Pogo Was Right

October 18, 2024      Kevin Schulman, Founder, DonorVoice and DVCanvass

Cartoonist Walt Kelly is credited with the line, “We have met the enemy and he is us” uttered by his Pogo opossum character in a 1970 Earth Day poster highlighting human impact on the environment.  Ironically, the very brands responsible for societal good are polluting the fundraising rivers with a sea of gimmicky, transactional sameness.

Proof?  In 2023,

  • 60% of acquisition mail used premiums – front/back end or both aiming to achieve the impossible, 2 pounds of crap in a one pound bag.
  • 28% was either matching gift or faux supporter cards.
  • Leaving an uninspiring 12% figure for mission mail.

There are many forces at work for dwindling response rates but surely everyone sending the same thing is, at minimum, an opportunity for the enterprising brand?   It’s further irony that the Frost inspired least taken path is the one fostering connection between the reader and the mission.

“Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”

The notion that you need premiums to make mail work is, well, nonsense.  I agree you “need it” if your alternative is crap.  But it needn’t be if you,

  • Use primary research to understand motivation
  • Get beyond one-size fits all
  • Include messaging that speaks to the person’s Identity and/or Personality

And know that a “tie” is a win when factoring in fulfillment time and expense and more importantly, the lower 2nd gift conversion and LTV on the left because you’ve undermined intrinsic reasons to support and replaced it with a transactional mindset.

We’ve seen the enemy, it is us.

Kevin

2 responses to “Pogo Was Right”

  1. Mark Loux says:

    When is a premium more than a premium? Believe me, I’m mostly in your court. However, are there not some premiums that build affinity? I wear my Ducks Unlimited jacket and almost every time someone comments that they’re a supporter, too.

    I wear the jacket because I’m proud to support the organization. I would argue that, for some, this type of premium actually improves the likelihood of renewal increased long-term value. But that’s just one person’s opinion.

    • Kevin Schulman says:

      Hi Mark, appreciate the reading and thinking, as always. It’s certainly the case that some people want to publicly express their Identity via connection with a brand. And maybe the merch is functional too – e.g., quilted DU jacket for sitting in blind in middle of Jan. Here’s alternative ways to think about tapping into and monetizing that desire by some,

      1) Gift it. By making it quasi contingent on the donate decision you likely undermine the intrinsic reason for donating. I strongly identify as a duck hunter and want to reinforce by values by donating/becoming a member. A gift tied to anniversary or even randomly is a much better boost to retention – have cake and eat it too.
      2) Sell it. Why heavily subsidize the purchase by tying it to a paltry donation? License the brand, offer a storefront (outsourced), have high end and lower end merch to satisfy different budgets and preferences. Offer discount for members.
      3) Make opting out very prominent. USGA gives members a new hat, bag tag and rule book every year. All three of those items change so, in theory, a person may want the new stuff every year. In reality we ran a test that made opt-out very prominent and flexible – could opt out of 1, 2 or all 3. Over 50% opted out of at least one and 20% (ish) opted out of all 3.

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