorable moments. In fact, those extraordinary experiences are memorable moments.
I start with the Agitator comment from January 2009: Loyalty is the holy grail of fundraising. Then I offer these equations:
* Loyalty = Donor-centered organization + comprehensive relationship building
* Comprehensive relationship building = Donor-centered communications + extraordinary experiences.
The job of the fundraiser is to delight the donor. Sure, a trip to Paris would be delightful – but unnecessary. Delight…extraordinary experiences…memorable moments. Things like:
— Insider updates, an informal gathering at the office to tell donors how you spend their money and invite their input and welcome questions.
— Collect the donor’s philanthropic story and share it on your website, in your newsletter and annual report. Invite donors to tell their stories at events.
— Zoos invite donors to help feed the animals.
There are so many ways to create extraordinary experiences, delight donors, engage interests and feelings, create surprise… My blogs and NPQ web columns and books list lots of ideas. The Agitator constantly begs us and rants at us to do this work. And do it genuinely.
But to what degree do fundraisers and their organizations do it? Or is our field just too focused on money money money. How ironic that is. We could raise more money if we focused on building loyalty. But we’re too busy trying to raise money.
Right on the mark Tom/Marvin.The importance of making donors special is so important.I just had a “outcomes meeting”to show a donor how their gift had been used with some intellectualy challengen children.We sat down with the kids and she had a chance to interact with them.
She and the kids had a great experience and she saw the direct impact of that gift,which was to purchase Ipads to help develop our kids interactive skills and it is working..
It was a great experience for all involved