Play It Again, Sam

June 24, 2014      Admin

In his recent Fundraising Success post, premiere copywriter Willis Turner talks about repetition.

As in, when it your fundraising package works, use it again. And again. Until it fails. As he puts it: “…don’t be afraid of repetition unless and until it proves itself a bad idea for your particular organization. There’s too much to gain not to give it a try.”

In this case, he’s talking about special appeals — “appeal controls”, as he calls them — on the assumption that most direct mail fundraisers have already learned and applied this lesson with respect to acquisition packages.

But when it comes to special appeals, many nonprofits take the opposite approach, thinking that ‘change’, ‘new’, ‘fresh’, ‘different’ is better. As Willis says, “it feels weird” to mail the same appeal package to the same audience.

To be sure, some special appeals really are ‘special’ — they are triggered by a specific event, a unique circumstance, or a ticking clock. But many are not — e.g., most likely, you’re saving the same endangered species this year as last. So if last year’s package performed well, don’t replace it.

Willis gives one concrete example from his experience to back up his advice.

Can any Agitator readers support this position with examples of your own? Would be fascinating to learn of some longstanding ‘appeal controls’.

Tom

P.S. As for acquisition controls, as best I can recall, my first exposure to a historically long-running acquisition control was Planned Parenthood’s Katherine Hepburn package. I wonder what the longest-running acquisition package has been … any nominations?

 

 

3 responses to “Play It Again, Sam”

  1. Mike Cowart says:
    June 24, 2014 at 11:07 am

    We work primarily with nonprofit healthcare foundations and have letters that work again and again for various clients. We continually test copy, and these control letters are very difficult to beat.

    So, we believe in “play it again Sam!”

  2. Bonnie Catena says:
    June 24, 2014 at 2:34 pm

    I have thoughts on both of your questions, Tom:

    1.) Appeal controls — or “evergreen appeals,” as I’ve heard them called: In my experience, health charities use the repeat method often and with success. Annual Fund and Matching Gift are classics that keep on ticking. I suspect that advocacy organizations can do a straight repeat because of ever-evolving issues, but they can certainly capitalize on the compelling AF & MG messaging.

    2.) As for a nomination for a long-standing — and in this case still being mailed — acquisition control. One that Roger himself wrote sometime in the 90s — the Amnesty International USA Small Message of Hope (SCHMOPE, as we affectionately called it in the office) package is still going strong. It’s been tweaked with things like labels and back-end premiums, but the LTV of the donors acquired is better than practically anything that’s been tested.

    –Bonnie

  3. Dottie Simmons Parham says:
    June 24, 2014 at 4:10 pm

    Oxfam America has been mailing their No Gimmicks acquisition control package for 20+ years. Amazing entry gift level. Outstanding ROI.

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